GOT ME FEELING DRUNK AND HIGH! SO HIGH! SO HIGH!
000
Following the second crossover and the elimination of Pyukumuku on their side, the final five contestants found themselves sharing the hotel and overall island with Victini's cast for a while.
A fair amount of them got along well, while others steered clear of each other immediately. As the Alola cast continued their daily routines, lounging around and finding things to do that'd preoccupy them, their visitors seemed rather lost. The hotel was great and all, but what else was there to really do?
If was going to be up to the Alola cast to entertain them or at the very least tell them what they could do in order to get them out of their hair.
000
Lycanroc hadn't come out of her room since the incident, and it was now Monday morning. She had just been lying in bed, ignoring the constant knocking and calls of concern from Hakamo-o and Incineroar. She was actually expecting one of them to break down her door and come in that way, but in the back of her mind, she knew that they wouldn't. It'd wouldn't be right to them.
The red wolf slowly sat up, rubbing the slash mark on her person. It stung like a bitch when she took a hot bath, but now it was actually just an eyesore. Her stomach rumbled. She hadn't eaten at all in the past two days, not wanting to be bombarded with questions and worry.
She sighed. "Well, tonight I'll have to face everyone again anyway. Might as well just go grab something to eat," she said, standing onto her feet.
She went to the bathroom, grabbing a towel in order to cover the scar. Since Charizard was still here, she didn't know what she wanted to do, so she just decided to keep it hidden until the towel became a hindrance, which it likely would later on.
Wrapping it around herself and tucking it into itself, she took a deep breath before heading to her door. As soon as she stepped out, she saw that Incineroar was curled into a ball in front of her door. He was purring in his sleep, and didn't even seem to realize that she was exiting her room. She stroked the tiger's head before heading toward the elevators.
-000-
The elevator doors opened and she sauntered out with a small smile. In the back of her mind, she was hoping that nobody was in the dining area. She just wanted to get some food and get back to her room until later tonight
Gazing through the circular window of the door, she saw that Hakamo-o, Lucario, Tepig, and Zorua were the only ones inside.
Lycanroc groaned to herself. "Great, one of my best friends here and three people from Victini's cast…"
She took a deep breath and decided to just remain silent. She'd give the general wave of greeting, but she wouldn't be as enthused about it.
She entered the area, and almost instantaneously, Hakamo-o stood up and hurried over to her to hug her. Lycanroc wasn't really expecting this from Hakamo-o, as she seemed to be more of a distance-reliant girl. Guess things changed.
"Are you okay?" the Scaly Pokemon questioned, holding onto her shoulders as she glanced over her.
So much for being silent; she was going to have to reply. "Yeah, I'm okay," she replied softly.
Hakamo-o was relieved to hear that. However, the towel didn't really make sense to her. Her friend wasn't wet at all, and the pale green cloth around her wasn't wet either. This caused suspicions to rise in her, and apparently Lucario could see that something was wrong as well, as she approached the two with an inquiry,
"Lycanroc… why are you wearing a towel if you're not even wet?" the jackal asked, folding her arms.
"What? I just… I just thought it'd be fit to wear it, that's all," Lycanroc replied sheepishly. "I-I mean. Doesn't the green go well with my fur and eyes?"
"Nice try sheila…" Tepig replied as she and Zorua approached them. "You may be hot as a Magcargo's flames, but that color is definitely a no."
Zorua gave Tepig a look, causing the pig to chuckle.
Lycanroc let out an exasperated sigh. "Look, I'd rather not get into this, okay? I just came down here to get something to eat and go back to my room."
"Lycanroc. What is wrong?" Hakamo-o questioned, looking her friend in the eyes.
"You guys will see tonight," Lycanroc replied in a depressed tone. She headed to the food stations, picking up a plate and scooping up the spaghetti, macaroni, a couple of biscuits, and a Bouffalant chop.
After that, she exited the room, leaving the four of them confused.
"Jeez, whatever happened must've really messed with her," Zorua commented.
Hakamo-o growled, clenching her fists. "Charizard…"
Lucario, being who she was, didn't know what to really say or do to make Hakamo-o feel better. She and the Scaly Pokemon had been getting long exceedingly well since they met on Friday, so she felt that it was her responsibility to try and attempt to make her feel better.
However, being as she was still unsure about relationships, and herself in general, she didn't know what to really do. She decided to rub her back a bit in an attempt to comfort her.
Hakamo-o sighed. "I'm just worried…"
Lucario thought about it for a moment. They hadn't gotten to finish their battle, as Hakamo-o spend the entire day prior trying to talk to Lycanroc and get her to come out of her room. She really wanted to see how long she and Hakamo-o could go.
"Uh… I hope this doesn't sound too awkward, but, do you want to try and finish the battle we started Friday?" Lucario inquired sheepishly. "Maybe it'll take your mind off of it or something…"
Hearing that idea, Hakamo-o was a bit unsure. Sure, she was always down to battle, but she was still worried about Lycanroc. With a sigh, she eyed Lucario before letting out a sigh. "I guess that'd be okay. Maybe pounding you to a pulp will make me feel better."
Hearing that, Lucario rose a brow. "I doubt that you'll beat me. I mean, you were close last time, but now I know what to expect.."
"Well, we'll have to see about that won't we?" Hakamo-o said teasingly.
000
"Okay, I admit, Lucario's pretty attractive," Hakamo-o admitted. "I just… never thought I'd have these feelings for a girl before. It's… weird."
000
Tsareena was hanging out on the seventh floor of the hotel with Infernape and Slowking. Ever since she'd confronted Slowking about his personal issues and insecurities, she noticed that the hippo and otter hybrid held a very agitated expression, though his composure told the opposite. Infernape didn't seem to notice in the slightest, as he was still busy fawning over Tsareena.
"You're… really pretty, Tsareena," the Flame Pokemon admired. "Like really really pretty. Have you ever tried becoming a model?"
Tsareena giggled in the back of her head at the compliment. She had heard that from many guys, and Infernape was no exception. Sure, it usually got annoying, but it was still a compliment. "What is a model?" she inquired.
Slowking huffed to himself, folding his arms. Tsareena, having noticed his miniature fit, grew a bit amused. So pathetic…
"Well, a model is someone who does fashion-like things and tries on clothes for people to show how good they look," Infernape calmly expounded with a smile.
"What is fashion?" she asked dopily being gazing to Slowking slightly. The Royal Pokemon facepalmed himself and was shaking his head. She was giggling in her head; she was hoping that her constant buffet of idiotic inquiries would bring vex the Royal Pokemon and coax him into leaving the vicinity.
"Well, fashion is… kinda weird," Infernape started. "It's like people's thoughts of clothes and hair and… stuff."
"...what's stuff?"
"I'm leaving," Slowking finally spoke, rising to his feet. "The faux ignorance by this… this pellucid primadonna annoys me to no end! Infernape, she's pulling the wool over your eyes!"
Tsareena watched Slowking as the water- and psychic-type strolled passed the exercise equipment and toward the elevators. Once he was out of view, she turned to Infernape, who was still watching his friend.
The ape sighed. "He just doesn't get it."
Tsareena placed both hands on the chimp's face. "No, he doesn't," Tsareena replied.
Infernape didn't show any surprise of shock when she spoke. He knew that she had potential and brains, but nobody believed him. "I just wish that he did…"
"Infernape, I don't think that Shuckle really considers you a friend," Tsareena started.
Infernape's eyes widened and he grew a saddened and confused expression. "Wait… what are you talking about? We've been good friends for a long time!"
"Infernape, sweetie, this is a competition," Tsareena replied. "There are barely any true friends. And if there are, that means that they aren't that serious about the competition, or they'll actually able to have fun and still be focused. Slowking is the mainly serious one."
"But, how do you know?" Infernape questioned. "You hardly know him."
"I can read people well," Tsareena explained. "And judging by what he did in the challenges we did together, he's not much of a fair player. Albeit, only a select few from your show even think about fairness. Think about it. Everyone views him as a threat, and he always has you around. Fire- and fighting-type, versus a water- and psychic-type in the finale would grant him an automatic victory."
Infernape hadn't thought about that. He hadn't really thought of Slowking in a negative light at all. But, what Tsareena said was making sense. What if Slowking was just keeping him close in order to take him out immediately in the finale?
After hearing him sigh, Tsareena knew that she either had him or he was still fine with Slowking. "What do I do, then?"
"When you guys get back to your own island, you need to get rid of him," Tsareena said. "Or at the very least, show him that you're not one to be taken advantage of. Try to assert yourself more."
"But, I think that'd be a bit, I dunno… weird for me."
"You'll be fine," Tsareena said, wrapping her arms around his.
Infernape's face flushed immediately.
000
"Hopefully he heeds my advice," Tsareena spoke. "Slowking, or anyone for that manner, could take advantage of him. He needs to show his individuality."
000
Dhelmise was watching the second battle between Lucario and Hakamo-o outside along with the other members of Victini's cast, excluding Shuckle and Charizard.
The pair had been battling for twenty entire minutes now, and neither seemed to be backing down an inch. Dhelmise just kept heckling them the entire time, much to almost everyone's enjoyment on the viewing side and the chagrin of the ladies.
"Come on, just punch her in the uterus! You know you want to get down there, anyway!" he chided.
This earned him both an Aura Sphere to the face, which promptly phased through him and hit Slowking, who was coming through the door.
"OW!" Slowking yelped, covering his face, from the blow. "What the hell?"
"Heh, sorry Royal Dunce," Dhelmise said. "Ghost-types…"
Slowking growled, before gaining an idea. "Uh, Dhelmise, do you mind if we had a quick chat?"
Dhelmise was surprised by this inquiry. On one hand, he wanted to keep verbally harassing the girls a bit more, but on the other hand he felt like testing his theory that everyone who spoke to him in private got eliminated. Since Slowking was from another cast, it'd be interesting to see the results when they went back to their island.
"Uh, why?"
"It's just a matter that I think you should be well aware of," Slowking said, getting the others' attention.
"I need specifics…" Dhelmise flatly stated.
"Just get in here!" Slowking demanded, getting agitated as he went back into the hotel.
Dhelmise groaned in agitation. "Don't you two lick each other or kiss or something while I'm in here! I need more material!"
-000-
Slowking sat down in the chair in the lobby, with Dhelmise floating over to him. "Alright, what the hell do you want, shell head?"
"I have some information that I believe you'll find most useful and interesting…"
"Spit it out," Dhelmise drawled. "I have girl-on-girl action going on outside that I need to make fun of."
Slowking rolled his eyes. "It regards Tsareena-"
"That ditz? You automatically lose all credibility if you think you're gonna surprise me with any information about her," Dhelmise stated as he started floating back to the door.
"She's not as stupid as she makes herself out to be," Slowking said, swiftly getting onto his feet as Dhelmise started to leave.
The Sea Creeper Pokemon paused upon hearing that gen. He turned to Slowking, not willing to believe what he'd just been told.
"What the hell are you on about?" Dhelmise queried. "That dumb bitch has been dumb since she got here and probably since she was born. Now you're telling me she's not?"
"I've seen and heard it with my own eyes and ears," the Royal Pokemon replied. "In the last challenge, she decided to tell me about myself and how I was a 'bitch' for complaining about someone that doesn't have the same overall advantages as me getting to exploit theirs."
"But… you were," Dhelmise responded, causing Slowking to groan.
"No I wasn't! Physiology doesn't mean someone has the right to ignore the challenge!"
"Whatever," Dhelmise replied, waving away his comments. "You still expect me to believe that Tsareena is smart or something?"
"I am telling you the truth," Slowking replied. "Whether or not you decide to believe me is up to you. It'd be your funeral…"
"I'm already dead, but I'd appreciate the flowers," Dhelmise responded flatly before turning back around to float outside. "Oh, and by the way, people who talk to me in private usually end up eliminated next, so… yeah. Have fun back on your island."
Slowking huffed and rolled his eyes.
000
"Tsareena? Smart? I don't know who that idiot thinks he's fooling, but it isn't me!" Dhelmise exclaimed.
000
Solgaleo stretched as he entered the kitchen. There, he saw Victini taking some Frosted Flakes from the cabinets with milk next to a cereal bowl. He chuckled as he approached the nice Victory Pokemon.
"You know there's stuff other than just cereal here, right?" Solgaleo questioned.
"Yeah…" Victini replied, pouring milk into the bowl. "But, this is okay. I'm a simple guy."
Solgaleo chuckled.
"So, what challenge do you have for your guys today?" Victini asked.
"Oh, no. It's Lunala's call," Solgaleo explained. "Mondays are hers, remember."
"Oh right. You guys have that taking turns thing going on…" Victini recalled. "I bet you feel great…"
"Well, I would, if I didn't have to deal with Entei," the white lion shuddered upon mentioning the shisa's name. "Though it's better than having him try to do me while I'm asleep."
"Why is he so into you again?" Victini inquired.
Solgaleo groaned. "It was a bet. I had to fornicate with him because of it, and now he's freaking obsessed!"
"Uh… and why was that an option in the bet to begin with?" Victini questioned, a bit concerned. "Isn't that a bit too… y'know?"
"Well, you don't really stay here, so I'm just gonna say this…" Solgaleo said. "Things are pretty fucked up around here. Not going into detail, just know that fact."
"Message received," Victini said, sweat dropping. "So, uh… what do you do for fun around here when the challenge is going on?"
"I need to sleep at or around six…" Solgaleo replied. "Me and Lunala get drained quickly. So, in the mornings, I don't do much of anything but watch TV in my room. Not very much to do around here other than hang out with each other, watch movies, or play video games."
"That doesn't really sound that bad…"
"Yeah, uh… you don't really know everyone around here," Solgaleo explained. "Lots of similar and conflicting personalities can… eat at you, I'll say that."
Victini nodded. "Thirty-seven players. I know how it feels..."
Solgaleo nodded.
"Hello~," the two of them heard.
Upon hearing who it was, Solgaleo immediately started speed walking back toward his room while repeating 'No'. Entei chuckled and went after him, causing Victini to sigh. "I am so glad I don't stay here."
000
10 hours pass
000
Tepig yawned as he lied on the seventh floor, with a few others. "Jeez. How long do you guys usually wait for challenges? It's almost 8 PM!"
Dhelmise, who was one of the only players from the Alola cast there, the other being Tsareena, grunted in response. "That's how it always is. Mondays we have challenges during the night time because Lunala hosts, and Friday is Solgaleo's."
"Uh… why?" Zorua queried. "That sounds… weird."
"Sleep intervals or some dumb stuff like that," Dhelmise grumbled. "So, we should be called down any minute now…"
"And then we get to watch you guys in action once again," Scrafty said with a sneer. "I'll be honest, seeing three hotties compete and watching from the sidelines is absolutely arousing…"
Umbreon scoffed. "Of course you say that, jackass. I'd expect that from Tepig."
"Hey, it's not my fault the chicks here are much hotter than you girls and the ones we had…" Scrafty replied, pulling out a cigarette.
"Well, you'll see how dumb our challenges are and either be happy or glad that you're not in our metaphorical shoes…" Dhelmise replied. "And maybe you two will share similar opinions and pound it out in some bushes."
Umbreon and Scrafty exchanged looks of disgust.
"You're out of your mind," Umbreon scoffed. "No way is this dipshit my type."
"Back at you, junkie," Scrafty retorted.
Dhelmise chuckled.
000
"All way too easy," Dhelmise chuckled.
000
Hakamo-o and Lucario made it to the third floor to try and check on Lycanroc. After their battle, which ended in a tie, they ended up talking and hanging out for the remainder of the day. It was still pretty awkward for both of them, but they eventually were able to carry conversations, albeit they each ended quickly, but they still worked.
They went toward Lycanroc's door, where they saw Incineroar sitting against the wall to the right of the entrance. The large feline had a combined look of pure worry and aggravation etched his face; the scowl hardening his features.
Hakamo-o sighed upon seeing this and both she and Lucario approached him further. Feeling a presence, Incineroar turned his head toward the source and saw the two girls heading in his direction. He didn't show any real concern or care for either of them and just continued to sit there.
"Hey Incineroar," Hakamo-o greeted. "How are you doing?"
Incineroar didn't reply initially, he just gave her a look that told her ' how do you think?'. The Heel Pokemon rose up and popped his back before sitting right back down.
"Incineroar, come on…" Hakamo-o prodded. "You haven't talked to anyone since Friday. I know that you and Lycanroc have a connection, but I don't think she'd want you to give everyone the cold shoulder."
Incineroar continued to sit in silence for another minute or so, but eventually he huffed. "When did you start thinking about what Lycanroc would want?" he inquired.
Hakamo-o was taken aback by the question, almost even offended. She was Lycanroc's friend, why wouldn't she think about what she'd want? "What do you mean by that?" she asked, her anger beginning to rise.
Lucario remained silent, not wanting to intervene.
Incineroar forced a chortle, rising to his feet once again. "We both hang out with Lycanroc on almost a daily basis, but not once have I seen you show actual care about something other than this fucking competition! And Friday to today doesn't count."
"What?!" Hakamo-o growled, baring her teeth. "Of course I fucking care about Lycanroc! She's one of my only fucking friends here!"
"Okay, and where have you been?" Incineroar asked condescendingly. "If you fucking cared, you'd be up here with me waiting for her to come out!"
Hakamo-o scoffed. "For your information, she did come out!" she finally blustered. "She was downstairs this morning so she could get something to eat!"
Incineroar froze, surprised to hear that. "W-What?"
He turned to the door, which didn't look like it was even opened. He hadn't even heard anything!
"Yeah, she came down and I was completely worried!" Hakamo-o growled. "Meanwhile, it seems like you didn't even know, so what happened to you?"
Incineroar snarled, but before he could retort, Lunala's voice blared over the intercoms.
"CONTESTANTS! MEET ME IN THE MAIN LOBBY FOR YOUR NEXT CHALLENGE!" the lunar bat bellowed. "THAT GOES FOR VICTINI'S CAST AS WELL!"
"Us?" Lucario questioned in confusion. "Why do we have to go down?"
"Maybe Victini wanted you all to watch us or something," Hakamo-o assumed. She turned her attention back to Incineroar, who had his arms folding, glowering at her. She returned the hateful glance just as the twisting of Lycanroc's doorknob was heard. They turned their attention to the door as it opened.
The red wolf exited the room, her scar showing. She wasn't surprised at seeing Hakamo-o and Incineroar there, but Lucario was a bit surprising.
"Hey guys," she greeted softly, folding her arms while avoiding eye contact momentarily.
"Lycanroc…" Incineroar said, his voice barely above a whisper. He squatted down and investigated the scar. It wasn't that deep, having been given time to heal a bit, but it still looked pretty bad. Incineroar growled and his head jerked to Lucario, surprising her. "You guys had better get rid of that piece of shit as soon as you finish a fucking challenge!"
Lucario understood his request and nodded. "We'll try."
Hakamo-o walked over and rubbed Lycanroc's stomach and chest. The wolf sighed at this; this was exactly what she didn't want.
"Guys…" she moaned. "I don't want any pity or concern. Please."
"But, you didn't deserve what happened!" Hakamo-o exclaimed.
"Haka… please," Lycanroc replied. "I-I can take care of myself. No need for you guys to worry."
"Yes there is, yo-"
"Let's just head downstairs and do the challenge," Lycanroc insisted. "Just… ignore it. I'm fine. Okay?"
And with that, she headed down the hallway to the elevators. Lucario followed, leaving Incineroar and Hakamo-o. The two of them exchanged glances, their minor feud culminating within seconds of Lycanroc's emergence. Their gazes changed from being livid toward each other, to exemplifying their worry for their friend.
000
"It doesn't make sense. If she's telling us not to worry, then why was she in her room the entire time earlier like it was a big deal?" Hakamo-o questioned. "It just doesn't make sense. Though, I see why she was wearing the towel this morning…"
000
"Charizard… will… pay," Incineroar growled.
000
Everyone made it to the main lobby. All of the players made it down to the lobby; the cast of Alola stepped forward, while Victini's cast was simply confused about why they had to be down there. They were supposed to be on vacation, after all.
"Greetings final five. Congratulations on making it this far," Lunala greeted. "I hope you all have been treating Victini's cast well…"
The five of them exchanged glances before looking back to Lunala, who simply sighed. "Okay, let's just get to the next challenge. Let's head to Ula'Ula Island!"
"Wait, why are we here?" Slowking inquired. "This is our vacation time, is it not?"
"Yes, but based on what happens, one of you will gain a reward that will be advantageous when you get back to your island," Lunala explained.
Hearing that, Victini's final ten immediately grew interested. Sure, this was supposed to be their break time, but the temptation of a reward that could help them out was too good to resist.
"Now, let's get to Ula'Ula," Lunala started. "Specifically, Mount Hokulani…"
Lunala spread her wings and her body glowed before all fifteen teenagers were teleported away.
000
The contestants were teleported to the base of the the mountain on Route 10, the starry sky illuminating the vicinity. The pathway leading up the mountain had numerous curves, as well as extra land on the sides. The rocky terrain seemed to be safe, but looks could be deceiving. The only things that seemed to be in place to prevent people from falling off of the edges were old, rusty-looking rails that seemed to be ready to crumble and fall at any moment.
"Welcome to your first challenge of the day," Lunala introduced. "As you can see, we are at the base of Mount Hokulani, the second tallest mountain in Alola."
"We don't need a geography lesson," Dhelmise drawled. "We all live in the region; we know what this place is. Just move on with it."
Lunala blinked, a look of annoyance etched on her face. She took a breath. "Calm yourself Lunala. Just ignore his bullshit," she told herself in her head. "Anyways..."
"Before I tell you the challenge, I would just the five of you to know that there will not be an elimination tonight," Lunala explained. "This is purely a reward challenge."
Hakamo-o and Incineroar both growled, both of them were hoping that they would be able to get rid of Dhelmise and be rid of his annoying presence once and for all. Dhelmise only chortled at their disappointment, while neither Lycanroc nor Tsareena seemed to be bothered.
Hakamo-o huffed, folding her arms in vexation. "Well if this is a non-elimination challenge, this fucking reward had better be good," the Scaly Pokemon stated boldly.
"How does automatic admittance into the final three sound?" Lunala questioned rhetorically with a smile, immediately causing the final five, as well as Victini's cast, to exchange and express looks awe and surprise.
"Wait, so if we win this challenge, we're automatically in the final three?" Incineroar inquired, still in awe and having disbelief. "No funny business. Are you being one-hundred percent truthful?"
"Yes," Lunala responded. "Automatic admittance, which means that for the next however many challenges we have until the final three, you are exempt from the challenge. However, if there is a reward involved in another challenge, you will still be able to compete if you wish to."
"Wait, does this go for us, too?!" Charizard asked eagerly.
Immediately, Hakamo-o and Incineroar turned and snarled at him, causing him to back away slightly.
"To answer your question, Charizard, no it does not," Lunala replied. "Also, only half of you will be able to compete for a chance for the reward."
The ten of them exchanged competitive looks.
"And how do we figure out who goes?" Slowking asked.
"Well, it'll be up to these guys of course," Lunala revealed, gesturing to her cast. "They each will be allowed to choose a partner that'll help them out in the challenges."
Upon hearing that revelation, the Alola cast grew either excited that they had help or annoyed that they had to team up with someone from the opposite cast and possibly have them be in the way.
"Now, before you choose your partner, allow me to explain the challenge," Lunala explained as she cleared her throat. "This challenge will revolve around Minior."
"Minior?" Lycanroc inquired.
"Yes, Minior," Lunala repeated. "Not only is your goal to make it up the mountain, you must find three Minior of different colors!"
"What?!" Dhelmise exclaimed. "You realize that we're gonna be up there possibly all night, right?! Minior blow themselves up and it's difficult to find different colors!"
"Which is the reason that you get to choose help and why this challenge is an instant ticket to the final three," Lunala expounded. "So now that you know your challenge...who're you going to bring with you in the challenge?"
Dhelmise, Incineroar, Hakamo-o, and Lycanroc turned to face the ten from Victini's cast, while Tsareena continued staring forward.
"Well, I call dibs on going first, so… Zorua," Dhelmise said confidently, causing Tepig to gape in shock.
"What the hell mate?!" Tepig squealed. "I chose you for our team last time we had a challenge. And we had some good times!"
"Uh, yeah, no," Dhelmise replied. "First off, you chose Lycanroc, and I had to come to you. Secondly, a pure fire-type versus a rock- and flying-type. That's a great idea. Thirdly… so?"
Tepig grumbled to himself, while Zorua smiled to herself.
"I guess I'll take… Gallade," Incineroar said with a shrug. The Blade Pokemon nodded in thanks.
"I'll do Lucario," Hakamo-o said, her arms folded. The Aura Pokemon smirked.
"Oh, you'll do her, huh?" Dhelmise teased, insulting the way Hakamo-o worded it.
Both girls blushed and glared at the Sea Creeper Pokemon.
"Uh…" Lycanroc started, looking over the remaining seven. The wisest choice would be Slowking, as he was a water- and psychic-type, which would be completely useful in the challenge, but she wanted to talk to Umbreon a bit more. But then, thinking about it, they were still here until Friday, so she should be able to talk to her at any time. "Slowking…"
Slowking was surprised that Lycanroc chose him, as were a fair amount of the others, though some of them understood where she was coming from.
Upon hearing his name be called, Tsareena's eyes widened. She growled to herself. She wouldn't reveal herself just yet. She just had to keep the facade going until it was a good time. And since this was a non-elimination challenge, she needed to just keep on playing dumb.
"Okay," Lycanroc nudged her. "Your turn to choose, Tsareena."
"Ugh," the Fruit Pokemon heard, the gruff voice being easily discernable.
"Just stick her with Infernape. It's obvious that dumb and dumb should team up and fail," Dhelmise affronted.
"Tsareena's not dumb and I'm not dumb!" Infernape bellowed. "And we'll prove it in the challenge, Dhel….mean guy!"
"Oh no… my self-esteem has suddenly plummeted by your lame words. Whatever shall I do?" Dhelmise sarcastically jeered. "Please. First Slowking tells me she's not dumb and now you're defending it? Pathetic…"
Tsareena, having heard that, continued staring into space, though on the inside, she was both angry and amused.
000
"So…" Tsareena said, sitting with one leg over the other. "Slowking thought that telling Dhelmise about me being intelligent would bring him help? Dhelmise. He's only proving my point."
"And I'll make sure that Infernape and I win this challenge," she continued. "Although...if people see me actually doing well, they'll know something's up…"
She sighed. "This may be a bit more difficult than I imagined."
000
"Alright, the five players have been chosen. So, the rest of you are free to either stay here and watch or got back to the hotel," Lunala said, eyeing the disgruntled cast members from Victini's show. "So, who's going to do what?"
"I'd rather go back to the hotel and watch TV than wait around here," Scrafty stated, folding his arms.
"Same here," Umbreon stated, which garnered a mocking 'Awww', from Dhelmise. She rolled her eyes.
"I'm going back to the hotel, too," Charizard said, eyeing the two of them. "I'll make sure these two don't fuck up the place…"
"Oh joy, more possible police brutality," Hakamo-o commented. "Only this time it won't be on main camera."
Charizard lowered his eyes, ignoring her comment.
"I just wanna go back to sleep," Shuckle drawled, still upset that he was completely alone now.
"Well I'll stay!" Tepig squealed. "I love me some action. And since Minior can explode, it'll be fun to watch!"
"Alright, one stay, four go, got it," Lunala said as her body and eyes glowed. Blue light enveloped Scrafty, Umbreon, Charizard, and Shuckle before they vanished from view.
The illumination from Lunala faded away and she faced the ten that would be competing in the challenge. "Alright, let's get you guys' challenge started."
000
Each pair was facing forward, ready to rush up the mountain and begin the challenge. However, this is excluding Tsareena, who was just standing upright without a care.
"Alright, remember. Three different colored Minior," Lunala reminded. "Your challenge may begin in three… two… one… START!"
Instantly, each team started rushing up the mountain, with Tsareena being the only one left standing at the base. Lunala groaned, while Tepig chortled out loud.
Seconds later, Infernape rushed back down, grabbing Tsareena by her hand and pulling her forward.
-000-
Due to them being further back, Tsareena sighed in relief. "Infernape. You can let go of me, now," Tsareena notified, feeling the ape's firm, but gentle grip around her arm.
Hearing that, Infernape stopped in his tracks and immediately let her go. Tsareena pat his cheeks softly in thanks at the quick response. "Alright, so we need three Minior… that… shouldn't be that hard," she said, beginning to walk forward.
At this point, Infernape was a bit perplexed and agitated, something he barely felt. Tsareena realized that Infernape wasn't his usual peppy self at the moment, which was both a good sign and a bad sign. She stopped as the Flame Pokemon trailed behind her.
"Are you okay?" Tsareena queried, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Infernape let out a sigh. "I guess I was just thinking about what you said earlier. About Slowking… and Dhelmise constantly calling you dumb is starting to bother me. You're not stupid and I'm not stupid."
"Well, you can never be too careful," Tsareena said, grabbing his hand. "You have to be independent. So, let's try to win this challenge and get you that advantage for your show, huh? What do you say?"
Infernape smiled softly before a frown spread across his face, softening his features. "Can I ask you something?" he inquired as he and Tsareena continued walking.
"Sure," Tsareena hastily obliged as they came across a path that was exposed by the sudden curving of the railings. There was an open section of the mountain just ripe for the searching.
"Why do you act dumb and let people say bad things about you?" Infernape inquired as they turned into the platform.
Tsareena looked to him and giggled a bit. "It's simple, my dear," she started. "I don't always act like this. I only act this way to see how others would treat someone with possible mental disabilities or who is completely lost in the world. It's sad to say, but this is just showing me how they'd treat someone who is less fortunate or intelligent."
"It is sad," Infernape replied. "Lycanroc seemed to be the only one who seemed to care enough to try and help in some way, even if was small."
Tsareena nodded. "Which is why she is the only one with my respect as of now. Now, let's find those Minior..."
Infernape nodded. "Right."
000
Gallade and Incineroar had already found a good platform area to search, the flat surface having tall grass all around it. There weren't any specific details given by Lunala regarding how they were going to be able to capture the Minior or where the Minior would be, so they were a bit stumped.
"How the hell are we supposed to find Minior up here?" Incineroar queried to himself, hands on his hips as he looked around the section of the mountain they were on. "We don't know if they're a rare occurrence at the moment or if they were paid or something."
Gallade only shrugged. "Maybe it'll be up to just luck."
"Aren't you part psychic-type?" Incineroar brought up. "You can tell where they are or at least sense if they're around, right?"
"Never tried, so probably not," Gallade replied.
Incineroar groaned. "Well, I'm probably figuratively fucked."
"The challenge literally just started," Gallade replied upon hearing that. The tiger was seriously complaining mere minutes after the challenge's initiation. "Isn't it a bit too early to be saying that? There's an entire mountain to search."
Incineroar huffed in response before holding his head. "I always do that," he moaned flatly. "I like getting things done quickly…"
"Yeah, I know. I could tell from the previous challenge," Gallade drawled. "So, how about you not complain right now and we actually try to search for them?"
Incineroar lowered his eyes; apparently Gallade was more social around him, as he was viewed as antisocial and boring around others. Frankly, Incineroar was beginning to think that he should have chosen someone else, especially due to the fact that Gallade was a psychic-type who barely knew how to use his psychic abilities. "Fine…" he tonelessly replied.
They started looking around the area of the mountain, walking through the grass. The two had searched high and low, in cracks and crevices, and also in the air to see if any were flying aimlessly.
As they searched around, they were very silent. One could even hear the numerous other conversations that were going on between the other players. Wanting to break the silence, Incineroar cleared his throat. "So uh, what brought you to sign up for Victini's show?"
"Personal business," Gallade responded vaguely, not facing to look at the tiger.
Seeing and hearing this, Incineroar groaned in his head. "Oh, that's nice," he spoke flatly before going back to searching.
He expected Gallade to reciprocate the question; when he didn't, he just decided to keep looking as to not waste his time.
000
"Maybe I should have chosen Shuckle or something. At least we would be able to get more conversation in!" Incineroar bellowed.
000
Hakamo-o and Lucario, being who they were, were already more than halfway up the mountain, passing by numerous areas that they could have searched, in order to be closer to the top of the mountain.
Eventually, they slowed themselves down and came upon an open area branching off of the main path. Both of them panted as they eyed the mountainous area, the darkness calling to them, as there was a chance that a Minior was there.
"What do you think?" Hakamo-o questioned, folding her arms as she faced Lucario.
"There's a good chance that there's a Minior there, but the amount of light we'd have would be limited," Lucario said. Hakamo-o walked toward the area despite Lucario's analysis of it.
"Light or no light, as long as we don't fall off, we should be fine," Hakamo-o said.
Lucario watched her, her eyes slowly drifting down to Hakamo-o's behind. She flushed furiously, covering her eyes. "You have a fucking boyfriend!"
"Hey, you okay over there?" Hakamo-o inquired, seeing her jackal friend covering her face. It seemed that got her back into gear, as she removed her paws from her face and came over to the area.
Hakamo-o, despite never having a relationship, knew the signs of someone liking her, Passimian being a good example. Ever since Friday, Lucario had been acting weird around her, and the 'raging dyke' comment that Umbreon made when they first got there gave her the reason why.
Honestly, even if she wouldn't admit it to anyone, Hakamo-o had found herself growing attracted to Lucario. She was strong, smart, independent, they had the same kinds of social issues, and well, she was fit. She hardly ever showed any of the signs other than when others pointed it out, in which she would just blush and growl. She wasn't that much of a chaser, but she saw that Lucario was still being awkward.
She wasn't that good with attraction or relationship talk, but she was going to try to get Lucario more comfortable or, at the very least, figure out a way to make things work for the both of them.
"Hey, Lucario," the Scaly Pokemon started, getting the jackal's attention. "Uh… I can't help but notice that you've been acting… weird ever since we battled for the first time on Friday."
Lucario feigned ignorance, though her blush quickly exposed her. "W-What do you mean?"
"You know exactly what I mean," Hakamo-o replied, folding her arms. "You're blushing."
Lucario growled. "Damn blood flow…" she thought to herself.
She sighed. "Okay, I kinda admit… I think you're… uh… you're…" the Aura Pokemon couldn't explain how she felt, she just growled, clenching her fists. "You're… ugh, fuck my life."
"Uh, it's okay, I think," Hakamo-o said. "At least I know that you… like me in a sense. And, I'm fine with that because, uh… well…"
Lucario blushed, rubbing her arm.
"I uh… I think I l-like you, too," Hakamo-o said, her voice sounding strangled. This was the first time, as far as she could remember, that she said that to someone, so she felt extremely weird after finally uttering those words. By the end of it, the usually hardy dragon- and fighting-type was blushing, her eyes locked with Lucario's.
Lucario let out a huff. "Well, I don't know where to go from here," she admitted.
Hakamo-o grumbled to herself. "Let's just find these Minior and try and win th-"
Hakamo-o was suddenly cut off by Lucario kissing her. It was very very brief, with Lucario moving away, leaving Hakamo-o surprised. There was an extremely awkward silence between the two after that occurred.
"U-Uh… so how about this challenge?" Hakamo-o questioned sheepishly, turning around as she started yanking up grass and looking over the edge of the mountain.
Lucario didn't respond, not knowing what to say or why the hell she thought that doing that was a good idea. She just decided to slowly move away and search another area. Not only would she have time to think, they'd cover more ground.
000
Hakamo-o was sitting in the confessional blushing, her expression telling us that she has no idea how to feel.
000
"So, if you don't mind me asking, why are you so rude and jerky towards everyone?" Zorua inquired. "It's just, it makes you an easy target whenever voting is involved."
"These idiots had ample opportunity to vote me off," Dhelmise replied as he heard a whirring sound nearby. He and Zorua were still on the path, heading up, so he began looking around. "Did you hear that?"
"Hear wha-" Zorua started before the whirring sound happened again. "Wait…"
"Yeah, that sound," Dhelmise expressed, looking down at her with his lack of a face after seeing her reaction. "I think that's a Minior."
"Minior sound like that?" Zorua asked as the noise persisted. "That's weird…"
"It's flying meteor. Of course it's weird!" Dhelmise shot back. "Now, we need to find out where the hell it is and catch it before one of these other morons do."
The two of them looked around in the starry sky, the darkness making it hard to see anything. Minior, being a mostly brown Pokemon in its shell, was going to be difficult to identify if it was flying.
"Ugh...this challenge should've been done in daytime," Dhelmise groaned. "We won't be able to see those little shits!"
"Hmm," Zorua started thinking. "Maybe I can transform into a Minior…"
"That'd work just fine," Dhelmise laughed. "Maybe I'll end up losing you, too…"
Zorua gave him a look. After dealing with Tepig for the duration of their show, Zorua was relatively unfazed.
"You never answered my question," Zorua reminded. "Why act like a jackass?"
"Because it's fun," Dhelmise said flatly. "Now, shift."
Zorua scoffed, rolling her eyes as she did a backflip, changing into a Minior.
"Okay, now fly up and try to lure some Minior toward us," Dhelmise instructed. Zorua-Minior flew upwards, only to be blasted by a ball of water, causing her to fall back to the ground.
"What the hell?!" Dhelmise exclaimed in confusion. He then looked over and noticed Slowking and Lycanroc rushing up.
000
Lycanroc and Slowking came rushing up the mountain path, as Slowking had identified a Minior, or what he thought was one, higher up the path.
He ended up firing a Water Pulse at the presumed rock- and flying-type, and now he and Lycanroc were on their way to claim it before somebody else did.
When they made it up, they saw that there was no Minior around, and Dhelmise was floating there as Zorua shook water out of her fur.
"What the hell was that!?" Zorua bellowed angrily, glowering at Dhelmise.
"Ask those two," Dhelmise said, acknowledging the Royal and Wolf Pokemon as they came into view.
"Ask us what?" Lycanroc asked in confusion. "And… did you guys see a Minior around here? Slowking just shot one down with Water Pulse."
"Yeah, that was ME!" Zorua exclaimed.
Slowking sighed, clicking his tongue while folding his arms. "Using the same tactic as last challenge won't work out well for you this time, Zorua," the Royal Pokemon advised. "You'll end up being mistaken for a real one."
"That's the point, dumbass! She was going to lure some Minior to us so we can go ahead and get this challenge over with!" Dhelmise retorted.
"Well look how that turned out for you," Slowking taunted. "Anyway, if you don't mind, Lycanroc and I have a challenge to win. Come Lycanroc…"
Slowking continued walking forward, Zorua's eyes, and Dhelmise's entire body, following suit. They turned back to Lycanroc, who rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.
"Sorry guys," she apologized as she rushed after Slowking, leaving the two to try again.
-000-
Lycanroc was able to catch up to Slowking, who was walking at a reasonable pace. She was perplexed by his decision to not use his psychic-type abilities to help them out. It was the main reason that she chose him!
"Slowking, why are you not using your psychic-type abilities?" Lycanroc responded. "It'd make everything much easier."
"Because, I would like to show these people that I am capable of handling myself without psychic assistance," Slowking explained. "It's to just prove myself. I don't want anyone to bitch to me about how I was unfair and blah blah blah…"
Suddenly, a whirring sound was heard by them as they continued up. They stopped and started looking around in the air. Lycanroc squinted her eyes and identified something spinning and flying through the air.
"I see one!" the wolf barked, pointing up in the air.
Slowking looked up saw the faint outline of a Minior. Being that it was away from the mountain and practically over in the distance, Slowking had to use his psychic abilities. His independence not lasting that long.
With a sigh, he grabbed the Meteor Pokemon via kinesis, bringing it to himself and Lycanroc.
"I thought you weren't using your psychic abilities…" Lycanroc said teasingly, hand on her hip.
"Yeah, it didn't last long, did it?" Slowking replied rhetorically as the Minior was brought directly before him. He charged up an orb of water, firing it at the meteor and knocking it out.
Its rock shield crumbled, exposing its core, which was a bright yellow.
Lycanroc smiled. "Yes! Okay, so we don't need another yellow one."
"That's if we can find them," said Slowking. "I'll use my psychic abilities to round them up and keep them in place, but to find them, it'll be up to wherever they are."
Lycanroc sighed.
000
Tsareena and Infernape had managed to wrangle a Minior that was wedged in a crevice. Upon cracking its shell, it was revealed to have a violet core.
"Okay, so this means if we find another violet one, we leave it alone," Tsareena said, getting on her feet. "I think you'll have to carry it since Lunala didn't give us anything to keep these guys in check."
"Uh, well, I think I can keep it steady. It's knocked out anyway," Infernape said, standing up with the unconscious rock in his arms.
As the two continued walking again, Infernape felt like he and Tsareena could start talking a bit more and maybe… become something. He didn't know how she'd really feel about the situation, but he was hoping that she'd accept his offer.
"Uh… Ts-Tsareena?" the ape began.
"Hmm?" the Fruit Pokemon inquired, turning to face him as they continued walking.
"Um, I hope that you don't think this is too sudden, but…" he started, blushing. "Would you… like to go out with me?"
Tsareena raised a brow. She knew that he had an attraction to her, and she somewhat had an attraction him, but how would things even work if they were on different shows? Long distance relationships hardly ever work.
"Uh… well, I'm flattered by your offer, Infernape," Tsareena replied, rubbing his cheek. " You're a very handsome specimen, but I don't believe that it'll work out. We're on two different shows and we live in two different regions most likely. Where would the relationship go when you leave?"
"I mean, I could try and come back down here for you!" Infernape exclaimed.
Tsareena blushed. "I don't want you to just up and leave your home for me," she expressed. "Also, don't you think that forming a relationship after three days of knowing someone is a bit too fast?"
Infernape looked down and let out a saddened sigh. "Yes, I understand. But, we can still hang out and talk and stuff, right?"
Tsareena smiled. "Of course," she said, kissing his cheek.
Infernape blushed as another Minior was heard. "Wait… I think there's another Minior somewhere!"
"Well, let's get looking, then," Tsareena replied as they approached another mountainous platform.
000
"So, uh… how does being gay feel?" Gallade inquired suddenly after nearly twenty-seven whole minutes of silence. He and Incineroar still hadn't found any Minior; they kept hearing the celestial cries of the Meteor Pokemon, but they could never figure out where they were due to the darkness.
Incineroar had to resort to using his flame belt to illuminate their way. Upon receiving the question, Incineroar blushed. "Uh, could you elaborate on that a bit?"
"I'm uh… not sure how to," Gallade replied. "I thought it was pretty straightforward."
Incineroar groaned in his head. Why was this guy so difficult? It felt much easier to deal with him on Friday. He took a deep breath. "It feels like being a normal person," he answered flatly.
"Oh, that's nice," Gallade replied, relatively unfazed by the tiger's tone.
Incineroar blinked before walking away. "...Come on, we need to look somewh-"
"Found one," Gallade said, smashing into the ground. He picked up a Minior, which immediately tried to escape him.
The Blade Pokemon punched it, causing its shell to crack, revealing its core to be blue. Incineroar raised a brow.
"Well, that's good," Incineroar replied. "Now we just need two more. And hopefully we find them soon…"
"So, if you're gay, uh…" Gallade started, causing Incineroar to groan in his head. "Have you found anybody?"
"...Yes…" Incineroar flatly replied. "Now, come on. We need to find more of these Minior so this awkwardness can end."
Gallade shrugged before following the tiger. The two of them got back on the curving path, and as soon as they did, Incineroar spied a single Minior flying in place. His eyes widened. "Yes!"
Two more Minior slowly spin-flew toward the first one, making him smile like mad. "Finally, it can end!" he exclaimed. "Come on!" he exclaimed as he ran up the path, with Gallade trailing behind.
000
Hakamo-o had found a Minior inside of a hole in the ground, having to call Lucario over to let her know. All the while, thoughts ran through the dragon- and fighting-type's head due to the kiss Lucario planted on her lips.
She was unsure how to feel about it. She didn't know what to do in response or anything, since Lucario apparently had a boyfriend. But, then why'd she kiss her? It was just starting to eat at her now, but she really needed to focus on the challenge. She wanted to win and get to the final three. And even if she didn't end up winning, as long as Dhelmise didn't win either, she'd be fine.
The Minior that she found had an indigo core, causing her to become a bit more calm. "Just two more and we'll be fine…"
"Well, I sense that there are at least five or six of them currently down the mountain," Lucario said, pointing a finger down the mountain path.
"Fuuuuu-" Hakamo-o groaned as she walked over and stood next to Lucario. "Come on, we have to get down there before the others get them!"
Lucario nodded as the two of them rushed down the mountain.
000
Dhelmise and Zorua had successfully lured numerous Minior with their plan. Dhelmise used Power Whip, which knocked them all to the ground and cracked their shells. Much to their annoyance, three of them were red and the other two were green.
"Wooow… great. Just great," Dhelmise groaned as Zorua turned back into her normal form. "I was hoping that we'd get three colors off the bat…"
"Well, two out of three isn't that bad," Zorua said, sniffing at the unconscious rocks.
"Eh, I guess we'll have to steal someone else's if they have a different color," Dhelmise assumed, levitating two of the Minior.
Luckily, or unluckily, for them, before they could just go forward, Hakamo-o and Lucario came down and stopped them. Seeing that they had an indigo core, Dhelmise non-visibly grinned.
"Well well well, look at what we've got here, Zorua, our final Minior…" Dhelmise said, eyeing the Minior in Hakamo-o's arms.
"Ha!" Hakamo-o laughed. "You're joking, you dumbass, step aside, we have a challenge to win…"
"No, I'm afraid that you won't be winning anything," Dhelmise said, as the Minior in Hakamo-o's arms started glowing and being lifted from her arms.
"YOU FUCK!" Hakamo-o exclaimed, holding the Minior tight.
Suddenly, Dhelmise was struck from behind by a purple blade. "OW!"
He turned around, dropping the Minior, much to Hakamo-o's enjoyment. Incineroar and Gallade had made it up the mountain, picking up the remaining green Minior and one of the red ones.
"Out of the way!" Incineroar exclaimed as he and Gallade ran up past them. Incineroar had two of the Minior, while Gallade had one of them.
Dhelmise fired a Shadow Ball at Gallade, knocking him to the ground. Zorua blinked.
"Hey!" Hakamo-o exclaimed. "That's not fair!"
"Oh please, Lunala didn't say that sabotage wasn't allowed, so fuck off with your fairness," Dhelmise growled.
Immediately, Incineroar blasted a Flamethrower at Dhelmise, who immediately dodged it as Gallade got back onto his feet.
Dhelmise growled as he picked up Gallade and threw him into Incineroar, causing him to drop their Minior, who immediately started flying away.
"NO!" the tiger roared. "DHELMISE! I'M GOING TO DESTROY YOU!"
"You can try and you won't succeed, Gay Tony," Dhelmise mocked. "
Lucario and Hakamo-o had headed down toward the final red Minior, which seemed to be getting back in the air. Lucario fired an Aura Sphere at it, knocking it back to the ground with ease.
"Nice work, Luca," Hakamo-o complimented as they got toward it and picked it up. "That's two, and we maybe we should-"
The two were immediately hit by two Shadow Balls, nearly knocking them off of the mountain. "My apologies, but you seem to forget what I said. We have a challenge to win," Dhelmise said, floating back down the mountain to retrieve the indigo Minior.
Zorua had just remained silent, feeling a bit unsure about what Dhelmise was doing. She wasn't expecting him to really attack anyone.
"Fuck you, Dhelmise!" Hakamo-o exclaimed as she got back on her feet and ran up after him, only for he and Zorua to vanish.
000
Lycanroc and Slowking had met up with Tsareena and Infernape. They each had two Minior of their own and were walking up together. On their way up, they saw Lucario getting onto her feet before picking up a red Minior. Hakamo-o was nearby, folding her arms with a look of agitation on her face.
"Hey guys!" Lycanroc greeted upon seeing the two.
"Hi," they both drawled as they finally approached.
Hearing the glumness in their voices, Lycanroc grew worried. "What's the matter?"
"Dhelmise just took our other fucking Minior!" Hakamo-o growled. "Then the bastard teleported away. We were practically Slowking'd for the second challenge in a row!"
"Hey! I apologized for that!"
"But it still happened, now didn't it?" Lucario rhetorically questioned with a glare.
Slowking let out a sigh of agitation.
"AND WE HAVE OUR WINNERS! EVERYONE HEAD ON UP THE MOUNTAIN!"
Tsareena was screaming in her head, while Hakamo-o had her fists clenched in anger.
000
"FUCK YOU DHELMISE!" Hakamo-o exclaimed. "FUCK YOU!"
000
Tsareena's right leg was palpitating in agitation. "Okay, how the HELL did Lunala just allow Dhelmise to sabotage and steal? She hates him!"
000
Everyone made their way to the top of the mountain, where Dhelmise was confidently floating there, and Zorua had an indifferent expression.
"As much as I hate to announce this… Dhelmise and Zorua win the challenge! Meaning…" she took a sigh of disappointment. "He's immune until we are down to the final three players, which he is now apart of."
"You're damn right I am!" Dhelmise jeered. "I'm gonna enjoy watching you losers go through their bullshit."
"As for you, Zorua, Victini will fill you in on your reward when you return back to your own island," Lunala explained.
The Illusion Fox only nodded as Tepig nudged her and gave her a high paw.
"Why the hell did you allow attacking and sabotage!?" Hakamo-o exclaimed. "You fucking hate him! Can't you just give it to someone else!?"
"Don't get all butthurt that you lost," Tepig spoke up with a chortle. "The Sheila didn't say anything about it…"
"Exactly," Dhelmise said. "She was dumb enough to not mention anything regarding sabotage, so she has to deal with it. Plus, you got to spend quality time with your girlfriend. You should be happy."
Both girls growled at him.
Lunala wanted to end the Sea Creeper for calling her dumb, but she took a deep breath. "Stay professional Lunala… just stay professional."
"Okay, now that this challenge is over and the winners have been figured out, let's get you guys back to the hotel so that I can get to the hall and take some headache medication..."
The ten contestants were teleported back to the hotel, with Lunala letting out an agitated screech.
000
"Looks like I'm safe for as long as they say so," Dhelmise laughed. "These losers make it so easy! Incineroar tried to run up and blast me before we got up, but… he failed miserably."
"This is going to be a fun next few weeks."
000
Hakamo-o punched the wall in her room, where Lucario, incineroar, and Lycanroc were with her. The punch created a small dent. "I can't fucking believe this!"
"That bastard gets to continuously fuck us over and gets away with it!" Incineroar roared. "This fucking sucks!"
"Well, I honestly don't mind, personally. I mean, I don't like what he does, but if it was technically allowed-"
"Lycanroc, come on! He's just fucking with all of us!" Hakamo-o exclaimed. "I don't think he even cares about this game!"
"It's pretty obvious," Incineroar added, folding his arms as he hugged Lycanroc, who giggled.
Hakamo-o was pacing back and forth before sitting next to Lucario, who sat there awkwardly. "Uh… maybe you'll be able to make it far and kick his ass with whoever else is there."
"Pfft, I hope," Hakamo-o replied. Suddenly, she remembered what had happened during the challenge. Since Lucario was already there, now would be the time to talk about it.
"Um… Lycanroc, Incineroar, can… Lucario and I have some privacy?"
"Oooh~," Lycanroc teased. "Did something happen while I was pulling myself together?"
Almost as soon as she said that, what Pyukumuku told her before he left replayed in her head. She kept her cheerful demeanor, but her tone turned noticeably somber. "Uh, you know what? It's none of my business, uh. I have to talk to Incineroar about something anyway…"
Incineroar was surprised to hear that. "Oh, you do?"
"Yeah… I do," she said as she got to her feet and headed to Hakamo-o's door without uttering another word.
Incineroar and Hakamo-o exchanged worried glances before Incineroar got up to follow her, leaving Hakamo-o and Lucario alone.
Once they were out, Hakamo-o let out a sigh, rubbing her legs. "Okay. What is this?" she asked outright.
"What is what?"
"This. Us," Hakamo-o said, pointed to them both. "I mean, I guess we both have some sort of attraction to each other, but… don't you have a boyfriend?"
Lucario sighed. "Yes. But, like I said… I don't know if he's really a smokescreen or not. It's just… weird."
"Well then... why kiss me?" Hakamo-o asked.
"I-I don't know," Lucario said, staring down at the carpet. "I guess it was an impulse thing. I'm still just not… ugh… I hate talking about feelings!"
"So do I! But, we have some kind of connection or something and I'm not sure what we can do so that we aren't as awkward and weird toward each other!" Hakamo-o replied. "We could avoid each other, but that doesn't sit well with me…"
"Yeah…" Lucario said before sighing.
The two of them sat in silence for a while.
Lucario sighed. "I think I'll break up with my boyfriend and… when we're both out of this competition, I'll call you?"
Lucario then planted another kiss on Hakamo-o's lips. After hearing what she'd said, the dragon-type accepted it before breaking it. Both she and Lucario blushed and sat there for a few more seconds. "Uh, well… uh, I'll just head to my room, and I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"
Hakamo-o nodded in response. Hearing her door open and close, Hakamo-o laid back on her bed.
000
"Well, I-uh… I guess I have a future girlfriend now," Hakamo-o said sheepishly while blushing, rubbing the back of her head. "I'll admit. I didn't expect anything like this going into this game. But, I'm happy that I came. Even if Dhelmise is a thorn in my side."
000
Lycanroc was wiping a few tears from her eyes, as she had just told Incineroar about her younger life and why she was so heavily affected by what happened in Diglett's Tunnel. He was extremely furious at Lycanroc's father, but he knew that getting angry wouldn't do anything. Now he was much more confused about her whole demeanor.
"Why didn't you just tell us?" Incineroar asked, hugging her in his lap, rubbing her back.
"I hate pity," she replied. "And I didn't want to think about it, so I erased it from my mind before I got here."
"And that bastard Charizard caused it come back up," Incineroar seethed.
"Incineroar will you stop?" Lycanroc asked. "Charizard doesn't know me and I'm sure that he didn't mean to hurt me. What he did was wrong and he deserved to go, but what happened happened. Can you please just let it go? I'm okay."
Incineroar growled to himself before Lycanroc rested her head on his. "Please," she said, looking him in the eyes. "Holding a grudge isn't worth it."
Seeing her eyes, redder than usual from her crying, caused his expression to soften. He sighed to himself. "Okay. I'll try."
Lycanroc smiled a bit. "Thank you."
Incineroar rubbed her back a bit more, holding her closer. "But just know. As long as I'm here, I won't let anything else happen to you…"
Lycanroc sniffled, hugging him back.
000
And... done. Woo-hoo! No eliminations, just purely a reward challenge and… Dhelmise won. Great. GREEEEAT. But, at least Lycanroc is back out and about, and Hakamo-o has a chance to actually be with somebody! And yes, the other cast is still here. Things were bound to be a slight bit interesting. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed and I'll see you next time on Total… Pokemon… Alola! See ya guys, BYE!
