Quarantine: A PokemonMD Reality Show

by Lasirus

18 Pokemon, three from each gen, find themselves in a post-apocalyptic gameshow where they will battle it out for the prizes of their dreams. Contains Pokemon Anthros. It's a story similar to the Total Drama series, but is not a true crossover.

17. Chapter 17: Strive to Survive

Episode 17: Strive to Survive

-Last Time On Quarantine-

"DAGGER EYES IS NOT GETTING HIS WAY!AND YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE DOES NOT LIKE DAGGER EYES WHEN HE IS NOT! GETTING! HIS! WAY!"

Contestants were set with the task of destroying Dagger Eyes zombie potion factory.

"It's not like this show's script has been all that creative thus far."

Infiltrating the factory, they had to find the super virus...

"So this must be the stuff Gola injected Lilly and Muffy with."

"You don't say."

...fight robots...

"WAAAAAAH! HERE COMES THE DOOOOM!"

...Destroy the assembly line...

"Something's telling me to hold onto this."

...and escape the factory.

"You think you're running to freedom? But you're NOT!"

Grant found an easier, faster, and... more painful way to complete all the goals, nabbing himself victory.

"I believe a certain evil genius would be much appreciative if his loyal subject were to provide him an adequit offering."

Meanwhile, Wren's struggled with his emotions all day, leading to the hardest elimination all season.

"I really don't want to send someone as nice as you home."

This lead to the bravest thing Wren's ever done in the contest. ...and his elimination.

"If I'm going home, I might as well do it with honor, and by showing respect to those who deserve it."

It's eighteen divided by six in Quarantine. Who will move on to the final episode? Keep reading to find out.

-Mistakes Have Been Made-

As usual, the screen started out in Dagger Eye's quarters where Dagger Eye's silhouette still stood. His eyes seemed very angry. The slant of his eyes got steeper and steeper and eventually they glowed a burning red. Dagger Eyes was about to erupt.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWRRR!" Dagger Eyes roared. "THAT! STUPID! BIBAREL! IS ALWAYS RUINING MY PLAAAAANS! DAGGER EYES ISN'T GETTING HIS WAAAAAAAAAY!"

Suddenly, the screen started to shake furiously as a rumbling noise could be heard. Dagger Eyes eventually went ballistic and shot a huge laser beam into a random location. A word did not exist to describe how furious he was.

"EVERYTHING MUST DESTROY!" Dagger Eyes yelled as he fired off at another area.

Suddenly, rocks in the room started to fall from the ceiling. It seemed like Dagger Eyes was going to kill himself with his anger.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWRRRRRRRR!"

After another blast, rocks started to fall in front of the screen until eventually a rock hit the camera projected from the screen and destroyed the screen. Bertram was sitting safely in his control room when he saw this. Bertram put a smile on his face with what he saw.

"Is he..." Bertram started. "Is Dagger Eyes... vanquished? By his own fury?"

There was no proof that Bertram had that Dagger Eyes destroyed himself in anger, but Bertram didn't care. He assumed that this would be the last he would ever see of Dagger Eyes.

"He's gone! Ha! The world is saved," Bertram said to the viewers. "Now the peninsula is indefinitely mine. With no need for Quarantine anymore, I think I'll convert this place into a prison when it's all over. And I'll be the head of that prison."

...Did Bertram ever ask himself if any part of the series actually made sense? Apparently not.

We check on the bunkers where we see Grant squirming about his bed as usual. Kiki and Drenig were... not in the bunker. Instead, they took all their pillows and blankets and went under the tree near the bathroom. It was an area they payed little attention to, but it was a nice night out, and a rest under the stars seemed relaxing. ...Especially since they weren't inside the bunkers with Grant. They didn't fall asleep right away. Instead, they talked about the final episode.

"Ay Kiki," Drenig started. "When it's just you and me in the final two, what do you think will happen then?"

"How do you assume it will be the two of us?" Kiki asked.

"Well I figure it's a two in three chance that we will be in the final two," Drenig said. "If you win the next challenge, Grant's gone. If I win the next challenge, Grant's gone. Of course, that's assuming we don't find a reason to get into another of those crazy arguments and rivalries."

"I guess," Kiki agreed. "The only way it won't be us is if Grant wins. ...Then it will probably be him and you. He seems to hate you less."

"Yeah, but if that happens, I'd totally give up my shot at winning for you," Drenig said.

"...That's a bit excessive, don't you think?" Kiki asked. Drenig paused for a moment.

"Ay man, you're right," Drenig said. "I have goals I want to attend to if I win, and I don't want to just throw those goals away. You're probably the same way."

"In it to win it," Kiki said with a smile.

"Yeah, you're right, I wouldn't forfeit," Drenig confirmed.

"I think only a fool would," Kiki said. "Well, unless they realized they want the money less."

"Perhaps... we would all have our reasons for what we do," Drenig mentioned.

"Still, I guess I don't care if I win or you," Kiki said. "I could care less if Wren won. Just as long as foul slab of pork does not."

"Well... I guess we could work together to make sure he doesn't," Drenig said.

"Yeah... that sounds like a plan," Kiki said.

Back in the bunkers, Grant was tossing about in his bed. Guilt was destroying him inside.

"No... Stop! Not my potions!" Grant cried. "What do furries need with potions? What does the giant Kraken queen need with potions. Why won't Muffy help me? Muffy! MUFFY! Help, the furries and giant Kraken queen are out to get me! HEEEEEELP!"

Grant fell out of his bed yet again. The dreams were starting to take their toll. And yet, he was still sleeping.

"No! Giant chicken of doom, I've done nothing wrong!" Grant cried. "No, don't lock me up in there! You're feeding me to the crocodile!? Cease this nonsense! Muffy! MUFFY! Oh where is Muffy! Save me from the evil furries and the Kraken queen and the giant chicken and the crocodile! Anyone? Muffy? ...Muffy... WAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

-Confessional Session(Grant)-

"These nightmares won't stop!" Grant cried. "Maybe I should just finally give up."

Grant gave another evil smile. It was hard to tell what he was thinking.

"Oh please, it's not too late," Grant said. "All I have to do is win the next event, then Kiki's gone, the money's mine."

Grant then changed his face again. Still hard to read him.

"It's no use," Grant said. "I can't churn anymore sympathy out of the contestants. Kiki and Drenig will not be swayed."

You guessed what comes next. Grant's face changed again.

"Silence, fool! You can pull through this!" Evil Grant said.

"But master!" Good Grant challenged.

"I've had enough of you!" Evil Grant yelled. "I must get rid of my weak, pathetic good guy Grant self before I can finally fufil my role as GRANT THE DASTARDLY!"

"...No... It will never work," Good Grant whined. "It's not me, it's really not. I would never partake in the dishonest things I've done."

"But Grant, it's just a game," Evil Grant reminded. "It's not like you're hurting anyone. You haven't done anything truly evil, you've just been playing the game."

"Right... playing the game," Good Grant said. "That's all I'm doing is playing a game. If I keep reminding myself that, I won't feel bad about myself. ...But why do I still do? And I wonder if there's any point in acting nice towards those two."

"No... not really," Evil grant stated.

-After Confessional-

Kiki and Drenig got what was probably some of the best sleep they've had in a while. Their time away from Grant did wonders to them as they both arose from their grassy resting areas. Kiki couldn't help but stare at Drenig as he gave a really big yawn. Drenig's yawn was... not a sight to behold.

"He he, morning Drenig," Kiki greeted nervously, startled by his yawn.

"Morning Kiki," Drenig said. "Today's the deciding of the final two. I... honestly can't believe we've made it this far."

"Do I need to say who else I can't believe made it this far?" Kiki asked.

"Grant?" Drenig guessed.

"Duh," Kiki stated. "Still, there's one thing I want more than his elimination."

"His confession?" Drenig guessed.

"Again, duh," Kiki mentioned. "I'd really like to hear all those evil actions straight from his mouth. I think I know what we can do to get him to squeal like the little piggy that he is."

"Put him under immense pressure?" Drenig guessed.

"Wow, you're really good at this," Kiki joked.

Drenig pointed to his head and giggled back at Kiki. Drenig was implying that he was smart. Truth was, Kiki could be pretty smart when she wanted to be too.

-Confessional Session(Drenig)-

"Kiki may not have knowledge on machinery like I do," Drenig said. "But she has people smarts. She knows how to be nice when she needs to be, and how to goad a mon to confession. ...And she also has more athletics than I do. ...Man, if it really is me and her in the final two, do I really have a shot against her? ...I guess we'll just have to see who's talents are more useful."

-After Confessional-

Eventually, Grant came out of the bunkers. He was Kiki and Drenig over by the tree and decided to approach them.

"Ummm... morning guys," Grant said, a little shaking in his voice."

"What do you want?" Kiki asked coldly.

"I guess I just wanted to say... good luck," Grant said.

"Huh... Really?" Drenig asked, not believing Grant would say something like that.

"Yeah... I guess I ...I mean that," Grant said. "Good luck in today's games."

It was then that Grant switched to his evil face This wasn't something he's done yet to other contestants.

"You'll need all the luck you will get while you undergo my revenge!" Evil Grant growled. "All the suffering you've put me through Kiki, I will win these events and I will DESTROY you! And that worthless wimp will be next and last on my Quarantine hit-list. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA! MWAHAHAHAARGH!"

Grant stopped laughing for a moment and looked at the two. His look was... equally unusual, as he gave a look of sadness at both of them. He then sunk his head, as if he was ashamed of what he did.

"My head hurts right now," Grant said. "I don't even know who I am anymore."

Grant walked away from the two and over to the hot tub. Kiki couldn't believe what she saw, but she had a gut feeling that Grant's current sadness was actually true.

"Maybe if I soak in some warm water I'll feel better," Grant said.

Kiki shook her head at Grant. She had a feeling she knew what was going on.

-Confessional Session(Kiki)-

"All those horrible things he's done," Kiki said. "I think I know what they were: They were Grant trying to be a real villain. And judging by those dreams, he's become more and more ashamed of himself over time. At first I just disliked Grant, but now I kind of pity him. Maybe deep down he really is a good person, he's just too busy trying to act like a legit villain to admit it."

-After Confessional-

"Uhh, Drenig," Kiki started.

"What is it, cool cat?" Drenig asked.

"Maybe we should go easy on him," Kiki said. "I think Grant's starting to come to the boiling point. He doesn't seem like he can keep up his routine."

"I don't get it," Drenig said. "Wait a minute... No, I do get it. You mean to tell me that all the things he's done... They were just him trying to act?"

"Exactly," Kiki said. "This whole time he's been trying to be a real villain, and now I think he's ready to give up."

"That... does sound pitiful," Drenig agreed. "You're right, maybe we should ease up."

"But not too much," Kiki said. "He's still trying to be evil, so we got to be a little cruel until he surrenders."

"That doesn't sound too hard," Drenig assumed.

"I don't know, Drenig," Kiki questioned. "I don't know. ...Anyway, maybe we should make breakfast."

Kiki walked over to Grant who was currently soaking in the tub. It seemed she wanted to talk to him.

"Uhh... Grant?" Kiki asked. "Do... you want to help make breakfast with us?"

"Hmph! That's a bold statement to make to one so vile," Grant said.

"Listen, I know what kind of problems you're going through," Kiki said. "I just want to..."

"Problems? What problems?" Grant asked. "You don't decide where I have a problem or not. Grant the Dastardly decides whether he has problems. Do you really think you're capable of diagnosing my problems?"

"Yes I do," Kiki said. "You're not as evil as you want to show yourself."

"Grant, she does have a point," Drenig said. "Do you think that's the side of you people want to see? If you showed the real you..."

"The REAL me?" Grant questioned. "Grant the Dastardly is as real as they come. I am a true bonafide villain."

"You aren't listening to yourself, are you?" Kiki asked.

"Are you admitting to the things you've done in the past?" Drenig asked.

"Of course not," Grant stated. "Just cause I'm nasty doesn't mean I'm a liar."

"Grant, enough!" Kiki shouted. "We may forgive all the things you've done if you just... confess."

"Confess... what?" Grant asked. "I have nothing to confess."

"The people you eliminated unjustfully!" Drenig shouted.

"Not once have I truly gotten ANYONE eliminated," Grant said. "I am trying to cope with your bullying now. You guys are a broken record, and I've gotten used to your stupid accusations. Just let me be evil and let me NOT get people eliminated."

"...Okay," Kiki said nervously. "...Breakfast?"

Grant changed his face again. He was really going through the motions where he didn't know if he wanted to confess or not.

"...Yeah, sure," Grant said as he climbed out of the hot tub.

"Just remember... We're watching you," Drenig reminded.

The three Team Mol-Tres survivors went to the kitchen to make breakfast for each other. They knew not what was in store for them today."

-The Throwback-

The three remaining contestants were working on making omlettes. Kiki was scrambling eggs, Drenig was sauteing some berries and Grant was... well... he was working while plotting.

"Revenge..." Grant muttered. "Revenge for all that was done to me. Revenge for all the wrong I've been done upon. Revenge for the pain. Revenge for the suffering. Revenge for... for evil. Mwahahahaha!"

"...I thought you got used to all of that," Kiki said.

"Ah ha! But it does not mean I do not want revenge for what you two have done," Grant countered.

"Yeah, but just remember Grant," Drenig started. "It's two against one man, and your odds are stacked."

"Like I got to take this nonsense from you," Grant challenged. "You might as well not even be a contestant. You're useless."

"What! Useless?" Drenig challenged back.

"And what exactly are YOU good at Kiki?" Grant asked. "I've yet to see YOU do anything spectacular."

"Coming from someone who pretty much excels at nothing but trying to be evil, you're one to talk," Kiki stated. "Why do you keep that stupid act anyway? You're about as real as Drenig's pompadour."

"Hey!" Drenig exclaimed.

"So your hair is real?" Grant asked. "I don't even know how that's possible."

"She was calling you a fake, nimrod!" Drenig shouted. "She was also stating that my hair's fake."

"Oh, is it?" Grant asked. "Then you wouldn't mind if I did THIS!"

Grant jumped right up to Drenig's head and immediately grabbed his hair. As Grant fell back to the ground, he managed to yank Drenig's wig right off his head. Drenig looked like a different person without his pompadour.

"Argh! Keep your hooves off that you worthless scum!" Drenig shouted, trying to grab his wig back as Grant was waving it about.

"Easy there, Drenig," Kiki said. "I can take it back."

"Boy, you get angry easy," Grant stated. Grant couldn't help but laugh.

"Alright Grant," Kiki started. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way."

Kiki started to pound her talons together to seem intimidating. But Grant still laughed at her. Suddenly, Kiki charged at Grant and immediately put him into a very uncomfortable hold.

"Wah! I'm sorry I'm sorry!" Grant cried.

Kiki couldn't help but pity Grant even more. Grant couldn't take pain very well, and it was obvious.

"Pathetic," Kiki said simply.

Just then, Bertram appeared on the screen in the kitchen. It was time for another challenge.

"Well... here we are," Bertram started. "The crowd keeps getting smaller and smaller. Very weird. I imagined the remaining contestants would be rather different."

As the contestants were watching the screen, Kiki pulled the wig out of Grant's hooves and passed it to Drenig. Drenig swiped the wig out of Kiki's claws and placed it back onto his head.

"But in any case, I have a certain... plan for today's games," Bertram said. "Since there are only a mere three contestants left, we will have not one, not two, but three challenges. Three challenges for three contestants."

"...Okay," Kiki said as she was still holding onto Grant.

"Uncle! Uncle already!" Grant cried.

"Kiki, since you've made it this far, I would hate to have you disqualified right away," Bertram said. "Please let go of your fellow contestant."

"Trust me, he aint no fellow," Kiki said before letting go of Grant. Grant turned around and swung his leg into Kiki's crotch, causing a little revenge discomfort. "Ow! Hey, you little..."

"Uh Grant, the same goes for you," Bertram said. "No fighting please."

"She started it!" Grant cried.

"No, technically you did," Bertram stated. "You're the one who pulled the wig off Drenig's head."

"Hey, I thought I was your favorite!" Grant shouted.

"That does NOT mean you get special privileges!" Bertram shouted. "Now finish making breakfast, eat it, and meet me outside!"

With that, the three contestants finished making their breakfast and eventually dined. Afterwards, they met Bertram outside. There, they found several things. First and foremost, they saw two dividers sandwiched between three wide running tracks. It seemed these tracks were much like the ones at the start of the show, except there were slopes and ladders and such. On the left side of the Mol-Tres bunker, there was three glass cages each with a few pieces of paper, a Rubiks cube, a sliding puzzle, and a few other things. Finally, on the right side of the Mol-Tres bunker there was what almost looked like a trio of gallows, except there were two nooses on each structure. It didn't look like they were for hanging, as each of the nooses were tied on the other end to what seemed to be some heavy iron balls.

"These challenges I show to you are the final challenges I have for you in the game," Bertram said.

"What about tomorrow's challenge?" Drenig asked.

"Well... we at the producers studio, uhhh... don't actually have any ideas for more events," Bertram said. "So... I guess tomorrow's event is canceled. We may decide the winner by vote."

"...That's boring," Kiki said. "But at the same time, that pretty much guarantees Grant's defeat."

"Oh please, do we really think it will be that shallow?" Grant asked.

-Confessional Session(Grant/Kiki/Drenig)-

"I still say Bertram's hiding something," all three contestants said in their confessionals.

-After Confessional-

"Whatever!" Bertram shouted. "We may change our minds tomorrow, but for now we have no challenge. In advance, today marks the final challenge we have planned. We will end the challenges where we began: Strength, Smarts and Speed."

"Hmm... that sounds promising," Kiki stated.

"These events will be a TRUE test of your abilities. This is something we feel that Quarantine has lacked the entire event," Bertram mentioned.

"No kidding?" Drenig asked. "All these events have felt the same so far."

"Yes, of course we at Quarantine were trying to have a more action oriented show," Bertram said. "But for this episode, we wanted to change things up and have traditional challenges this time around."

"Great... I'm very stoked," Grant said.

Kiki could tell Grant was scared. It was crystal clear why he would be.

-Confessional Session(Kiki)-

"Ha! A true test of our abilities?" Kiki asked herself. I'm faster, smarter AND stronger than that Grant kid. And Drenig? He's definitely smarter and stronger. Grant doesn't even HAVE abilities he excels at. Grant has no-where to run, now!"

-After Confessional-

"This time we will do things rather differently," Bertram stated. "We will START with the speed event, followed by the smarts event and end with the event of strength. Sound simple?"

"Enough, I guess," Drenig blurted out.

"Good. Now, let us begin the event," Bertram said. "Follow me."

Eventually, Bertram lead the three to the running tracks they saw. Many questions had to be wondered about this.

"Why are there walls dividing the tracks?" Kiki asked.

"Why else?" Bertram asked. "It's to keep anyone from cheating."

"Then how will we know who's winning?" Grant asked.

"It's more important to run the race than worry about who's winning," Bertram mentioned.

"...He's right you know," Drenig agreed.

"Now, as you noticed this is not just a simple running match," Bertram pointed out. "First you will run forward for a period of time before running up a slope. After running down the slope, you must stop at a wall with a curled up ladder. If you manage to stop without crashing into a wall, you will see a target and a basket of stones."

"Just like in the second episode," Drenig mentioned.

"Precisely," Bertram confirmed. "You hit the target to summon the ladder, you climb the ladder to reach a long series of sequence-steps, from episode six no less. After that, run down a not-so-steep slope and you will come across pendulums much like the ones in Gola's base. And finally, you face the dreaded treadmill hill ALSO from Gola's base. Climb the hill and smash a button much like the pollution machine's battery to win the race. Winner gets three points, runner up gets two, and the loser gets only one point. Are we set?"

"Hmph! I see no reason how this is fair," Grant cried.

"I think it's totally fair," Drenig said. "They even added something for me in this event."

"Already losing confidence are we?" Kiki asked.

"No, I wouldn't say so," Grant said. "I'll at least beat Drenig, and I'll trounce you in the Smarts event Kiki. Prepare for the start of sweet revenge. Here! Comes! The DOOM!"

Kiki and Drenig both stood up to Grant as close as comfort would allow. Even though Kiki was about the same size as Grant, Kiki was rather intimidating. Drenig was over a foot taller. Grant was shaking in his costume.

"Alright, there's a green lane, a blue lane, and a red lane. They're the same except for color just pick a color you like," Bertram added.

Kiki quickly took the red lane. Drenig decided to go up to the blue lane, while Grant was left with the green lane.

-Confessional Session(Drenig)-

"It was nice of Bertram to add the target challenge to this course," Drenig complimented. "I might actually have a shot of not taking last."

-After Confessional-

"Alright without further adieu, let the race begin," Bertram called out. "Get ready, get set, GO!"

With that, the contestants started running up the course. Kiki quickly took first, followed by Grant. Drenig was putting his heart into it, but he wasn't nearly as fast as the other two. Eventually the first obstacle came: the slope. Kiki was able to effortlessly run up the slope. Grant followed in suit, except he wasn't having nearly as easy of a time. The slope was straining his legs a bit, and Grant was losing breath. Grant started to wonder what his odds were.

-Confessional Session(Grant)-

"It's not fair!" Grant shouted. "Grumpigs are not physically adept creatures! You think we're used to that kind of strain? I CALL SHENANIGANS!"

Grant changed his tone again. This was becoming normal for him.

"No, I just don't work out very much," Good Grant said.

"ReVEEEEENGE!" Evil Grant shouted.

"Maybe it's time to throw in the towel," Good Grant suggested himself. "They said they'd forgive me if I just confessed."

"NEVER!" Evil Grant shouted. "I will find a way to win! Mark my words!"

-After Confessional-

Kiki had reached the top of the slope and was running down to the rocks and ladders. ...But she was going so fast she was about to run into the wall.

"Oh SN!" Kiki blurted out right before she splat into the wall.

Kiki stumbled backwards to the rocks. It took a couple of seconds to regain herself, but eventually Kiki was able to and she started to throw rocks at the target.

"Hmmm, what did Drenig say about parabola?" Kiki asked herself.

Kiki started throwing rocks at the target, but it was pretty high up. She kept missing it as she kept throwing rocks. She wasn't having much luck.

...But having even worse luck was Grant. Grant had eventually reached the rocks and went to work on the target. ...But he was having a hard time even throwing high enough to hit the target.

"Urgh! Rargh! Stupid Bertram and his unfair challenges!" Grant cried as he threw more rocks at the the wall.

Grant was giving Drenig a chance to catch up. Drenig powered up over the hill as hard as he could and was the last to reach the rocks. Drenig was pretty confident in his throwing abilities. Drenig picked up a rock and nodded at the target. It only took him a mere two rocks to hit the target.

"Ha! It's all about the parabola," Drenig said to himself. Drenig quickly ran up to the ladder and tried to climb up it as fast as he could.

...Unfortunately for him, Kiki was right on his tail. Kiki had managed to knock down the target and had the right to scale the wall. As Drenig was struggling to climb up his wall, Kiki had scaled the wall right away. Drenig didn't have to worry too much, because by the time he had climbed the wall, Grant was still throwing rocks at his target.

"Stupid rocks!" Grant cried. "I'd be better off building a remote-control flying rock than throwing these stupid things. ...Argh! I don't have time!"

Grant started to get angry as he kept scooping up rocks and throwing them at the target as had as he could. ...He still wasn't having luck.

Meanwhile, Kiki was walking along the sequence steps, making sure not to step out of order while still trying to keep it fast. Drenig taking a more steady approach to the sequence steps to make sure he didn't mess up. And yet... they knew they didn't need to know who was in the lead, but Drenig wanted to know anyway.

"Hey Kiki! How are you doing!?" Drenig shouted.

"Can't talk! Concentrating!" Kiki called back.

"Sorry!" Drenig apologized.

Grant had heard the shouts and got even angrier. He could not believe Drenig was in front of him.

"NO! I can't get last in this!" Grant shouted as he furiously threw stones at the target.

Grant was getting about as frustrated as he could get. ...But suddenly, he finally hit the target.

"Ha! Finally!" Grant shouted as he quickly rushed up to the ladder and tried to climb it as fast as he could.

Meanwhile, Kiki had made it to the pendulums. The pendulums seemed... random for this course. I suppose to knock you about though. Kiki tried to rush through it. Kiki's tactics weren't exactly working for that well as pendulums kept hitting her.

Drenig had reached the pendulums as well. Like before, Drenig was taking a more steady route by waiting before passing by. It stopped him from getting knocked about, but it slowed him down as well.

Kiki was still rushing through the pendulums and eventually got through before the pendulum. All that was left for her was the treadmill and the button. Kiki stopped to catch her breath before trying to tackle it.

Meanwhile, Grant was catching up to Drenig. Grant made short work of the sequence steps and was on the pendulums which Drenig just finished.

"You are NOT going to finish this course before I do, Drenig!" Grant shouted.

That told Drenig to hurry up. He started running up the treadmill, trying to beat Grant there. But Drenig wasn't getting far very fast. Still, his determination was his driving point to keep trying.

Grant was able to dodge the pendulums well enough to catch up to Drenig. Grant just mindlessly tried to run up the treadmill without stopping to catch his breath. ...And unwise move as he couldn't get very far before his legs gave way and he fell down the treadmill.

Kiki was the first to make it to her button, not surprisingly. Drenig kept rushing up the treadmill, hoping to reach the button before Grant. Drenig got close to the button and jumped for it. He didn't reach the button, but he did pass the treadmill. Meanwhile, Grant's efforts to reach the top were rather weak and desperate. No matter how hard he tried, Grant could not make it up the treadmill. As a result, Drenig managed to smash the button first. And with that, a whistle blew to end the match.

"What a turn of events contestants," Bertram called out over a loudspeaker. "We have the starting scores. Kiki is in the lead with THREE points. Drenig has scored himself a rather respectable TWO points considering the challenge, and Grant takes a weak third with ONE point."

"Ugh! *Pant* *Wheeze* Revenge! *Huff* *Puff* *Cough* Revenge you all!" Grant whined, trying to pout through his exhaustion. Eventually, he fell down through fatigue.

Eventually all the contestants met outside the tracks after the event. It took them a while to make it back. Kiki and Drenig reached outside before Grant did.

"That's how I hope this game will go," Kiki said to Drenig. "Grant's in last place. ...Nice job by the way Drenig."

"Thanks Kiki," Drenig said with a smile. "I didn't think I'd be able to beat Grant in this event."

"To be honest, me neither," Kiki said.

"Well anyway, I've done some math in my head," Drenig said. "If Grant gets last in the next event, then there's no point to the final event, since there will be no way for him to catch up."

"What if he gets second?" Kiki asked.

"Second or first it would still be anyone's game," Drenig said. "Still, I'm hoping I can take him."

Bertram was a short way away from the group, listening to the two talk. It was then that he turned to the screen and started some dialogue for the commercial break.

"While we're waiting for Grant to come out of the track maze, we're going to take a quick commercial break," Bertram said. "Stick around, viewers."

-The Tube Of Chaos-

The contestants were cooling off after the last event. Grant was looking around the double gallows and saw the weights attached to the ropes. They were down below the boards the contestants were supposed to step on. Grant noticed there was a gap below the boards, and the weights looked suspicious.

"Hmmm..." Grant thought to himself as he looked at the weights.

The weights were plastic cases sandwiching heavy metal weights. Grant made sure no one was looking when he opened up the casing to one of the stations and saw the metal weights. The casing was the one keeping the weights on the rope, as the metal weights holes were bigger than the knots on the rope. ...Strangely convenient for Grant. One by one, Grant removed the weights from the casing and stored them in the gap under the boards. He then put the plastic casings together and started to laugh.

"Mwehehe, as they always say," Grant said. "No rule against it."

That sneaky little Grant! He's trying to cheat! He said he would find a way to win, and he was finding that way.

Meanwhile, Bertram was in the kitchen along with Kiki and Drenig. Kiki and Drenig were both looking in the fridge for a light snack and Bertram was bowling a pot of tea.

"Any of you like some tea?" Bertram asked.

Drenig had just pulled out a large Pinap berry half from the fridge, while Kiki pulled out a half of a Hondew berry. They were both looking at Bertram as if he was weird.

"What? I'm fancy. Fancy Pokemon drink tea," Bertram responded. He then poured some of the tea into a tea cup. He grabbed the cup with two fingers of his paw and lifted the pinky finger outward.

"You may not know this, but that's actually quite insulting," Kiki said.

"What is?" Bertram asked. "Drinking tea?"

"No, holding your pinky out while drinking tea," Drenig mentioned.

"I see Pokemon do it all the time," Bertram said. "...Well, on TV anyway."

"Yeah. On TV, not in real life," Kiki said.

Eventually, Grant came in the kitchen. He seemed a little... shifty.

"Where were you?" Kiki asked.

"I was outside resting," Grant said. "What's it to you, twinkle-toes."

"Right, sure you were," Drenig said.

Suddenly, Grant's interest piqued towards something else. He was looking at Bertram, who was sipping from his tea cup.

"Mmmm, drinking tea are we?" Grant asked. Suddenly, Grant changed his tone again. "Can I have some Bertram?"

"I made enough here for everyone," Bertram said before pouring tea into a cup. "Just be sure to wait for it to cool."

"What do I look like, a person who was born yesterday?" Evil Grant asked before switching his tone to nice Grant. "Thanks Bertram!"

"Of course you will all rather need the tea for the next challenge," Bertram said. "It will help your brain think better."

"...That's an old wives tail involving tea," Drenig mentioned.

"It is very calming, but it doesn't make you think better," Kiki added.

"In any case, the next event is the smarts event," Bertram stated. "When you three are ready, meet me outside."

As Bertram headed outside, he left the others inside. Grant was still drinking his tea. He seemed to be enjoying it.

"Calming tea?" Grant asked. "You want calming tea."

Kiki poured herself a cup of the tea and drank her whole cup right away. The contestants were shocked to see her drink her tea at such a temperature.

"...What?" Kiki asked.

-Confessional Session(Kiki)-

"I don't let my drinks cool, they lose flavor when they cool," Kiki stated. "My mom taught me how to drink boiling hot liquids at a very young age. I'm used to it by now."

-After Confessional-

After everyone had had their tea and snacks, they met Bertram outside the kitchen. He was standing next to the glass cages with all the puzzles in them.

"Okay... what's with the glass tube cages?" Kiki asked.

"Cheat prevention," Drenig, Grant and Bertram blurted out in unison. They felt like it was already explained before.

"Right, of course," Kiki said to herself. "I have no hope of winning if I keep making dumb comments like that."

"Welcome to the second leg of the race: The Smarts event," Bertram said.

"I think we all know who will triumph here," Grant said.

"Can it loser!" Kiki shouted.

"...Sorry Kiki," Grant said in his friendly voice. "I think I'm getting a headache. ...FURRIES!"

"What is it with you and Abigale?" Bertram asked. "Is there something about her that caused your nightmares?"

"Abigale!?" Kiki exclaimed.

"That's what her name was!" Drenig blurted.

"I knew there was a furry contestant," Kiki added.

"Now, let's begin the explanation," Bertram started. "Inside each of these cages is seven different puzzles."

"Hmm, any crosswords?" Drenig asked.

"There is one crossword puzzle," Bertram mentioned.

"Is there a quiz on the show thus far?" Kiki asked.

"Wouldn't be right without it," Bertram said.

"And a Rubiks Cube?" Grant asked.

"That's right!" Bertram exclaimed. "One Crossword, one quiz sheet, one Rubiks cube, one wire puzzle like the one at the beginning of the show..."

"That I never got to finish thanks to that blabbermouth... errr..." Grant stuttered a bit. "Now that I think of it, I don't think anyone remembers who he was anymore."

"You mean Dylon?" Bertram asked.

"Yeah, him," Grant confirmed.

"Any way, let's resume," Bertram mentioned. "All of that, one sliding puzzle, one block puzzle, and finally a steady test."

"A steady test?" Kiki asked.

"Move a ring on a stick through a maze?" Bertram explained. "If you touch metal, a light flashes and you have to lock the ring into the starting point in order to resume."

"How does that test our brains?" Drenig asked.

"Well, it DOES test how well you work under pressure," Bertram said. "It doesn't exactly test how smart you are, but it works off of other parts of your brain."

"...Fair enough," Drenig agreed.

"This event will be decided by who comes the farthest along after one hour," Bertram said. "However if someone clears ALL of the puzzles, they will be awarded an additional point."

"Additional point you say?" Grant asked. "That sounds useful for my REVENGE!"

"Good luck little guy," Drenig said. "You couldn't even beat me in a speed event. You think you can beat me in a battle of brain power?"

"I do puzzles in my sleep," Good Grant stated. "I think I actually have a sporting..." He changed his tone again. "No! Show him you mean business," Evil Grant said to himself before resuming his discussion with Drenig. What I meant to say was, I'll bet your brain lacks any REAL smarts. All YOU are good for is mechanical smarts."

"Oh yeah?" Drenig asked. "Well... You aren't that smart either! ...Oh man, that was weak."

Grant couldn't help but laugh at Drenig's attempt at an "in your face" comment. Grant wasn't taking him seriously at all.

"Sorry, but your mind will be decimated," Grant said.

-Confessional Session(Drenig)-

"Man... I'm usually better at come-backs then that," Drenig said. "It's just that that Grant kid is such an enigma. I'm not sure how to react to him. Plus, most of my intelligence DOES come from my knowledge on mechanics. Kind of sad, I know."

-After Confessional-

Eventually the three contestants were put inside their big glass cases. It was time for them to test their brain power. They were looking at all the tests, and still one question came up as they stared at the tests.

"...How will we know when we're right?" Kiki asked

"In each station necessary there is a camera," Bertram said. "Put your test, crossword, wire puzzle and block puzzle in the designated area to confirm your answers. The cube puzzle, slide puzzle and steady test are more self-exclamatory. Just show the cube and slide puzzles up to a camera inside the cage to confirm the answers. The steady test has it's own light. When you complete a test, a light above the station will show to confirm a correct answer. Any more questions?"

"No, that's about right," Kiki said.

"Then stop wasting my time and get to the test already," Bertram stated. "Your hour begins... now."

Grant started by diving right into the Rubiks cube puzzle. He had a feeling the others would probably stay away from it. ...And he was right.

As Kiki was trying to figure out which test to try first, she immediately saw the Rubiks cube and backed off. She immediately went towards the show quiz first.

-Confessional Session(Kiki)-

"...Why is Bertram torturing us with that cube?" Kiki asked. "No one can put those things together! I spent five hours one day trying to complete one, and didn't even complete two sides."

-After Confessional-

"Alright, I'll start with the... Quiz," Kiki said as she grabbed the sheet of paper. "Question one: What color did the Super-Hypno Bots eyes gleam? ...That would be red. ...I think that's it."

Drenig also did the quiz first. His answer to the first question was different.

"They shined purple," Drenig said to himself. "Question two: What was the name of the gem used by Gola to amplify his powers?"

"I don't know... Diamond of the Dragons?" Kiki guessed. "Question Three..."

"Where were Aria and Muffy destined to go during the search for the fog machine?" Drenig asked himself. "Oh yeah, the plantation. ...No, that's where me and Kiki went."

"Question Four," Kiki counted. "What devious trap did Pandora have the contestants go through in order to reach his rocket ship? ...I think an invisible maze."

"Question Five," Drenig counted. "In the first encounter with Pandora, what were the contestants forced to do before the challenge? ...Tell the truth about their team mates I believe."

"Question Six," Kiki read off. "What were the names of the characters inside the ghost armors of Hespute's mansion? ...Slash and Burn. ...I think."

"Question Seven," Drenig read off. "Which contestants were sent to investigate each other's bunkers. ...Hmmm... Dang, there was four of them."

"Question Eight," Kiki counted. "What was the comment made on Vower's poster in episode four. ...Cower before Vower?"

"Question Nine," Drenig counted. "What was the name of Savil's helpers? Itzi Spritzee and Bitsy Spritzee? ...Was Spritzee actually part of their name? Or was that just the name of their species?"

"Final Question," Kiki said. "How was the team sorted? ...A Merry-Go-Round and some slopes. Who could forget that."

Both Kiki and Drenig put their tests up to the camera to get their answers evaluated. ...But both came up negative.

"Huh? I must have got something wrong," Kiki said to herself.

Drenig was reviewing his answers. He was sure of some of them, but not of others.

"Hmmm, purple eyes, Lapis Lazuli of Lugia, ghost town, invisible maze, tell the truth about their team mates, Slash and Burn... Wait." Drenig was trying to figure out which ones he got wrong when suddenly, he heard a "yes buzzer" in the distance. He saw Grant's cage and saw he was holding up a fully completed Rubiks cube.

"Ha! I have mastered these!" Grant cried.

"No way! Grant solved the Rubiks cube!?" Drenig shouted.

"What!?" Kiki exclaimed.

-Confessional Session(Grant)-

"I did Rubiks cubes all the time as a Spoink," Grant said. "Eventually I got really good at solving them. Dang, I can't help but try and remember myself as a Spoink. ...I was such a cutie back OW!"

Grant was starting to have nightmares again. Even during the day his guilt haunted him.

"I can't let myself be deterred like that," Grant said to himself. "I'm here to win.

-After Confessional-

"Oh no... I am NOT going to let that poser win Quarantine!" Drenig shouted. He looked over his test again and started picking off the things he got wrong. "Now I remember, Muffy and Aria went to the harbor. The Emboar's name was Smash, not Burn. The four who got to see the other bunkers were Wren, Chauncey, Lilly and... Muffy? No, Jet. And the poster of Derik Bower said "D. Vower is Your Judgement."

Drenig put his test up to the camera and waited for the results. What do you know, he got a green light.

"Yes! Gotta catch up," Drenig said before taking the crossword puzzle on next.

Kiki on the other hand was struggling too much with the quiz, and went over to the block puzzle. The object was to put together a wooden structure made up of lots of wooden parts. In other words, it was a three-dimensional puzzle, and Kiki was struggling with it.

"Eek, what mad-mon made this contraption?" Kiki asked.

Meanwhile, Grant was working on the steady test. Grant seemed positively chill right now.

"Right, here we go, nice and slowly," Grant said as he was working his way through zigzags till eventually he got to a small spiral. Grant was working the stick around, making sure not to touch anything and eventually made it to the end. The light lit up to confirm he had completed the task. "Mwahaha! That fool crock thought he could beat me?"

Meanwhile, Drenig was putting some words into the crossword puzzle. Eventually he thought he finished so he put it into the camera for confirmation. Fortunately, the light lit up green and Drenig was onto something else. ...But he was still behind.

Meanwhile Grant started working on the sliding puzzle. It looked like he did those things a lot too as he was moving along. Grant had full concentration on the game. He was in it to win it, and Drenig didn't notice he was letting his guard down.

Meanwhile, Kiki was struggling miserably to put together the 3D puzzle, but she had no luck. Eventually, she switched again to the wire puzzle.

"Follow the directions," Kiki said to herself. "One, do not cut the red wires. Two, cut the yellow wire next to the green wire on the right and the purple wire on the left. ...Huh?"

Kiki was the kind of type who read all directions first THEN did the challenge. She'd need to remember more though.

-Confessional Session(Kiki)-

"All my years of training Judo," Kiki started. "...It NEVER trained me for this."

-After Confessional-

Grant had just cleared the slide puzzle and was onto the block puzzle. He was calmly trying to see where the pieces would all fit together. And yet, he couldn't help but laugh inside at the thought that he was winning.

Drenig then went on to try the wire puzzle along with Kiki. Unlike Kiki, he read each direction one by one while doing each task afterward.

"Right, cut this yellow wire," Drenig said. Drenig drew a cross through the wire he thought was the right one then read the next direction. "Cut all the brown wires except the one above the yellow and blue wires. Hmmm... Hey Kiki! How are you doing?"

"Not very good!" Kiki exclaimed.

"You need help?" Drenig asked.

"No helping!" Bertram shouted from outside the glass cages.

"I appreciate the offer Drenig," Kiki stated. "But rules ARE rules."

Grant had just completed the 3D puzzle and was next onto the quiz. Before picking the quiz up, he let out a vicious laugh.

"REVENG!" Grant blurted out. "Revenge is sweet." Grant then changed his tone again. "...I actually can't believe I'm doing this well. I thought for sure I'd get tripped up, but these puzzles are easy."

"Oh that Grant is so annoying!" Kiki shouted, suggesting she heard the laugh.

Suddenly, Drenig was finishing up the wire puzzle and put it up to the camera for evaluation. Drenig got another green light and was onto the next challenge. ...Unfortunately, Grant got another Green light on the quiz.

"Another one!?" Drenig exclaimed.

-Confessional Session(Drenig)-

"Okay, what's the big deal," Drenig said. "Usually Grant doesn't actually think things through, and now he's just magically getting questions and puzzles right. ...Wait a minute, I know what he's doing. It's just that he's really good at Rubiks cubes, and he's trying to intimidate us into working slower and less efficiently. I have to calm down. Come on Drenig, you can do this."

-After Confessional-

Grant had just moved onto the crossword puzzle. Grant was widening the gap right now. ...But Drenig was trying to keep his cool. He was trying to catch up.

"Hey Drenig! Feeling the burn!" Grant called out.

"Not today!" Drenig called out as he started on the 3D block puzzle.

Kiki had finally finished the wire puzzle, earning her one point in this challenge. She was really far behind and tried to do what she thought she could do the quickest: the steady test. ...She was wrong. With every wrong move she made, she got more and more frustrated.

"Stupid device!" Kiki shouted. Eventually she got so angry that she shoved the thing onto the floor. The steady test smashed onto the floor and broke. Bertram was NOT happy at all.

"You destroyed of the challenge!?" Bertram shouted.

"Ugh! I hate puzzles! Sue me," Kiki grunted.

"Yeah, well sadly you just disqualified yourself from this challenge," Bertram said. "In addition, you will receive NO points."

"What!? ...Awwww." Kiki was rather disappointed with those results.

Drenig had just completed his block puzzle and was onto the steady test. Unfortunately, Grant had finished the crosswords, and was onto the last challenge: the wire challenge.

"Saving the best for last," Grant said as he read the directions. "That stupid Dylon will pay for his crimes."

Drenig kept messing up, but unlike Kiki, this worked in his favor. Every time, Drenig got more and more careful. That loop was giving him a headache though, as he had a hard time getting through it. ...That was when Bertram made an announcement.

"Five minutes left Drenig and Grant," Bertram said.

Both Drenig and Grant started to speed up their challenges. This caused Drenig to work faster, but unfortunately it also caused him to mess up more. Even Grant was getting a bit more frantic. But suddenly, both were in a pinch. Drenig kept working hard, and so did Grant. But in the last few seconds, Grant found the answer to his puzzle and turned it in just in time.

There was a suspense in Grant's chamber until suddenly... the light turned green. And with that, time was up.

"Grant has finished all seven puzzles!" Bertram exclaimed. "For that, Grant has earned FOUR points. Drenig has only scored TWO points, while Kiki... has scored none."

Bertram then released everyone from their cages and they were now outside. Drenig immediately went over to Kiki to tell his thoughts.

"Yikes, Grant's a tough hombre then I thought," Drenig said.

"I thought you would have done better in this challenge," Kiki said.

"I did too, but I'm not perfect," Drenig said. "Oh well, the next event is the strength event. I don't think Grant has ANY chance at that.

"Yeah, except there's one problem," Kiki said. "The only way he won't come out on top is if you win and he gets last. If you win and he gets second, it's a he gets last and I win, we're tied. So here's how we're going to do it.

Kiki proceeded to whisper in Drenig's ear the plan. The last event was coming up and they needed to plan it carefully. ...They would need all the strength they could muster for this event.

-Bound-

Eventually it was time for the final event. Grant was currently in the lead with five points, Drenig trailed behind with four, and Kiki had merely three.

"Wow... I'm actually doing it," Grant said out loud. "I'm actually in the lead."

Kiki and Drenig were wondering what to say to him. They knew he was an odd case, but how badly did he deserve to be treated.

"What do you think?" Drenig asked. "Ay don't want him to win, but... I don't want to be too mean to the guy."

"Well he DID do all those dishonest things," Kiki said. "But he refuses to admit to them. That's pretty dishonorable if you ask me."

"And yet deep down, maybe he's not all bad," Drenig stated.

"You're right," Kiki agreed. "Deep down, I think there is a likeable person deep inside Grant, but the not-so likeable things he has done are too severe to ignore."

"And today he's been changing attitudes at a whim, ay what's going on?" Drenig asked.

"It's strange... I know it is," Kiki said. "Maybe it's because he can't decide whether he wants to give up the act or not."

"And yet, he always tried to act nice," Drenig said. "I guess he figured there was no point."

"That, and he dislikes us," Kiki said.

"Well... I suppose the least we can do is wish him luck," Drenig said. "...Although we'd be lying."

Kiki and Drenig walked up to Grant to wish him luck. ...But Grant seemed to want to gloat on his victory.

"All the days you've picked on me, bullied me and made all those accusations!" Grant shouted. "Consider your days numbered."

"We'll see," Drenig said. "Best of luck. ...In the strength event."

"Stre... Strength event you say?" Grant asked.

"Yeah, there's going to be a strength event," Kiki stated. "Are you strong?"

"Well... I..." Grant stuttered.

-Confessional Session(Grant)-

"They have no idea. MWAHAHAHAA!"

-After Confessional-

"I... No," Grant said. "I'm puny and I'm weak and I wanna go home!"

"Huh?" Kiki exclaimed. "I figured there'd be more fight in you than that," Kiki said.

"It's no use!" Grant said. "I hate being a Grumpig! We're not strong creatures, all of our strength is mental. How could I possible win a strength event? Boo hoo... ...Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit, but I'm still nervous. I... I guess I'll try best."

Neither Drenig nor Kiki were buying his act. He was acting like a bigger pushover than they expected, which tipped them off that he was hiding something. But they didn't know what it was.

Eventually, Bertram called them out for the strength test. Everyone gathered at the ropes. Grant decided to stay close to the one he rigged, just to make sure he actually picked that one.

"So... here we are at last," Bertram said. "The final leg of the race. This is where we test your strength. And to do that, we will..."

"You are strapping our arms to those weights," Grant said. "How many times do we have to lift them?"

"This challenge is rather straightforward," Bertram said. "No special tricks with this one. All you have to do is support those weights... for as long as you can."

Grant gulped his saliva down. He was trying to seem scared.

"I don't think Grant's got a chance here," Kiki said.

"I've seen weirder things happen," Bertram said. "Anyway, just walk up to the boards and put your hands through the nooses."

Grant immediately ran up to the podium he rigged. Kiki and Drenig took their time walking up to the remaining nooses.

"Remember," Bertram said. "Keep the weights lifted up for as long as you can. The person who can keep their weights lifted the longest gets three points. The person who keeps their weights up for the least amount of time only one, and in the middle yadda yadda you get the point."

"Gee, thanks for getting to the point," Drenig said.

"When I say go, pull your nooses," Bertram stated. "Three... Two... One... GO!"

Drenig struggled to pull his weights up, as did Kiki. Kiki watched Grant pull his weights too. He SEEMED to be struggling, but Kiki felt something was off.

"How are those weights treating you?" Kiki asked.

"They're... they're very heavy," Grant whined.

"Hmmm, good," Kiki said, watching Grant like a hawk.

It was the movement of his arms. They were shaking, but Kiki could tell it was forced. Grant didn't show any signs that he was truly struggling. Kiki could not believe what she was seeing.

"Deooh! These weights are so heavy," Grant wined. Grant then started to whine even more. ...until his whining turned to laughter. That's when Kiki got angry.

"No... he can't be," Kiki said.

In Kiki's position, she couldn't look back, but she had a feeling Grant manipulated his weights. Kiki couldn't help but tell Drenig what she was seeing.

"Drenig, he's not genuinely struggling," Kiki said.

"What? Is that even possible?" Drenig asked. "I'm genuinely struggling right now. ...Wait a minute."

Drenig thought of something just now. But he needed to ask Bertram to help him along.

"Hey, Bertram," Drenig called out. "What brand of weights do you use?"

"Huh? Why does it matter?" Bertram asked.

"I'm curious," Drenig stated. "This weights feel different than weights I've lifted before. I mean I don't lift weights often, but.."

"They're Luke Batters brand weights," Bertram mentioned.

"Luke Batters?" Drenig questioned. "Wait, aren't they the ones with the plastic cases that open?"

"Yeah? So what?" Bertram asked.

"Plastic... cases... that... open!?" Kiki shouted. "He didn't!"

Kiki looked at Grant again and still saw no signs of struggle. Kiki was getting furious right now. She was figuring out that Grant had removed the weights from their plastic casing before the challenge. She also knew the only time he could have done it.

"Grant's cheating!" Kiki shouted.

"Listen, I know you're in a tough position," Bertram started. "But I will have no accusations of cheating when you're losing, got it?"

"But..." Kiki started.

"But" is not in the equation," Bertram cut off. "Now zip it."

"But Bertram..." Drenig tried shouting, trying to back Kiki up.

"I said NOT IN THE EQUATION!" Bert shouted.

"Bertram!" Kiki exclaimed.

"ZIP! IT!" Bertram shouted.

Kiki knew Bertram would be useless in exposing Grant. But now what? Kiki and Drenig were starting to feel sore, and they knew Grant would win at this point.

"Well... what do we do?" Kiki asked Drenig.

"Grant's cheating, but Bertram won't listen," Drenig said.

"Should we keep trying?" Kiki asked.

"No... I have one idea left in me," Drenig said.

"Okay, but I'd like to know what it is," Kiki stated.

"You'll see," Drenig assured. "Hey Grant!"

"Yes Drenig?" Grant asked, his voice was quivering artificially.

"You seem to be doing well," Drenig said.

"I... I don't think I'm doing so well," Grant said.

"Why not, you worried the furries will still get you?" Drenig asked.

"...That's your plan?" Kiki asked.

"Keep watching," Drenig assured Kiki before looking back at Grant. "And the giant Kraken queen. Wouldn't want to run in with her."

"Wait... what are you doing Drenig?" Grant asked.

"What do you mean?" Drenig asked. "I'm just trying to ask about those nightmares."

"But why right now?" Grant asked. His quivering change a bit. It was starting to sound more genuine.

"The furries and Kraken queen," Drenig started. "I'm wondering if maybe they'll be there when Bertram hands you your trophy."

"But... they're out to get me," Grant quaked.''

"Are they?" Drenig asked. "Better hope they don't snag your trophy, OR the prize money when you win."

"No! That prize money's mine!" Grant exclaimed. "They... they can't do that. ...Oh what am I doing. They don't even exist. I'm not afraid of some non-existent creatures."

"I think they do exist," Drenig said. "I even met the giant Kraken queen in the flesh before."

"No... She's just a dream," Grant said, trying to stay calm. Drenig was reminding him of his guilt and nightmares.

"Not so," Drenig said. "She is real and she's out to get you. Oh but don't worry too much. Muffy will save you."

"Huh? Right... Muffy," Grant quivered.

"Alright Kiki," Drenig whispered. "Let's keep chanting that."

"Why?" Kiki asked.

"I have a hunch it will terrify him," Drenig said before turning back to Grant. "See, nothing to worry about. Muffy will save you."

"Muffy will save you," Kiki repeated.

"Muffy will save you!" Drenig and Kiki chanted in unison. "Muffy will save you! Muffy will save you!"

Grant was starting to breathe heavily and sweat confusedly. His mind was running amok right now.

"Muffy..." Grant whined.

The viewers at home would see small fine-print on the screen which said "What you are about to see is a reenactment of Grant's dream." They were going into a strange scene with Grant at the ceremony.

There he was, Grant was in a spot light standing next to Bertram with Kiki and Drenig clapping their hands for him. Bertram was about to hand Grant a trophy and briefcase for what you could only assume was for winning the game.

"You have come a long way Grant," Bertram said. "But you have conquered everyone and everything."

"I... I didn't think that I would really do it," Grant said.

"But you did... favorite," Bertram said. "In honor of your victory, I hand you the Quarantine cup and one MILLION Pokedollars! Congratulations!"

As Grant grabbed the trophy and briefcase, confetti rained down on Grant. Grant was looking very proud and happy. ...Until suddenly a sound erupted.

"Boooo!" The sound called. "BOOOOOO!"

Suddenly, stepping out of the darkness were two Pokemon, one wearing a Pikachu outfit, the other wearing a Raichu outfit. They did not look like they were Abigale OR Ruce, and seemed to be someone different.

"You betrayed us!" the large furry said. "You will pay for your absurd actions!"

Both of the furries were totting baseball bats and were advancing toward Grant. Grant kept walking back until eventually the lights shined a dark purple and something appeared behind Grant. Grant turned around and saw a giant cardboard cutout of Aria with glowing yellow eyes. ...There were cardboard cut-outs of waves too.

"Grant!" the Aria cut-out shouted. "You have wronged us all!"

"Wronged us!" the smaller furry shouted.

"You will be sent to the watery grave for your crimes!" the Aria cut-out shouted. "That is how you will pay!"

"No! It's just a game! I did nothing wrong!" Grant pleaded.

"Pay!" Aria shouted.

"Pay!" the furries shouted afterwards.

"PAAAAY!" the three shouted in unison.

"No! This is my winnings! I won these fair and square!" Grant shouted.

The furries and the cut out were getting closer to Grant. Grant started to cry.

"MUFFY! MUFFY HELP ME!" Grant shouted.

Suddenly, Grant ran and ran and ran. He ran away from the furries and away from the giant cut-out.

"MUFFY!" Grant whined again.

Suddenly Grant ran up to a giant TV screen showing the same purple in the background. Suddenly, Muffy's head pops up onto the screen. The screen made Muffy's head appear very giant.

"You betrayed me!" Muffy shouted.

"No! I swear, I was just playing the game!" Grant shouted.

"You wrongfully kicked off Abigale, then you even more wrongfully kicked off Ruce!" Muffy shouted. "And your misdeeds got even worse with what you did to Aria!"

"No! Forgive me! Muffy!" Grant whined.

"I trusted you Grant!" Muffy shouted. "You were my friend and you stabbed me in the back. To think I actually saved you from elimination, a worthless piece of Trubbish waste such as yourself! YOU DESERVE TO BE BULLIED!"

"No! I don't! Stop! MUFFY!" Grant cried.

"Goodbye Grant!" Muffy shouted.

Suddenly, the floor opened below Grant's feet and Grant started to fall into black nothingness. You could faintly see the foam blocks at the bottom of a pit, but remember... You can't actually show an actual dream. Still, it was nice of Bertram to reenact Grant's dream.

Suddenly, we cut back to the real show where Grant is starting to melt. And it wasn't long before he finally melted down.

"I can't TAKE IT ANYMORE!" Grant shouted. Grant changed his voice again.

"No! You can do this Grant!" Evil Grant shouted to himself.

"No! NO! I can't take it! I GIVE UP!" Good Grant shouted.

Suddenly, without any hesitation, Grant dropped his rigged weights. He had just got himself booted off.

"I've acted far too long!" Grant shouted. "It's time I came clean."

"Can that wait one moment?" Kiki asked. "Drenig? ...May I?"

"May you what?" Drenig asked.

Kiki suddenly dropped her weights too. She knew that if she won, everyone would tie. But if Drenig beat Kiki, that meant Drenig would nab the victory. Kiki trusted Drenig enough that she gladly dropped her weights so that her friend could win.

"And we have news!" Bertram shouted. "With a final score of seven points over Grant's six and Kiki's five points, the winner is... Drenig!"

"I... I did it?" Drenig asked. "No, wait. WE did it."

Drenig then hugged his right arm around Kiki, giving her a friendly hug. They had just taken out a competent foe.

"Now then, you were saying?" Kiki asked.

Grant seemed to be nervous about the choice he just made. He felt like he was on the spot right now.

"I... I just... It's hard to explain," Grant said. "I... I started this competition out wanting to have fun with it, and wanting to be the main villain among the contestants because that's what I like doing: I like acting like the villains on TV."

"...That's an unhealthy obsession," Kiki said.

"And the whole time I wanted people to take me seriously as a villain," Grant said. "I'm not really a bad dude, I just like acting. I just like playing the role of a mad scientist, and I can't help it. Even as a Spoink I thought it was cool."

"...Sorry, I don't get it either," Drenig stated.

"But then I made friends with Abigale the furry," Grant said. "I really liked her, and I trusted her, but then she told her sister that I wasn't a real villain, so... I tried to become a real villain so people would take me seriously."

"Why do you like being the bad guy so much?" Kiki asked.

"Oh come on, don't tell me you didn't watch cartoons as a kid and think the bad guys were always cooler," Grant said. "Bad guys got to have awesome powers and take wicked forms like lizards and giant dragons and other cool things, and the good guys were always modest and took less cool forms like humanoids or small mammals. Look into your heart, you know it's true."

"...Come to think of it, he does have a point," Drenig said.

-Confessional Session(Drenig)-

"Man, you know the villain of Super Bernardo Brothers?" Drenig asked. "You know, Blowser the Blastoise? He's WAY cooler than Bernardo. That's why I like Zap Shaymin more is because the villain in that game is a lot less likeable."

-Confessional Session(Kiki)-

"All those old cartoons with dragons in them, how could you NOT want to root for the big lizards?" Kiki asked. "It really didn't get much cooler than that. I mean, now a days we tend to portray dragons in a better light a bit more often but back then we didn't have Vox the purple Dragonite or any cool dragon heroes back then. They were always among the bad guys."

-After Confessional-

"But in the end..." Grant said. "I got too carried away. I did things I wasn't proud of."

"Like what?" Kiki dared.

"I... I..." Grant stuttered a but, but then he breathed out and got on with it. "I planted the page that lead to Abigale's elimination. You think all furries are sex perverts? You're wrong. Abigale was one of the nicest, cleanest people I've ever met, and she liked that Pikachu outfit like a child would love their favorite toy."

"And then?" Kiki asked

"I also got Ruce eliminated," Grant stated. "I caused her to blow up. I caused her to get angry, and I acted like she blew up over nothing to make her seem dangerous. ...And it worked, too."

"And then?" Kiki asked.

"I... Yes, I got Aria eliminated too," Grant said. "The reason you didn't see her in that room was because she wasn't in that room. I imitated her voice and I got rid of her because she was on to me and my devious plans."

"And then?" Kiki asked.

"I... I..." Grant started to shed tears. "I coaxed Muffy into elimination too. I pretended to sacrifice myself cause I knew she would be too gullible to allow me to be eliminated. And once again, my plan worked. She got herself eliminated, and she took the bait. ...Just like that."

"And then?" Kiki asked.

"And then... I'm sorry," Grant said. "I'm sorry for all the things I did. I was too busy trying to be a real villain that I didn't think things out. I kept telling myself it was alright, and that it was just a game and I wasn't hurting anyone, but I still felt terrible the things I did. ...I'm sorry Aria. I'm sorry Ruce. I'm sorry Muffy and Abigale. ...I just hope they can all forgive me for the things I've done. I just... I wish I could still be Abigale and Muffy's friend."

"And then?" Kiki asked.

"And... yeah, I really did cheat," Grant said.

"Wait, what?" Bertram asked. Bertram ran over behind Grant's station to look at the weights.

"I removed the weights before the second challenge," Grant said. "That's why I could lift them up so easily"

"So you did," Bertram said before opening the cases. "I'd deduct points for that, but since you lost anyway, it's moot."

"And then?" Kiki asked.

"And then... that's pretty much it," Grant said.

"And then?" Kiki asked.

"Oh Kiki, don't tell me you watched "Hey Man, What Happened To My Pidgeot" too," Drenig said.

"Of course I did," Kiki stated. "Where else would that joke have come from?"

"...Anyone else think the intro had a slight nod to furries?" Grant asked.

Drenig and Kiki stood silently. They didn't know what to think.

"Were furries a thing yet?" Drenig asked.

With the challenge over, only elimination was left. The contestants had their supper and were ready for the elimination.

-Leading Up To The Climax-

Kiki, Drenig and Grant were up in the elimination ceremony. Once again, Bertram did not hand out milk.

"Okay, tonight is the last Quarantine ceremony," Bertram said. "Only one vote will be necessary. Drenig?"

"Yes?" Drenig asked.

"You have a tough choice to make," Bertram said.

"Ay am eliminating Grant and taking Kiki with me to the finals," Drenig said.

"Woah, didn't even let me finish," Bertram said. "Are you..."

"Positive man," Drenig said.

"I deserve it anyway," Grant said as he got up and walked over to Bertram. "Before I go, can I make a request?"

"...I'll probably say no," Bertram started. "But go on."

"I want to come back a future season," Grant said. "I want people to know the real me, not the Grant I portrayed in Quarantine. I guess... I want a second chance. May I... May I please join a future season?"

"I'll think about it," Bertram said before he grabbed Grant's arm and dragged him to the chamber. He pushed Grant in the chamber and closed the door.

"Good... Goodbye guys," Grant said. "I'm sorry for everything I've done."

Eventually the green smoke enveloped Grant and shortly he was gone. And with that, there were only two contestants left.

"At last!" Bertram shouted. "We are down to the final two contestants. This has been a long and grueling challenge, but you two have pulled through to the very end. How does it feel that the BOTH of you made it here, you cute little lovebirds?"

"We are NOT boyfriend and girlfriend," Kiki said.

"We have established that we are just good friends," Drenig stated.

"Oh... sorry about that," Bertram chuckled. "But still, quite a coincidence."

Eventually, Kiki and Drenig stood up. They were ready to leave the area. ...But Bertram stopped them.

"Halt!" Bertram shouted. "This ceremony is NOT finished yet."

"It's not?" Kiki asked.

"No," Bertram stated. "Savil? Please come out here."

"WoooOOOOOOOOOOOoooo!" Eventually, out of the Quarantine Chamber, Savil the Aromatisse showed up. "Congratulations you two," Savil started. "The night is not over yet. Please... follow me."

Savil went back inside the Quarantine chamber. She wanted Kiki AND Drenig to follow her into the Quarantine chamber.

"Wait... through there?" Drenig asked.

"I guess so," Kiki stated.

Eventually the two went inside the Quarantine chamber. After going through a tunnel, they reach an open door leading outside Quarantine Grounds. When they get outside they see Savil walking down two rows of people. ...Oddly familiar people. In one row there was Dylon, Pudge, Stawolt, Abigale, Yoshi, Chauncey, Riley and Ruce. In the second row was Lilly, Dustin, Percy, Aria, Muffy, Wren, and finally Grant. Each were a really ugly shade of grey and had weeds and splotches of green all over.

"I'd like you to take a look at the past contestants," Savil stated. "On your left, the contestants eliminated pre-merge. On your right, post-merge eliminations."

"Hey Dustin!" Drenig exclaimed.

"They cannot hear you," Savil stated. "Not yet anyway, but fear not. I have been doing tests on the Super Virus, and using one of the vials I believe I have concocted an antidote to the Super Virus."

"So what, we have to pick someone to help us tomorrow?" Kiki asked.

"Close," Savil confirmed. "In fact, I carry six syringes: three for each of you. I want you to inject these syringes into contestants you wish to come back for one more episode."

"Wait, you mean those six will help us in the final episode?" Drenig asked. "Do they get a prize if their team wins?"

"The players you choose to accompany you will not be eligible for the grand prize," Savil mentioned. "However the winning team will receive two-thousand pokedollars each."

"That seems generous," Kiki said.

"Remember though," Savil started. "Once you have chosen someone, you can NOT un-choose that person, so choose wisely."

"What happens to the others?" Drenig asked.

"They will saved as well once I make more antidote," Savil stated. "But enough of that. Kiki? You first."

"Right... okay." Kiki took one of Savil's syringes and walked down the line of contestants. It didn't take her long to choose her first pick. "I choose... Riley."

Kiki walked up to Riley and quickly injected the first syringe into his arm. Riley's head shot up from the feeling of the antidote flowing through him. Eventually, he noticed Kiki right in front of him.

"Huh? Where am I?" Riley asked. "Ki... Kiki?"

"Welcome back, Riley," Kiki said.

"Kiki, is there a particular reason you chose to save Riley?" Savil asked.

"I... I wanted to give him another chance," Kiki stated. "I felt sorry for him that he never got to work in a team and, to be honest, I still have feelings for him."

"Re... Really?" Riley asked. "That... You're a cool girl Kiki."

"Well... I suppose I could give my best friend another chance," Drenig said, immediately walking over to Dustin. "Plus, he'll probably get mad if I don't."

Drenig injected his first syringe into his friend Dustin. Dustin's crazy eyes immediately shot open as he looked at his friend in front of him.

"Hey Drenig," Dustin said happily.

"Dustin, I made the final two!" Drenig exclaimed.

"Whoa! Really? That's sweet!" Dustin cheered.

It was Kiki's turn next. Kiki was deciding who she wanted next. ...When suddenly, Riley decided to talk to her.

"I wanna talk with Aria again," Riley said. "I owe her a huge apology."

Kiki looked at Aria's lanky zombie pose for a moment. She was wondering if she really wanted to do that.

"Well... I don't have anyone better to resurrect," Kiki said before injecting Aria with the second syringe. Aria's reaction to it was the same as the others.

"Get that needle away from me!" Aria shouted.

"Hmph, I'm giving you a chance to be on my team in the finale and that's how you repay me?" Kiki asked. "Respect please."

"Oh... sorry about that," Aria said.

"Aria..." Riley started.

"Huh? What is he doing here?" Aria asked.

"I... I just wanted to apologize for the terrible things I've said or done to you," Riley said. "My social skills aren't the best, but... I want to over come those social skills. I want another chance to work with you, to put the water under the bridge so to speak."

"I... well..." Aria thought for a moment before smiling and putting out her tentacle. "Apology accepted."

Aria and Riley shook hands right before Drenig started thinking about his next choice. Drenig didn't take long to decide.

"I... I kind of want to apologize for voting him off," Drenig told Dustin.

"Voting who off?" Dustin asked.

"Him." Drenig knelt down to Wren, who was his second choice. He injected the syringe into him, and Wren gave another typical response.

"Am... am I alive?" Wren asked. "Oh, hi Drenig."

"Hey there Wren," Dustin said, butting in. "Drenig said he's sorry for voting you off. ...Uhh, why?"

"It wasn't easy," Drenig said. "Wren's one of the nicest Pokemon I know, but... my friendship with Kiki came first."

"That's okay," Wren said. "I don't hold it against you."

With that, each of the contestants had one syringe remaining. Savil was watching the two, wondering who they would choose.

"Okay, you each can choose one more contestant," Savil said. "Choose wisely"

Kiki started looking through the contestants again. Eventually, Aria decided to ask her something.

"Umm, Kiki. Could... Could you maybe do me a solid, sug?" Aria asked. Kiki had a feeling she knew what her question was going to be.

"Don't worry, I already kicked that traitorous pork-chop's butt," Kiki said.

"No, not that," Aria said. "I... I want to apologize to..."

"Let me guess, Lilly?" Kiki asked.

"Yes! Exactly," Aria confirmed.

"Fine, I will resurrect Lilly," Kiki said with a smile.

Kiki walked down to the beginning of the row and went towards Lilly. She injected the syringe into her arm and Lilly... actually took to it rather nicely.

"I... I'm... Hello, Kiki," Lilly said.

"Lilly?" Aria asked.

"You... Have you come to apologize for your actions?" Lilly asked.

"Yes I have," Aria said. "It really shouldn't matter what foods we eat. What matters is who we are inside. I was wrong to judge you for your diet."

"Hmph, you know I get hypocrites telling me all the time I'm a demon for not eating meat, so I'm used to it," Lilly said. "But... it's nice to finally see someone who regrets there bias. I accept your apology."

Like with Riley, Aria held her tentacle out to shake Lilly's arm. Lilly and Aria both shook hands and made up.

Finally, Drenig was having a hard time with who he wanted to save next. He had ideas, but didn't know who to go with.

"I don't know, maybe Muffy?" Drenig asked. "I wouldn't mind having Percy on my team either."

Just then, he looked away and saw Wren looking at someone. It was an old friend, an old friend Wren met in the competition that he never got to really know. That's when Drenig had an idea. He wanted to let Wren have one more chance to know him. Drenig walked over to and injected the syringe into... Stawolt.

"You... really?" Wren asked.

"Yes Wren," Drenig stated. "A nice present for a nice guy."

After Drenig injected the syringe into Stawolt, he started to look around in confusion. Suddenly he looked down and saw his old friend.

"Wren?" Stawolt asked.

"Stawolt!" Wren shouted.

Wren immediately hopped up to Stawolt and gave him a friendly hug. They both looked very happy that they finally got to see each other again.

...But eventually, the party had to be broken up as Bertram came through the Quarantine gate to great the contestants.

"It's nice that we all got to join in a little reunion," Bertram said. "But there will be time for that tomorrow at the party."

"Wait, party?" Kiki asked.

"Yes, to celebrate the finale," Bertram said. "And Kiki and Drenig have invited you six to join."

"Wow, you made it quite far, didn't you Kiki?" Riley asked.

"Final two," Kiki confirmed.

"Now everyone should return to their bunkers and sleep for the night," Bertram said. "I have the big gates open so Stawolt can come through."

"Thanks Drenig," Wren said happily. Now Wren had another chance to know about Stawolt.

Eventually all the contestants who were saved walked through the gate, along with the final two. That's when Bertram decided to close the episode.

"Only one more episode left to go," Bertram said happily. "Tomorrow is the grand finale, the episode to rule them all. What do we have in store for the finalists? Well, you will just have to..."

"A-hahahahaha! YAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!" A hideous familiar laugh could be heard in the distance. It caused Bertram a bit of fear.

"What!? He's still alive? I thought he killed himself!" Bertram shouted. "Dagger Eyes is still alive! And he has one more plan to take over Quarantine! ...Of course this is just an assumption but what else could it be? No... I guess all my plans tomorrow will be put on hold, we need to finish what we started. The final episode is the final battle against Dagger Eyes himself. It is where we will FINALLY get to see what that fiend looks like. If you've stuck with the series till now, you have to watch the final episode. But until next time, we say goodbye, for now. ...Oh boy."

-Next Time On Quarantine-

"I have one last trick up my proverbial sleeves!"

Dagger Eyes has returned and he is ready to rumble.

"We gotta stop the bomb!"

Kiki and Drenig must work together with their team mates to diffuse bombs all over Quarantine.

"Nothing can stop Lord Dagger Eyes! Exteeeeeerminate!"

The contestants must return to the underworld where the commotion takes place.

"Can you lift this Stawolt?"

"Just watch, Wren."

Not to mention: Kiki and Drenig come face to face with the giant villain himself.

"So appropriate to have two weak mortals approach me."

Will either Kiki or Drenig beat Dagger Eyes? Or will Dagger Eyes prove to be too much for them to handle.

"How do we fight him!? He doesn't seem to have a weakness!"

All this and more on the next episode of Quarantine: The Final Fantasy Team.