Reply to Review
Worma-Sir
I'm glad that you like Houndour a bit more. I must admit, he was a bit inspired from Electrike. However, I change him to make him more original. Meowth is one of the characters that I plan intricately. You will see… Yeah, I remember when Eva hurt that poor janitor. Lucario is a bit inspired from her. However, he is a professional athlete in the Pokeathlon Nationals. I actually expect you to be angrier for getting rid of Farfetch'd. Good for me. About characters interacting in the same group. I totally agree. The thing is they will interact in different groups once the merge hits and some of their friends are eliminated. Don't worry, I already plan some dialogues. I just want to make the alliances and groups a bit clear in the first few chapters. They will scramble and make new allies in the merge. Thanks for your continued support. Honestly, I doubt myself a lot sometimes. English isn't my first language and it can be tough to write. However, your words of motivation really encourage me. I also recover from the Pokemon Anime XYZ incident. I actually plan to upload this yesterday but well, stuff happened.
Episode 4: 7.8/10 Too Many Cameras
Many cameras were turned on. Skarmory looked around at each of them.
"There are more cameras than usual. I wonder if the challenge will involve them today." Skarmory hinted.
"Last time, contestants scavenged for Skarmory tokens. Some searched the forest as usual while some were bold enough to enter the legendary Skarmory Cave." Skarmory said in his spooky voice.
"Poor Houndour fell for my Zubat trick, making him officially a coward. In return, he got a bowl of cereal and milk as a consolation reward. Totally worth it right? A certain contestant disagreed and complained. What an ungrateful customer. On the other hand, a certain businessman sweet talked his way to a discount. The contestants were then forced to collect a variety of berries. Lucario used his dirty tactics to secure his team victory. Drifblim and Shedinja abused their type and abilities. Best of all, Farfetch'd sent Skrelp to the infirmary, getting himself eliminated. Will the infirmary streak continue? Will relationships develop? Who will be eliminated? Find out in this episode of Total Skarmory Island!" Skarmory finished the opening.
Lucario jogged around in the forest. Strangely, there was a smile on his face. The athlete held a big mushroom in his hand. His eyes scouted his surroundings for more rare items.
Meowth coincidentally found Lucario on his way to the Skarmory Cave. The two faced each other.
"How is your day, Lucario?" Meowth greeted.
"Great, I'm satisfied with our first victory yesterday. Especially, the showcase of teamwork between you, Machoke and Ledyba. All of your efforts shall be noticed. I hope the team keep up the exceptional performance. To motivate them, I'm planning to throw a celebration party." Lucario explained.
"An athlete needs his sponsor. Do you need help in funding the event? I will gladly be of your service." Meowth offered his help.
"I appreciate that. If you can find more Skarmory tokens, please bring them to me. I will wait next to Skarmory Shop at lunchtime." Lucario replied. Meowth nodded and shook Lucario hand.
Confessional
Lucario: "In the Aura Beast, I punish my teammates when they lose and I reward them when they win. This is how I operate things. Mr. Nice Guy Lucario will only come out when his team wins. Therefore, I want our team to remember that through this party."
Meowth: "Customers are rushing into my business. The door opens and I welcome them with a smile. I offer them a few drinks. They give me their entire life savings joyfully. Profits are raining and raining and raining. Hahahaha..."
Houndour waited for the others in front of the cave. He tapped his feet to pass some time.
"When will they arrive?" Houndour asked impatiently. Houndour looked around. Some bushes rustled. A Pokemon was coming.
"Meowth?" Houndour asked, he didn't expect a reply. Houndour ran over to the cat straight away.
"Am I punctual for the business meeting?" Meowth asked with a worried expression.
"You are right on time. Dude, no need to be formal and serious. We are all friends here." Houndour assured. Meowth stared weirdly at Houndour for a short moment. It was as if he needed time to adjust himself.
"I'm not late then." Meowth spoke, his language was adjusted.
"Yeah, we still need to wait for Duosion." Houndour reminded as they waited. The wait was awfully silent.
"How is your time here?" Houndour broke the ice.
"The island is rich with natural resources. There are many opportunities for business." Meowth answered as Houndour shook his head.
"I'm not talking about business, dude. I'm asking how you feel personally." Houndour clarified. The two looked at each other awkwardly at first. Meowth then opened his mouth.
"I see… I'm doing well. The island isn't half-bad. There is enough accommodation. I also earn enough Skarmory tokens to buy average-income food every day." Meowth adapted.
"That's good. I also earn enough to afford decent food. The pillows and bed are a bit uncomfortable but I'm not spoiled so they are fine. The island looks beautiful. It is thrilling to explore the different environments." Houndour told about his experience as well.
Duosion finally appeared, both of them looked at her with expressions of relief.
Confessional
Houndour: "Meowth is cool and all but it can be a bit tough to socialize with him. Hopefully, things will be less awkward next time."
Meowth: "It is very important for a businessman to have social skills. However, I usually talk to more mature groups of Pokemon. Our topic of discussion mainly involves business. Therefore, I need some time to adjust to certain groups of Pokemon in this island. My deadline will be tomorrow."
"Are both of you, alright? I'm not late, am I?" Duosion asked with concern.
"Everything is fine. We are just keen to enter the cave. Now that everyone is here, we should enter." Houndour replied before he entered the cave first.
Noticeably, he walked slower than usual. His eyes darted from place to place, trying to find hidden traps. The fire type lighted the cave up once again. While Meowth could be seen behind him, Duosion stayed beside Houndour. She looked worried about his phobias.
"I find a Normal Gem." Meowth said as he picked up a white gemstone.
"Pickup isn't it?" Duosion assumed about his ability. Meowth nodded.
They eventually reached a ladder at the end of the first floor. The second underground level was dark and ominous. Houndour hesitated to go down. Meowth eyed this with worry.
"Are you alright, partner?" Meowth asked. Duosion whispered the truth into his ears and the businessman nodded.
"I will accept your resignation letter if you are that scared. I can find a different job for you." Meowth consoled. Houndour took a deep breath.
"No, I must face my fear." Houndour said confidently as he descended down the ladder. Sure, his past was traumatizing. However, Houndour was also brave. He didn't want to disappoint his friends. They made him face his fear. A few droplets of water fell from the ceiling on Houndour's head as he went down the ladder. It made him flinched. Duosion noticed this and used Psychic to block out the droplets of water.
"Thanks Duosion." Houndour was grateful.
"No problem for me." Duosion said as they all went down to the second floor.
The interior was roughly the same. Sharp, pointy rocks and uneven ground. Houndour walked very carefully while illuminating the cave with his fire. Duosion pointed out pressure plates and tripwires while Meowth picked up a Nugget.
"We are a great team." Houndour commented. All of them agreed.
They eventually made their way to the end of the second floor. There was another ladder down to the third floor. This time, there was a revolting and repulsive smell from down there.
"I think our trip is a success. We should leave." Meowth suggested as he acquired a Ground Gem.
"Yeah, I agree." Houndour said as he stepped back and closed his nose from the smell. The three explorers left the cave safely. Back at the entrance, they talked to each other before their separation.
"We got three rare items, which worth sixteen Skarmory tokens." Duosion calculated.
"We are great partners in this trip. Therefore, I want all of us to start a partnership business together. Don't you agree?" Meowth suggested.
"I agree. However, I don't want this partnership to be an evil alliance. We will only cooperate when it comes to Skarmory tokens, deal?" Duosion bargained with Meowth.
"Obviously, we are setting up a legal business." Meowth assured with his persuasive tone.
"I'm in then. We should create a name. A cool one. What will it be?" Houndour said with excitement at the creation of their business.
"Meowth & Co. Is that alright?" Meowth proposed a team name shamelessly. Houndour gave Meowth a weird look.
"Nah. How about Treasure Trio? That sounds cooler." Houndour asked for feedback.
"I like the alliteration." Duosion supported it.
"The majority rules in this meeting. I guess I have no choice." Meowth said half willingly.
"It is official. We are the Treasure Trio!" Houndour announced as they held on to each other before they all jumped.
Confessional
Houndour: "Meowth is such a jokester. I like his business jokes but sometimes they are just too much, you know? I know that he wasn't being serious with that Meowth & Co. thing."
Meowth: "Oh, I'm deadly serious about that name. Treasure Trio is decent but it doesn't suit my taste. However, a great businessman can't be selective. I welcome all Pokemon to my business. Whether old or young, male or female, smart or stupid, villains or heroes. Meowth never isolates any Pokemon. I want to form connections with everyone yet keep it under the table." Meowth winked at the camera.
Duosion: "Meowth is intriguing. I don't know whether or not he is a hero or a villain. He might be in the middle. A businessman that trades with both sides. A part of me wants to suspect him. Yet, another part of me wants to trust him faithfully. I don't want to be like Scolipede. I should trust him a bit more."
Grovyle opened the door to the mess hall. He saw Tyrunt and Elekid inside. This might be an opportunity for him to socialize a bit with them.
"Hey guys, doing well?" Grovyle said as he sat next to them.
"Yeah, what are you doing here? This isn't lunchtime." Tyrunt asked.
"Just chilling out with you guys. It is pretty boring outside." Grovyle explained.
"You don't seem to be the type of individual that will sit with us." Elekid raised his eyes in suspicion.
"Why? I have nothing against any of you." Grovyle asked, he looked a bit anxious.
"You are not close to us either." Tyrunt said.
"Guys, I'm just trying to be a friend." Grovyle assured.
"Can we trust him?" Elekid whispered to Tyrunt. Grovyle tried to listen but he failed.
"Err… He isn't half bad. I never see him with any of our enemies." Tyrunt whispered back.
"My heart hurts, you know? I'm a pretty nice guy. I don't know why both of you don't trust me." Grovyle said with a sad expression. He was about to leave.
"I mean…we can talk a bit if you want." Tyrunt said to make Grovyle feel better. Grovyle returned to his seat with a slight smile.
"Superb, since we are in the mess hall. What about the chef's food? What do you think of it? I never eat it before. I only see the purple sludge on the plate." Grovyle asked with curiosity. Tyrunt and Elekid looked as if they were about to puke at the mention of the disgusting sludge.
"Eww. It isn't even food, more like garbage being made edible." Tyrunt degraded the food as he coughed with his arms on his neck. Elekid patted his back to make him feel better. Grovyle was disturbed by the thought of the food.
"It squirms inside your stomach after you eat it. I mean it makes us feel full but in a negative way." Elekid described further. Now, Grovyle felt fortunate that he didn't get to eat the sludge.
"I feel bad for you guys. Perhaps, I can share food with you two next time." Grovyle offered.
"Share with us?!" Both of them shouted in disbelief. Grovyle looked confused.
"What's wrong with that?" Grovyle asked.
"You don't seem to be the kind of Pokemon that will do that. You share it with the likes of Heracross last time. Even though you seem to regret it, why share with us now? Aren't we just a bunch of nerds to you?" Tyrunt asked with disbelief. Grovyle shook his head and his hands.
"No! I told you I have nothing against any of you. I'm willing to share if you need it. Last time, I made a mistake. I should have shared with you guys instead." Grovyle reassured.
"Wow, you are a better Pokemon than I thought. Thanks man." Elekid said.
Confessional
Grovyle: "I mean half of me is doing this to get their votes. Another half of me is just trying to be genuinely nice. I'm not that all serious about winning. However, at the very least I want to prove Chef Drapion wrong. After all, I'm Good Guy Grovyle." Grovyle pointed to himself.
Elekid: "Grovyle is that kind of Pokemon that you will see with the cool kids or the jocks, you know? At least that is what I think. I never expect him to be nice to us."
Tyrunt: "Good food, here I come!"
Snorunt and Helioptile sat on the benches in the clearing. They were talking to each other.
"What do you want to do here other than competing for the million?" Helioptile asked.
"I don't know. I'm here to build up my confidence I guess. I don't have many friends in school. They can be mean sometimes. They act nice one day then turn mean the other day." Snorunt sobbed a bit.
"You can forget about them! Don't let them make you feel like trash. Don't let them demoralize you. You got more heart than them. I will always be here for you as long as I can." Helioptile consoled her.
"Thank you so much…" Snorunt thanked Helioptile for supporting her all this time. A shadow slowly approached both of them. It looked intimidating at first glance. The shadow slowly consumed them. Both of them felt uncomfortable all of a sudden. They turned around slowly to see… Larvitar. Nosepass was next to him, shaking terribly.
"Hey losers. I'm forcing you weaklings to join my super awesome, invincible alliance as my personal slaves. I need you and this stone head to go around the island, collecting rare items for me." Larvitar demanded.
"What if we don't? You are a mean jerk, nobody likes you!" Helioptile stood up against Larvitar.
"Then, I will beat you up!" Larvitar said as he pushed Helioptile to the ground.
"Hey meanie, don't hurt my friend!" Snorunt shouted angrily before she tried to help Helioptile.
"What can you do?" Larvitar said as he laughed. Helioptile pushed herself off the ground with Snorunt's help. Nosepass just stood there, he was too scared to move.
"Who said you have the right to help her?" Larvitar pushed Snorunt down to the ground as well. Nosepass trembled, anxiety written all over his face.
"How dare you?!" Helioptile yelled as she stepped on Larvitar's foot.
"This hurts!" Larvitar screamed in pain before he ran away. Nosepass sighed in relief before he fled, far away from Larvitar.
"You are so strong." Snorunt complimented.
"I didn't step on him that hard." Helioptile admitted.
Confessional
Larvitar: "Those losers will pay! *beep* them all!"
Nosepass: "I hate it! I hate it! I hate my incompetent self! Even Snorunt is stronger than me…" Nosepass started crying.
Helioptile: "Larvitar better back off from me and my friends. Snorunt is getting better as of right now. I don't want him to make things worse."
Snorunt: "I want to be strong like Helioptile. I know that I can be strong."
Larvitar kicked some small rocks around the forest. One of the rocks bounced off a tree and hit him in the face.
"Ouch. Stupid rock." Larvitar said with frustration clear on his face.
"This will teach you a lesson." Larvitar talked to the rock as he picked it up. Afterwards, he threw the rock against the same tree. It bounced again, hitting him in the face for the second time. Drifblim saw this and giggled.
"What are you laughing at, loser?!" Larvitar shouted angrily as he stomped on the ground.
"You are just a laughing stock, Larvitar. You tried and tried again to assert your dominance by insulting and bullying those that are weaker than you. Unfortunately, there are only a few that you can control. Perhaps, you aren't as powerful as you think." Drifblim mocked. Larvitar's face was red.
"Shut up! I'm the strongest. I will be a Tyranitar someday and all of you will bow down to me." Larvitar denied.
"Then, why don't you be a real villain? You are nothing to this show as of right now. A villain? I doubt that the viewers think of you as that. You are just a jerk that will be eliminated soon. At the very least, go out with a bang. Can't you think of simple schemes and tricks like sabotaging a contestant or framing? How pathetic." Drifblim manipulated Larvitar, so that he creates chaos for the viewers.
"I already think of doing that before you even born. Yeah, sabotaging and framing, they are originally my ideas!" Larvitar kept denying anything that makes him look pathetic.
"Indeed, they are your ideas. I'm not involved or associated with you in anyway." Drifblim said before she left.
"Of course, I already planned to do all of that since the first day. You are nothing but a ghost. All of you are…" Larvitar continued to rant and ramble to no one.
Confessional
Drifblim: "Larvitar is a disappointing contestant. He brings nothing to the show other than slapstick humor. Therefore, I'm giving him a second life. I want him to create a real drama before his inevitable elimination. Like I already said, there is no need for me to directly create drama, neither will I. I'm much smarter than that."
Larvitar: "First target is that loser, Helioptile. I will make her pay for what she did."
Jumpluff floated to get fresh air from the beach. Along the way, she met Skrelp near the bonfire. The seahorse read her book as usual. Jumpluff frowned upon this.
"What is with that facial expression? Did you friends ditch you?" Skrelp tried to annoy Jumpluff. Her eyes didn't move an inch from the book. This made Jumpluff even more annoyed.
"What about you? Did you friends ditch you? You are alone as well." Jumpluff retorted.
"This is normal for me. I'm introverted. I prefer to read this book quietly in seclusion. I only interact with you because there are a few rumors going around about your annoying attitude." Skrelp said coldly.
"What rumors?" Jumpluff looked anxious.
"Figure it out yourself." Skrelp ended the conversation.
Confessional
Skrelp: "That is a lie. Why am I doing this? Well, Jumpluff will only suspect a few Pokemon. The most logical conclusion is Archeops, due to their recent discording debacle yesterday. I don't need to get rid of Jumpluff right now, neither is she my target. Why? She is a weak contestant, simple as that. Her vote against me is insignificant in the grand scheme of things. The Pokemon I'm aiming for is Archeops. She is one of the few that can challenge me. The other threats are Bisharp and Lucario. The rest are all weaklings. However, I don't want to get rid of her right now. I want to capitalize on her leadership to win a few more challenges first."
Jumpluff: "Who spread the rumors? It must be someone close to Skrelp. Heracross? She is with Skrelp a few times but I don't think they are close. The only one left is Archeops. That two-faced, no good leader!"
Jumpluff arrived at the beach. Bisharp sat on the edge of the dock, holding a fishing rod. Was he fishing?
"What are you doing, Bisharp? Where did you get that fishing pole?" Jumpluff asked.
"I'm fishing to practice for the next fishing tournament. I found this fishing rod in a secret room at the back of the mountain area. It was hidden by a gray wallpaper." Bisharp answered.
"Why do you compete in a fishing tournament? Is that your hobby?" Jumpluff asked Bisharp curiously. The Blade Pokemon captured her attention.
"My parents force me to enter many tournaments and shows. I have a busy schedule this year. I need to compete in a chess tournament, the Amazing Race Pokemon, a fishing tournament, a tournament of geniuses and a lot more." Bisharp listed some of his upcoming activities.
"Force? Did you say that your parents force you? Why?" Jumpluff asked.
"They are… demanding. They expect me to be perfect. Despite my perfect academic grades, I need to be talented in every area of expertise." Bisharp said, he suddenly looked stressed. Jumpluff looked down in sympathy.
"Do you enjoy competing in this show, even a little bit?" Jumpluff asked. Bisharp said nothing, silence was his answer.
"Sorry. I want to request something from you but I don't think it is appropriate now." Jumpluff was about to leave. Bisharp pulled her back.
"Don't worry, what do you need of my services?" Bisharp said politely and formally.
"Since you look very smart, I want you to beat Skrelp in an intellectual challenge. Knock her down a few pegs or several even. Reel her in like a fish out of water!" Jumpluff requested. Bisharp became silent, staring at the calm water. He spoke up shortly after.
"I don't think I can…" Bisharp looked unconfident when it comes to beating Skrelp.
"Oh, I see. Also, can you tell me the names of your social media accounts? I want to follow you for the upcoming events." Jumpluff said cheerfully. Bisharp looked even more distressed. Jumpluff noticed this and left. There wasn't even a nibble on Bisharp's fishing rod.
Confessional
Bisharp: "Why do these Pokemon have absurdly high expectations of me? Do they expect me to be a legendary fisherman, a chess master, a master manipulator, a professional athlete, and a genius all at the same time? My win rate isn't even that impressive. I won five out of forty-five competitions so far. One out of nine. Roughly, eleven percent. My parents expect me to be competent at everything, this means that I specialize in nothing. I can't beat Lucario in a physical challenge and I can't beat Skrelp in an intellectual challenge. I am well rounded but not perfect."
Jumpluff: "Wow, his parents are very strict. I'm glad that my parents are carefree. I can do whatever I want. Well, I guess that is why I'm a straight C student."
Grovyle walked over to Bisharp after Jumpluff left.
"What is the result of your observation? Does it match with mine?" Bisharp asked.
"Yeah, it is an alliance between Archeops, Skrelp and Heracross. It is three members like you said." Grovyle reported.
"Good, now don't let anyone see us together." Bisharp dismissed Grovyle before anyone can see them.
Confessional
Bisharp: "Three members… I need to gather up votes. After the next few eliminations. I will catch the big fish."
Grovyle: "Bisharp is basically piggybacking me to the finish. He creates the strategies and I execute them. We are such a perfect team. Yet, there is only one winner."
The Treasure Trio met up with Lucario in front of Skarmory Shop.
"We heard about the party from Meowth and we totally support it dude." Houndour assisted.
"Good. How many Skarmory tokens do you all have?" Lucario asked.
"We have sixteen in total." Duosion told him.
"I have twelve. That makes twenty-eight our final amount." Lucario calculated.
"That will be our budget then. Now we should find out the actual amount." Meowth said as they all turned to Skarmory Shop. Skarmory presented the items to them.
"Today, I have two high quality items for our wonderful customers. First, we have a cup of berry juice for one Skarmory token and one plate of salad for one Skarmory token as well." Skarmory informed his customers with a smile.
"I want to negotiate. We are regular customers. In addition, we buy in bulk. Can we get twenty plates of salad and twenty cups of berry juice for twenty-eight Skarmory tokens?" Meowth persuaded. Skarmory was deep in thought. The contestants all anticipated the answer.
"Deal. Chef Drapion, come here and serve the items!" Skarmory accepted it as he ordered Chef Drapion to come out of the kitchen. The contestants saw Chef Drapion wheeling a supermarket cart with all the items. Lucario took over and wheeled the cart to the gym. It was the place of the party.
"You four purchased everything. Well, we are out of stock." Skarmory said as he closed the shop down. Archeops just arrived, she was shocked at this.
"I got some items to exchange." Archeops said, looking hopeless when Skarmory flew away.
"You get to eat my delicacy for another day." Chef Drapion indicated. Archeops groaned. In her claws, she held a few mushrooms.
Confessional
Meowth: "This is how you do business. Another successful transaction."
Lucario: "Meowth's stellar performance keeps him out of my elimination list. As of right now, Oddish and Aromatisse are in my list."
Houndour: "Damn, things are looking good for the Treasure Trio. Each of us has our own strength. Meowth is a great businessman, Duosion is smart and I'm physically strong? I feel like I'm outshined by other contestants lately. I mean I guess I earned a lot of friends after sharing noodles but still…"
Archeops: "Why are bad things happening to me? What did I do wrong? I feel unlucky lately."
Tyrunt: "Another day of sludge? I just saw the shop closing down. I have a few leftover Skarmory tokens from Grovyle. If I knew this, I would arrive sooner. I want to eat good food for once." Tyrunt complained, accidentally dropping the tokens. He proceeded to pick them up and leave the confessional with his head hanging down.
Lucario opened the door to the gym. More accurately, the basketball court section. All of the Feckless Flygon members gathered there already. Darmanitan rushed over to help wheeling the cart.
"What do we have for today, do we get to eat the cart as well?" Oddish acted stupid. Everyone gave her stares.
"Genius, I hope you reserve a visit with the dentist." Shedinja sarcastically mocked Oddish.
Confessional
Meowth: "Remember when I said that I welcome everyone to my business? I change my mind, there will be a few exceptions."
Oddish: "I hope this works. I mean they will keep me until the finale because I'm stupid right?"
Aromatisse: "Oddish isn't beautiful, strong or smart. I feel pity for her. Although, I have a feeling it was all an act."
Aromatisse applied her make up before she ate the food. Oddish continued to eat without any manners. Lucario reminded everyone to eat healthily and slowly. Everything seemed normal except for Scolipede. The bug didn't touch the food. He just stared at them. Afterwards, he eavesdropped the conversation between Machoke, Ledyba and Meowth.
"Really Meowth, you negotiate for us? That's wonderful." Ledyba complimented.
"Not a big deal. Consider it as repayment for yesterday. I'm rewarding my loyal customers, which are you guys in this case. Enjoy the party." Meowth said before he sipped his berry juice. Machoke and Ledyba chuckled happily.
Everyone was having fun. There was a table with three cups, Meowstic put a ball in one cup and switched them around. Miltank selected the middle one. It was the wrong cup. She angrily accused Meowstic of fraudulence. The magician showed that the real ball was in her top hat the entire time. The two then laughed it off. Even Shedinja seemed a bit amused at the party. Cryogonal was happy at this as well.
Confessional
Scolipede: "Look at all of those sickening scammers. Tricking others to their advantage. Ugh! Why are they are having so much fun? Why? Meowstic freaking remove the ball at the very last second with Psychic. Meowth is a corporate monster in my eyes. Ledyba is a two-faced swindler. I will never believe any of their lies again. Not after what happened…" Scolipede looked miserable.
Scolipede stayed in the corner, not touching the food.
"Yeah, I got many techniques." Machoke socialized with Ledyba. She then noticed Scolipede in the corner of her left eye.
"I will be back." Ledyba excused herself before she flew toward Scolipede.
"What do you want? Acting nice for my vote?" Scolipede said pessimistically.
"Hey Skeptipede, stop being so distrustful. We are your friends or at least teammates." Ledyba assured.
"A friend that will backstab me when I'm out of use. Perfect, make a pun of my name." Scolipede retorted. Ledyba was frustrated at this point.
"Fine! Do whatever you want. See those Pokemon over there, having fun? You don't need to be one of them. Even Shedinja has more optimism and faith in others than you. Vote me out next then." Ledyba said snappily and left. Scolipede hesitated, he was indecisive. A part of him locked down all of her words.
"Yay, I'm a celebrity. Others mention my name." Shedinja drawled. Yet, a part of Scolipede wanted to believe Ledyba. Scolipede moved slowly toward the others, Shedinja was the closest to him. In addition, Scolipede drank a berry juice. Others looked at him as if it was a miracle. Ledyba smiled a bit.
"Attention everyone! We are about to run out of time. I want to thank Meowth, Houndour and Duosion in particular for the success of this event. Grab your berry juice and shout cheers!" Lucario announced, toasting for a spectacular event. Everyone grabbed their berry juices and shouted "Cheers", with varying levels of enthusiasm.
Confessional
Ledyba: "I know that Scolipede can open up to others. I hope that he trusts some of us now."
Lucario: "I will give my team this special treatment again if they can win two more times."
On the other hand, the Crazy Crawdaunt were depressed as they once again shoved their sludge into their mouths. Strangely, Larvitar was serving the food.
"Hey loser, did you get wrecked by Chef Drapion again?" Heracross insulted Larvitar.
"No, I volunteer because our wonderful chef needs a break." Larvitar 'corrected'.
"Nah, you are lying." Heracross denied any possibility of Larvitar telling the truth. Larvitar had a grin on his face.
Helioptile approached the bully next. Larvitar secretly added a spoonful of a strange liquid into her food. He then hummed innocently.
"Have a nice day suffering, loser." Larvitar said as he served the sludge. Helioptile was baffled at what he said. However, she eventually ignored it.
Confessional
Skrelp: "When did that scullion learn juxtaposition let alone oxymoron?"
Helioptile: "Oh well, who cares about what Larvitar said? He insults you and that's it. He isn't threatening at all." Her stomach made some weird noises. "Chef Drapion, what did you cook for us?"
Larvitar: "Chef's secret ingredient, Drapion Poison. You are going to be a bit sick, Helioptile. I will show the whole world that I'm the greatest villain alive!" Larvitar laughed evilly before he coughed.
"Follow me to the beach area!" Skarmory ordered with his megaphone.
The contestants eventually all assembled into their respective teams in the beach area. They focused their attention to the cameras behind Skarmory. Each camera was pretty small, it also included a neck strap. Next to the cameras were diving masks.
"Today, all of you will work as a photographer, cameraman, whatever. The objective is to collect pictures. Here is the twist, you need to gather pictures of water Pokemon only. No, you can't take pictures of any contestants. You need to take pictures of the strangers under the sea. Don't worry, the cameras are waterproof. We also have diving masks available. I will give you a score based on two things: quantity and quality. You can show me as many pictures as you want. It might increase the score of your team. However, I can deduct and penalize your score for poor pictures and lack of variety. For example, if you show me two pictures of a Magikarp, I can penalize you. The rarity of the Pokemon might be taken into account for your score. Mega Alakazam will teleport you out when the challenge ends. Any questions?" Skarmory explained as he looked around for any questions. Drifblim lifted her arm.
"What is it? Going to insult my challenge again?" Skarmory assumed.
"Can we secretly take pictures of strangers? Isn't that considered as invading their privacy?" Drifblim asked.
"Good question. Well, I don't care. They have every right to beat you up if you want to play that risky." Skarmory explained as he looked around for any more questions. There was none.
"The challenge starts now!" Skarmory declared the start of the challenge.
All of the contestants scrambled to get the cameras and diving masks, except Helioptile. She walked over slowly instead.
"Are you alright?" Snorunt asked with concern.
"I'm fine." Helioptile tried to smile. However, she failed.
Confessional
Tyrunt: "A water challenge? An athletic one as well? If I need to give a score for this challenge, it will be a 7.8/10. Why? Well there is a game called Kyogye's Sapphire Alpha edition. That game was well received except for one thing. There is too much water. Seriously? Well a bunch of discriminating land Pokemon probably rate it ignorantly."
Snorunt: "I think Helioptile needs help. Maybe, it isn't that severe, I guess."
Helioptile: "I might need to go to the infirmary after the challenge."
Bisharp grabbed his fishing rod and swung it into the sea right away. An Oran Berry was used as a bait. Bisharp placed the fishing rod down and waited. He gripped his camera, preparing to take a picture.
"Patience is a virtue." Bisharp reminded himself.
"I got one!" Lucario shouted. In the shallow parts of the water, Lucario held a Magikarp single handedly with his right hand. He used his left hand to take the picture. The Magikarp was flopping and flailing in the grasp of the athlete. His team looked happy.
"Please free me." Magikarp begged. Lucario freed the fish after he took the picture. The Crazy Crawdaunt looked worried at this.
"Spread out!" Archeops shouted to her team. They started to swam, flew, floated around the sea. However, a few like Tyrunt, Helioptile, Nosepass and Snorunt stayed in the shallow parts, where they could stand properly.
"I can't swim." Tyrunt told his teammates.
"Neither can I." Snorunt had the exact same issue.
"I'm scared. There might be a Sharpedo somewhere around here." Nosepass shook at the thought of them.
"Hah losers, you can't swim like me. I'm an expert." Larvitar bragged as he performed a doggy paddle.
"We can probably stay here. They are probably a few fish Pokemon." Helioptile said optimistically.
Confessional
Lucario: "We will win, even if it means that I must carry my team! There is a swimming task in Pokeathlon Plus and I beat even the strongest Poliwrath. I will wrestle a Sharpedo out and take a picture of it." Lucario slammed his fists.
Bisharp: "In ancient times, fishing was used as a method of hunting by land Pokemon. It used to be effective. However, water Pokemon are smarter in recent times."
The Feckless Flygon members were ordered by Lucario to split into pairs. One will capture a water Pokemon while another will take a picture. This strategy differed from the Crazy Crawdaunt spreading out by themselves.
Lucario swam like a professional swimmer. Aromatisse swam slowly behind him, a camera (originally Lucario's) hanging from her neck. A strong member was paired up with a weak member.
"Swim faster! Even a Slowpoke is faster than you." Lucario scolded her.
"I can't. My make-up is already ruined." Aromatisse complained. Lucario looked frustrated.
"Just hold on to me." Lucario ordered. Aromatisse clung onto his back. Lucario speeded up before he dived underwater. Both of them breathed and talked through their diving masks. Lucario saw a Sharpedo and followed it.
"Are you crazy?!" Aromatisse screamed in fear.
"Trust me." Lucario said as he caught the tail of the Sharpedo and turned him around. Lucario's intimidating glare pierced through the eyes of the Sharpedo.
"Please don't hurt me." Sharpedo begged as he was completely intimidated.
"I just want to take a picture with you." Lucario assured. Sharpedo looked confused until he realized something.
"Wait… are you that Lucario? I'm a big fan of you. Yippie!" Sharpedo exclaimed joyfully. Aromatisse was flabbergasted. She never thought that a Sharpedo could be this friendly and unthreatening.
"Start taking pictures, Slowpoke!" Lucario brought Aromattise back to reality.
"Alright, I want you to do a few poses." Aromatisse told them to perform different poses. First, they hugged each other. Second, Lucario was surfing on the Sharpedo. Finally, Lucario was brawling with the Sharpedo.
"Fabulous. Perfect photography." Aromatisse commented as they resurfaced. They waved to the Sharpedo as he left.
Confessional
Aromatisse: "Wow, Lucario is more masculine than I thought. He has a shot at modelling. Anyways, I like the second pose the most. Lucario stood on the Sharpedo as it was surfing at a high speed. It symbolizes perfect control, balance and adrenaline. I managed to make the camera focus perfectly on them as well."
Lucario: "Why did I choose to take Aromatisse over Oddish? At least, Aromatisse is artistic. Oddish is useless."
Oddish was accompanied by Darmanitan, he held the camera because Oddish didn't know how to use it. The two dived under the dock.
"Look, a Feebas!" Darmanitan pointed toward a Feebas. The Feebas considered eating the Oran Berry hanging as a bait.
"Hmm… what kind of idiot will take this bait?" Feebas talked to herself. Suddenly, Oddish took the bait. Darmanitan was shocked. Both him and Feebas face-palmed.
"Can I take a picture of you? I will use it temporary. If you don't feel comfortable, you don't need to." Darmanitan politely asked. He looked a bit uncomfortable staying underwater. Feebas nodded and agreed to take a picture.
Bisharp noticed some movements. He instantly reeled up the fishing pole. Oddish splashed up to the dock.
"What are you doing? You are not a water type!" Bisharp questioned.
"The Oran Berry looks tasty." Oddish said simply. Bisharp face-palmed himself.
Confessional
Bisharp: "I wonder about her IQ. It must be very abysmal. Alternatively, she is doing it to annoy me."
Oddish: "I wasted his time. Is that dumb or is that smart?"
Dedenne swam around aimlessly until she saw a Swanna, resting on the surface of the sea. She immediately rushed toward it. Miltank saw this and swam quickly to it as well. The cow eventually surpassed the little mouse.
"Hey, I saw her first. This isn't fair." Dedenne whined.
"Life isn't fair." Miltank said as she splashed some water toward Dedenne. This gave her an opportunity to take a picture with the Swanna.
"Swanna, I will take a picture of you!" Miltank requested demandingly. Swanna didn't seem pleased.
"You are rude. I don't let hooligans like you take my picture." Swanna rejected.
"What? You have no choice!" Miltank tried to take a picture by force but Swanna just flew away.
"Screw it!" Miltank ignored Swanna and left. Swanna noticed this and flew back to Dedenne.
"You, you on the other hand are alright. You can take my picture." Swanna allowed.
"Really? There is fairness in the world after all." Dedenne regained her faith in the world.
Confessional
Miltank: "Stupid Swanna. What's wrong? I'm just trying to take a picture. First come, first serve. This is how the world works."
Dedenne: "Miltank can be very rude sometimes. No wonder why Heracross and her get along so well. They are not even on the same team."
Grovyle dived underwater to see a male Clamperl. He hid in his shell immediately.
"Clamperl, can I take a picture?" Grovyle asked.
"No." Clamperl disallowed simply.
"Come on, I need to win a challenge." Grovyle begged.
"My parents don't want me to interact with strangers." Clamperl explained. Grovyle sighed and resurfaced. He saw Bisharp using an Oran Berry as a bait. This gave him an idea.
"Bisharp, give me one." Grovyle said as Bisharp threw one at him.
"Thanks." Grovyle thanked Bisharp before diving down again.
"Little Clamperl, Good Guy Grovyle is here. I got a free snack for you. Don't worry, I will just place it down and leave." Grovyle placed the Oran Berry in front of Clamperl and left.
After a while, Clamperl opened his shell and ate the berry. Grovyle secretly took a picture from far away.
Confessional
Grovyle: "Sometimes, you got to use tricks like this to get ahead in the game. I mean I did give him an Oran Berry right? I could trick Clamperl to think that I have an Oran Berry and take a picture that way but I'm a better person than that."
Bisharp noticed the four non-swimmers moving around like fools in the shallow sea. He frowned at this.
"Hey, go and grab a fishing pole and start doing something." Bisharp ordered.
"Where is it?" Tyrunt asked.
"In a secret room behind the mountain area." Bisharp explained vaguely.
"Mountain area? Too far away, my poor legs won't make it." Tyrunt replied. Bisharp looked frustrated. Suddenly, something tugged his fishing rod fiercely. Bisharp immediately reeled it to see a Dragalge.
"Poison and dragon type. Ugh! How frustrating!" Bisharp complained, letting Dragalge escaped.
Confessional
Bisharp: "I swear that I perform better than this in a fishing tournament. Seriously!"
Skrelp swam around easily in the sea. She didn't need a diving mask. There was a Pokemon that caught her eye, it was a Clauncher.
"May I bother you for a few seconds to take a picture?" Skrelp asked politely. Clauncher turned around, observing Skrelp for a short moment.
"It is my pleasure to help a beautiful Pokemon like you." Clauncher said flirtatiously. Skrelp felt a bit uncomfortable. Nonetheless, she took a picture of him.
"See you again, attractive." Clauncher said as he left. Skrelp felt even more uncomfortable.
Confessional
Skrelp: "Typical lustful males. I'm not scared of him. However, if he truly sees me as attractive, I might be able to abuse this. Perhaps, I should learn Attract and make him my servant. He can cook and do all the housework like that scullion, Larvitar."
Shedinja floated around until he saw a Pelipper in the sky.
"Say cheese." Shedinja said unenthusiastically as he took a picture of a Pelliper. He looked very angry at this.
"Hey man! When did I tell you to take a picture of me? For your information, I don't like to eat cheese. I prefer cup noodles and meat. Yeah, I also hate cameramen. They are so annoying. Furthermore…" Pelipper kept ranting, without realizing that Shedinja was long gone.
"Hey, where are you going, man? I'm not done scolding you!" Pelipper talked to himself.
Shedinja met up with Cryogonal, who looked relieved.
"Why did you go off on your own? We are supposed to be a team." Cryogonal reminded.
"I got a picture." Shedinja showed.
"Yeah, but that isn't the point. We are supposed to be a team." Cryogonal complained.
"Not my problem." Shedinja drawled as he continued to take pictures.
Confessional
Cryogonal: "Sometimes, I just don't understand him. I get it that he did it for the challenge but can't he at least wait for me?"
Archeops flew around until she saw the ranting Pelipper. She took a picture of him and left.
"Hey! You…" Pelipper continued to ramble on about his nonsense.
Machoke saw a Magikarp and took a picture. He then realized that Lucario got a picture of Magikarp already. Machoke scratched his head.
Drifblim saw a pink Jellicent and asked for a picture with her next to the beautiful corals. Jellicent agreed.
Heracross forced a scared Magikarp to take a picture. On the other hand, Larvitar swam away from an angry group of Carvanha.
Elekid took a picture of a Dewgong juggling a few balls like a circus Pokemon.
Rhyhorn took a picture of a Barbaracle lifting a dumbbell.
Jumpluff floated around until she saw a horde of Wingull.
"Oh my gosh, my friends will be so jealous when I post this picture!" Jumpluff exclaimed as she pressed the button on the camera.
Houndour and Duosion took a picture of a scary looking Basculin. Meowstic (who was supposed to be with Miltank) played a few magic tricks to entertain a Buizel.
"It is a five of clubs." Meowstic predicted. Buizel revealed the card which was a five of clubs.
"A deal is a deal. I lost fair and square. I'm a man of my word. Therefore, I will take a picture with you." Buizel accepted his defeat. Scolipede (who was supposed to be with Machoke) saw what Meowstic did but he ignored it for the sake of the challenge.
Confessional
Scolipede: "I will let this slide, just once. Wait, did I really say that? This is unlike me..."
Meowstic: "I'm the great magician, Meowstic. I'm pretty sure that I will be very rich and famous. Everyone will be shocked with my tricks."
Archeops: "That Pelipper is weird. He kept talking to himself. It reminds me of Farfetch'd, who kept talking to his leek stalk. Speaking of Farfetch'd, I still wonder if it is the right move to get rid of him. He is a lot more useful in challenges than those four non-swimmers."
Ledyba and Meowth created a photography store. Meowth started to rally his customers.
"Dear customers, please come in and take a picture. Whether you take it by yourself or take it with your family, we don't mind. We provide high quality services for free! Here, we have our expert photographer, Ledyba. Please be reminded that you need another camera if you wish to keep your pictures." Meowth announced. Water Pokemon lined up to take pictures.
"Anything suits your preference? Backgrounds and props can be customized." Meowth asked a family of Remoraid and Octillery.
"We want a sky background and I want to hold a gem." Octillery told Meowth.
"We will proceed right away." Meowth signaled Ledyba to adjust the green screen. He then gave the Octillery a Water Gem. Meanwhile, he served leftover salads from the party to the impatient customers at the back of the queue.
"You are such a professional." Staryu complimented.
"Tasty salad." Vaporeon complimented as well. Overall, everyone was satisfied. Meowth and Ledyba took ten professional looking pictures in total.
"Thank you, Ms. Milotic for letting us borrow your equipment without any fees." Meowth thanked Milotic for the majority of their props. Apparently, she worked as a real photographer.
"It isn't a big deal. I like to see new business owners showing off their skills. I'm very impressed by how you two handled everything." Milotic praised.
"We are just amateurs, you overestimate us." Meowth stayed humble.
Confessional
Meowth: "Am I really an amateur? Hmm… I will let the viewers speculate for a while."
Ledyba: "Meowth is very talented. He performs exceptionally well in many challenges. I'm glad that he is in our team."
Bisharp ordered the four non-swimmers to grab the fishing pole with him.
"Remember, when there is even a slight movement, pull!" Bisharp reminded.
"We got it." Helioptile said, her face looked green.
"Are you really fine?" Snorunt asked with increasing anxiety. Helioptile looked gradually worse.
Surprisingly, something tugged on the fishing rod really hard. Bisharp and the others pulled with all their might. A gigantic Gyarados appeared.
"Hold it while I take a picture." Bisharp ordered as he was about to press the button. However, Helioptile vomited her lunch out. This shocked everyone, allowing the Gyarados to escape.
"Damn it!" Bisharp yelled with frustration.
Confessional
Tyrunt: "She vomited at me. That is disgusting. I don't know who to vote out now if we lose and we will probably lose."
Bisharp: "As a fisherman, my pride is damaged. I used to be better than this. My parents are probably going to kill me."
Snorunt: "She should have quitted the challenge before it gets worse."
Helioptile: "I'm so sorry for messing up." Helioptile vomited again.
"The challenge is over! Discuss about which pictures to show me and then bring them over." Skarmory announced the end of the challenge. Everyone gathered into their own team.
The Feckless Flygon had a great time showing off their pictures.
"I got several fabulous pictures." Aromatisse told her teammates.
"Check our products." Meowth addressed Lucario. The professional athlete came over to look.
"They are exceptional." Lucario commented as he showed everyone each of them.
"I like the props and backgrounds in particular." Aromatisse agreed.
"I believe that we should only use Aromatisse's and Meowth's pictures. Moreover, we will delete any pictures that look too similar between them. Any objections?" Lucario asked once everyone saw all the pictures. No one objected.
"Good, we should win again." Lucario said with a small smile on his face.
Confessional
Lucario: "This is the kind of team that I want to lead. A team of skilled members."
Aromatisse: "I delete all the ugly and similar pictures. My eyes are sharp when it comes to beautiful pictures."
Meowth: "I'm a valuable asset to the team, am I?"
The Crazy Crawdaunt got a headache as all the pictures were average at best.
"Maybe we should give Skarmory all of our pictures. Quantity is important as well." Archeops suggested.
"I recommend to take the duplicates out at the minimum. We don't want pictures that are too similar." Skrelp suggested.
"Any other ideas?" Archeops asked. No one said anything. "I will start deleting the duplicates then."
Confessional
Skrelp: "I predict another elimination. Logically, Larvitar will get the boot."
Larvitar: "I have a last resort." Larvitar laughed evilly.
Archeops: "Is it our team used to be strong or their team used to be weak? I looked through all the pictures and only a few are good."
Skarmory looked through all the pictures.
"I have some comments. I will talk about the Crazy Crawdaunt first. I feel like most of you just take a picture and that is it. You don't consider about the background or anything else. For example, a picture of a Clamperl. This picture is mediocre at best." Skarmory criticized. Grovyle looked worried.
"The Clamperl is very small in the picture. I don't think it is the center of attention. I feel like you take a picture of the underwater and Clamperl is just there as a cameo. Next, a picture of a Pelipper." Skarmory moved on. Archeops anticipated the critic.
"It is alright. There is an angry looking Pelipper and the sky. Not much else to say." Skarmory commented. Archeops actually expected worse.
"Moving on to the few gems you have. The first one is a picture of a female Jellicent. I like how the Jellicent is surrounded by corals. It gives her a feeling of majesty. Overall, I like it. The next gem is a Barbaracle lifting a dumbbell. I like his facial expression. He looks overconfident and stoic. It emphasizes his strength quite well. The last gem is a Dewgong juggling balls. It is funny and humorous. Overall, I give you ten points. One for the Pelipper and three for the three gems. The rest earn you zero." Skarmory gave the Crazy Crawdaunt their score. Drifblim, Elekid and Rhyhorn were satisfied with their performance.
"On the contrary, the Feckless Flygon pictures made me speechless. The props, the ever-changing backgrounds. All of these things blend in very well. For example, a Lucario surfing on a Sharpedo. Waves of water splashing, the perfect balance and the atmosphere. It makes both Sharpedo and Lucario the stars of the picture. Another great picture is one where Lucario grips a Magikarp. It conveys the tale of a Magikarp struggling in a grasp of an athlete very well. The next one is a family of Remoraid and Octillery in the sky. It gives me a sense of surrealism. In addition, it makes me wonder if that Water Gem has any special powers. With these three pictures alone, the Feckless Flygon already earn twelve points. There are no penalties. Therefore, the Feckless Flygon are the winners!" Skarmory announced the results. The Feckless Flygon cheered as they won twice in a row. The Crazy Crawdaunt looked down in defeat.
Confessional
Lucario: "Suck it, Crazy Crawdaunt. My team is the best. I will keep on winning every single challenge."
Dedenne: "I thought my picture of a Swanna is decent…"
Bisharp: "Helioptile, I'm voting for you no matter what. You made me look like a bad fisherman. Now, my parents are going to kill me."
Skrelp: "Adieu, scullion."
Helioptile: "I hope my team don't think of any silly ideas like voting for me. I mean Larvitar should get out already."
Archeops: "I consider between two options. It will either be Larvitar or Helioptile. Helioptile just performs horribly in this challenge. Larvitar is insufferable as always."
Larvitar sneaked into the Crawdaunt girls' cabin. He tiptoed to Snorunt's bed. He saw a diary. Larvitar didn't read it. Instead, he hid it under Helioptile's pillow. Larvitar then sneaked out. After he did, Drifblim appeared.
Confessional
Larvitar: "This is payback, *beep*!"
Drifblim: "I have two choices. Reveal everything and be a hero or I can let Larvitar keep on messing around for a little longer. Well, I must admit that I'm interested to see how the relationship between Nosepass and Larvitar will develop. Will Nosepass rebel against Larvitar?"
Snorunt and Helioptile entered their cabin.
"We should vote for Larvitar." Helioptile suggested. She looked a bit better after Chef Drapion gave her some medicine in the infirmary.
"Yeah, wait… where is my diary?" Snorunt panicked, scrambling around to find her diary.
"I don't know." Heliotile said, looking around to help her search.
Skrelp eventually entered the cabin. "Why are you two scrambling around? Lost something?" Skrelp asked.
"I lost my diary." Snorunt explained.
"Can't you organize things properly? It isn't my responsibility, but I will spare my precious time to help you imbeciles." Skrelp said coldly as she observed the room. She saw a lump under Helioptile's pillow.
"Why are you looking at my pillow like that?" Helioptile asked worriedly. Skrelp lifted the pillow up with her fins. Snorunt saw her diary under the pillow of her best friend.
"Did you s-steal it?" Snorunt had a look of disbelief.
"No! I'm framed." Helioptile defended.
"Where is your evidence?' Skrelp interrogated. Helioptile struggled to come up with anything.
"Caught red handed. Prepare for elimination." Skrelp said coldly as she left the cabin to spread the news.
Confessional
Helioptile: "I want to say that I'm with Snorunt the entire time but I did go to the infirmary without her. Everything points toward me as the criminal but I'm not."
Larvitar: "I'm the greatest villain ever. Seriously, I can manipulate everyone and get away with it. I'm the strongest, the smartest and the most attractive."
Skrelp: "Helioptile has a hidden evil side after all. Well, I can't have a threat like that near me. There can only be one threat in this island and that Pokemon is yours truly."
Archeops: "I heard everything from Skrelp. Helioptile, that is very mean of you."
Dedenne: "I don't believe it. I will still vote for Larvitar."
Tyrunt: "Helioptile is a genuinely nice person, Larvitar for me."
Jumpluff: "Someone must be behind this. I bet that it is Skrelp. She framed Helioptile!"
Snorunt: "I thought we were best friends… Is everything a lie?"
Elekid: "I don't think she did it. Even if she did it, I will eliminate Larvitar first."
Grovyle: "Bisharp wants me to vote for Helioptile. I vote with him because I certainly care about my strategist as the good guy around here. Bye, bye Helioptile, the Dairy Thief. Good Guy Grovyle got'cha."
Heracross: "Wow, that little kid got some guts. I give her my respect."
Rhyhorn: "…Hahaha…" Rhyhorn couldn't control his laughter. It wasn't a laughter of joy, it was a laughter of hatred and agony. His eyes looked demented. "You remind me of that Pokemon, Helioptile. Everyone that remind me of that Pokemon shall…" Rhyhorn left the confessional before he finished.
"Welcome back to the bonfire ceremony. I'm pretty sure all of you know how it works by now." Skarmory said lazily before he sipped his bitter green tea. Drifblim shook her head at this.
"Drifblim, Rhyhorn and Elekid." Skarmory tossed the berries to the three with the highest scores.
"Archeops"
"Heracross"
"Grovyle"
"Dedenne"
"Jumpluff"
"Tyrunt"
"Skrelp"
"Snorunt"
"Nosepass" Bisharp looked worried.
…
…
"Bisharp" Bisharp sighed with relief.
"Larvitar, you are a bully and nobody likes that. However, you still did better than Helioptile at the challenge. That picture of you swimming away like a coward from a horde of Carvanha nearly earns you a point." Skarmory admitted. Larvitar reddened.
"Helioptile, you messed up. Other than your sickness, the Gyarados successfully escaped because of you. The eliminated contestant is…" Skarmory built up suspense.
…
…
…
…
…
…
"Helioptile" Helioptile got up from her seat and walked to the confessional. She turned around to look at Snorunt one last time. The ice type looked down on the ground.
Elimination Confessional
I will get to see the footage now. When that framer gets over to the Loser Island… Snorunt, I'm sorry. You probably hate me now. I should have gone to the infirmary at the start of the challenge. Perhaps, we can stay together for much longer that way. I will always cheer for you. I also like Tyrunt, Elekid, Jumpluff and Dedenne. They are my friends as well. I don't want Larvitar and the framer to win. I don't think they are the same person. Larvitar doesn't seem capable of doing something like that.
Helioptile boarded the Lapras. She didn't expect anyone to see her off, especially Snorunt. Unexpectedly, Snorunt appeared.
"Why are you here?" Helioptile asked, feeling shocked.
"I didn't vote for you. I trust you. I will find the real framer and I promise that we will get our revenge." Snorunt vowed, looking determined.
"Thank you so much for staying by my side." Helioptile sobbed a bit.
"No, you stayed by my side the entire time. No matter what others say about you, I know that you are truly a kind-hearted person." Snorunt sobbed a bit as well. The Lapras departed and the two waved to each other sorrowfully.
"What a tragedy. Oh well, this is Total Drama, duh. This should be common to the viewers by now. Will the contestants finally stop going to the infirmary? Will the framer get caught? Will Nosepass man up finally? What challenge do I have planned for the contestants? Who will be eliminated next? Find out next time on Total Skarmory Island!" Skarmory ended the episode.
Votes
Archeops: Helioptile
Helioptile: Larvitar
Skrelp: Helioptile
Snorunt: Larvitar
Bisharp: Helioptile
Jumpluff: Larvitar
Grovyle: Helioptile
Dedenne: Larvitar
Drifblim: Helioptile
Tyrunt: Larvitar
Larvitar: Helioptile
Elekid: Larvitar
Rhyhorn: Helioptile
Heracross: Larvitar
Nosepass: Helioptile
Helioptile: 8 (eliminated)
Larvitar: 7
During the early stages of planning, I intended Snorunt to vote for Helioptile. However, I don't feel like that is realistic considering the bond between them. It is obvious that she is framed. Helioptile is a decent character but a very minor character nonetheless. Pretty much, she is one of the last few characters to be created. I didn't plan her intricately like some of the other characters. She is pretty much 'Snorunt's friend' at the very best. A filler character to be honest. She might return. Her odds don't look that favorable though.
The challenge is pretty basic. Although, I add a few twists to it. At first, I plan this challenge to do exploring the sea for treasures but I feel like that is boring. I change it to a photograph challenge instead. I will give you a hint about the next challenge. It involves sports. As always, I will release a chapter per week.