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Worma-Sir
About Meowstic's elimination… To be honest, I rushed it because I was very late. It could have been better but it was still acceptable in my opinion. I will try to take my time in the next chapter. This is why this chapter came out even later than usual. I will give you a hint about my country. Somewhere in Asia. Shedinja is the best written character? In a comedic sense, yes. All of his lines are humorous at times. Depends on the reader, really. Lucario and Darmanitan both compete in the Pokeathlon, remember? One is a casual, another is competitive. Well, I give it a nine because I take a decent amount of time to create that poem. It is kind of like rewarding myself.
WhiteDiamondNinja8484
Shedinja got a lot of fans. I'm surprised. I didn't expect that. Well, glad to see that you like Scolipede. He is somewhere between trust and distrust at the moment. He wants to trust but he needs to have a solid evidence.
Episode 10: Prison Sweet Prison
Skarmory held the ear of the mug with his right wing, tilting the mug slightly so he could sip the refreshing coffee inside. However, he accidentally spilled some of the coffee. Skarmory frowned at this.
"What a waste of good coffee. Chef Drapion, you better clean up this mess later." Skarmory ordered, a groaning sound could be heard behind the camera.
"Last time, the contestants splashed like a Magikarp in the Talent Show. No one got a single ten while a certain technician got two big fat zeros." Skarmory recapped.
"Technician? More like a blind buffoon with a baseball bat." Chef Drapion mocked.
"Agreeable. The others also performed mediocrely. I guess our twist really knocked them out of the park in the last challenge there." Skarmory used a baseball metaphor.
"Are you using some kind of baseball joke to mock me?" Chef Drapion questioned, glaring at Skarmory in the process.
"Three strikes and Chef Drapion was out. Man, the technician got a homerun in the last challenge." Skarmory continued. Chef Drapion looked even more frustrated.
"He wasn't even eliminated! How the hell did that *beep* god ugly buffoon still here? *beep* him and his *beep* bat…" Chef Drapion continued to rant angrily about Machoke to no end. He swore occasionally.
"Err…" Skarmory looked indecisive as Chef Drapion shook the camera in a fit of rage.
"The magician was eliminated. I think I should end the opening now. Stay tuned for this episode of Total Skarmory Island." Skarmory gave the camera a timid smile before Chef Drapion stopped recording.
Machoke slowly opened his eyes as the light of the new day shined upon his eyelids. He glanced around the room, only Darmanitan and Shedinja were there. Darmanitan was meditating while Shedinja slept rather peacefully.
With some difficulty, Machoke slowly moved his legs out of his bed, the bruises still hurt. Every tiny movement jolted him with an irritating pain. Eventually, he managed to place his legs on the ground. Pushing his body upward with his arms, he got out of bed.
"Ow." Machoke rubbed his sore body in discomfort. His skin was a bit purple due to a certain purple chef.
Darmanitan opened his eyes from meditation upon hearing the sound of Machoke's discomfort.
"Homie, are you hurt badly? Need an arm to the infirmary?" Darmanitan asked with concern.
"It's okay. My body will heal… eventually. I also doubt that the chef will welcome me in the infirmary." Machoke replied, looking at his injuries. "I'm more grateful toward the fact that the team kept me. Honestly, I don't think I deserve it." Machoke said, sounding upset. His voice lacked his usual energy and effort.
"Homie…" Darmanitan furrowed his eyebrows and positioned his right hand close to his chin, trying to come up with a consolation response.
"You don't need to console me. It's the truth. I'm useless. I don't know how I made it this far. I'm probably the next one to be eliminated." Machoke said, placing both of his hands on his face.
"That isn't true at all, homie. In Lucario's list of targeted contestants, you are above at least one person." Darmanitan told. Machoke raised his eyes at this.
"Who? How did you know that?" Machoke asked.
"Well. Lucario trusts me enough to let me see it. I don't want to name names, homie. Chill, if you make it to the merge. We can all target the other team." Darmanitan assured.
"Alright." Machoke sweated a bit. "Geez, it is getting hot in here." Machoke complained.
"Well, no air conditioner and the heat of the summer is blazing. I'm a fire type so, no big deal. You might want to go to the snow area or somewhere cold and chill.
"I will keep that in mind." Machoke noted. The fighting type staggered out of the room, moving his legs in a rather awkward fashion. He reached for the door and opened it. Darmanitan was on the edge of his bed, about to spring into action and help Machoke.
That was unnecessary as Machoke exited the room successfully, albeit accidentally hitting the back of his left foot when he closed the door.
"Ow." Machoke yelped.
Confessional
Darmanitan: "Machoke's our boy. I like the homie. However, he neglect himself sometimes. He doesn't want to accept help or be a burden because it makes him feel worse about himself. It is truly concerning for me."
Machoke: "What am I in this show? I'm nothing special. Not the strongest, not the most useful. I just want to find a proper place for myself in the team. How can I help in the challenge? How can I prove my worth? I don't want anyone to see me so vulnerable like this." His eyes seemed sorrowful.
Bisharp leaned his back on the left wall of the mess hall, he folded his arms as he spectated a chess match between Skrelp and Tyrunt. His gaze was focused on the game in an analytical manner, mostly observing Skrelp's movements.
Tyrunt ended his turn as he fled with his king. The fossil Pokemon rubbed his chin, trying to find a solution.
Skrelp moved instantly. Seemingly, she already planned ahead. It was checkmate as Tyrunt's king was trapped in a corner like a rat.
"Checkmate." Skrelp informed.
"Oh well, I still need more experience before I can compete in a city championship. Some of my moves weren't safe in this match." Tyrunt evaluated his performance.
"I grant you permission to ask for a rematch. I will always win, evident from my several victories in many prestigious chess tournaments." Skrelp bragged. Usually, she preferred to avoid any social contact with the other contestants. However, this time, her eyes changed. There was a pang of satisfaction in her eyes. The satisfaction of beating others.
Skrelp turned and looked at Bisharp, she had an overconfident smile on her face. "Want to play?" She asked simply. Tyrunt got out of his seat and left the mess hall.
After a moment of thought, "I'll pass." Bisharp refused the challenge. He quietly walked over to the door.
"Do you feel threatened? Obviously, you are here to analyze me, not to merely spectate. I must remind you that I do hold grudges especially when someone betrayed me." Skrelp referred to what happened in the past two episodes.
"Yes, but like any other prideful strategist, I will not go down easily." Bisharp replied before he left. Skrelp grinned to herself as the sound of the door closing could be heard.
"Regret, remorse and penitence. You will feel all of it soon enough." Skrelp spoke to herself.
Confessional
Tyrunt: "As a competitive gamer, I always strive for the top of the leaderboard. I want to be a professional gamer. Winning will make me a living. I need to play many different kinds of game so that I have a wide array of choices for my future."
Bisharp: "To be honest, I'm not exactly sure how to eliminate her. I'm not the most well-liked or popular around here. My social game is flawed. Maybe, Grovyle can help me. Hopefully…"
Skrelp: "I know his weakness, his hamartia."
Grovyle climbed up a tree to collect the Leaf Stone on the top before backflipping down to the ground.
"I need to win the auction. If anyone around here deserves to win it, it is definitely me. I'm the good guy around here, keeping the items away from the likes of Skrelp." Grovyle self-praised.
"Gah." Somesome sounded frustrated.
Grovyle maneuvered through the forest to see Dedenne struggling to climb a tree.
"Is this what they call deja…" Grovyle paused with his mouth open, trying to find the word in the depths of his memory.
"Déjà vu." Dedenne answered for him, smiling upon his arrival.
"Yeah, I was about to say it." Grovyle tried to look smart. "Need a Helping Hand?" Grovyle unintentionally made a pun.
Dedenne let out a short chuckle. "The Grovyle line can't learn Helping Hand." Dedenne informed.
"But I sure can." Grovyle jumped from branch to branch until he snagged a bag of Stardust on top of the tree. He then tossed it down to her.
"Of course, you are my hero. Everyone here is too competitive. All they care about is the prize money. Unlike them, you are willing to help others without an incentive for reward." Dedenne praised him, her face lightened when she talked about Grovyle. When it was about the others, she didn't look very content.
"Yeah. I'm the good guy. My mission is to weed out those villains. Thanks for your cheers and motivational words. I feel deeply appreciated." Grovyle said, feeling complacent about himself.
Confessional
Grovyle: "Being a hero is great. You get money, you get fans, you get everything. It makes me want to eliminate those villains even more. I feel immersed into my role as the protagonist of this show. I bet I have the most fans watching and supporting me out there. Thank you to all of my fans."
Machoke navigated through the forest. He pushed a branch out of his way, only for it to bounce back and hit his face.
"Ouch!" Machoke yelled. "Am I a pain magnet or something?" Machoke groaned at his misfortune.
Walking more warily this time, Machoke luckily traversed through the forest unharmed. Sometimes, he threw karate moves at suspicious looking trees and jumped across tiny thorny bushes. These movements aggravated his injuries a bit but Machoke gritted his teeth through it regardless.
In the end, Machoke sweated as he approached a clearing.
"I look ridiculous. Nobody put that much effort into travelling through a forest, right?" Machoke asked no one in particular.
"Hey Machoke, are you there?" Houndour heard him. As well as Meowth and Duosion. The Treasure Trio reunited once again.
"Yeah, I'm surprised to see you." Machoke replied, reaching the entrance to the Skarmory Cave.
"Scavenging for the auction as well?" Duosion asked.
"What auction?" Machoke scratched the back of his ear, seemingly oblivious.
"You forgot? My, my, my. An unprepared bidder's worst nightmare. Forgetting the date of the important auction." Meowth shook his head and criticized Machoke's forgetfulness.
"Yeah, I need my notes or else I'm just a pathetic fool that can't do anything." Machoke bashed himself. "Stupid, stupid me."
The others were a bit shocked at his actions. They didn't expect him to take this seriously or too far.
"Dude, it is just a friendly warning." Houndour clarified.
"I didn't mean to fire you or cut your pay. Please consider it as a wake-up call from the boss." Meowth assured.
"Still, I'm useless." Machoke sighed, looking down.
"Man, you aren't not that useless. I mean you look pretty strong." Houndour tried to uplift his spirits. Machoke still looked depressed. Duosion looked sympathetically at Machoke. Suddenly, she got an idea and whispered it to Houndour.
"Dude, believe in yourself. I bet you can tear this beast of a branch into pieces." Houndour showed Machoke a solid, sturdy looking branch. The fighting type looked up and grabbed it.
With a determined grunt and the support of his left knee, Machoke tried to break it apart. Basically, he pushed the branch against his knee, trying his best to accomplish the task. Suddenly, it broke apart into two pieces.
"I…" Machoke paused for a moment, letting the feeling sink in. "…did it. I did it!" Machoke jumped in joy.
"A skilled workforce indeed. A raise in salary for you." Meowth praised.
"See? I told you. You can do anything if you try hard enough. Great job, man." Houndour congratulated.
"I will go back and share this news!" Machoke left the clearing excitedly.
"Don't tell him I used Psychic to break it." Duosion reminded Houndour.
"Hopefully, he doesn't know." Houndour didn't exactly feel comfortable with this.
The Treasure Trio entered the cave once again. At the same time, Machoke returned to the clearing with his head down once again.
Confessional
Machoke: "I returned to check the size of the branch for good measure. I didn't expect to hear the truth…" Machoke observed his non-existent masculinity. His body was still bruised even though it looked noticeably better. His arms and legs were unusually thin. Yet, signs of muscles growing could be seen. His eyes were a bit deep like a tunnel.
Nosepass slowly stepped toward the Skarmory Cave. Rhyhorn was behind him, giving him company. The coward accidentally stepped on a branch, scaring himself.
"Eek! A monster broke this poor branch." Nosepass screamed. Rhyhorn moved past Nosepass to observe the branch.
"The cut was precise. It must be a psychic-based move." Rhyhorn concluded.
"Psychic? A psychopathic killer?" Nosepass panicked.
"Unlikely, probably Duosion. She is the only psychic type around here." Rhyhorn explained.
"Why would she do something like this and left it on the ground? How irresponsible." Nosepass scolded.
"…" Rhyhorn remained silent. He stared at the branch.
"We should go inside now." Rhyhorn suggested after an awkward moment of silence. Nosepass gulped as he nervously entered the cave.
Confessional
Nosepass: "Without Rhyhorn, I would freak out. He seems so strong. It makes me feel well-protected. He doesn't say much but that doesn't matter. Silent but friendly is better than loud-mouth and hostile."
Jumpluff whistled a tune to herself whimsically as she carelessly floated around the island, letting the wind carry her wherever it wanted.
There was something that sparked her interest though, Ledyba, Cryogonal and Aromatisse were having a friendly conversation inside the Feckless Flygon girls' cabin. She eavesdropped their conversation behind the cabin, pushing her left ear against the wall.
"You and Scolipede looked cute together." Cryogonal commented.
"You are taking it too far." Ledyba said, sounding embarrassed.
A snickered can be heard from Aromatisse.
"What about you, Aromatisse? Do you like anyone here?" Ledyba redirected the attention.
"The boys around here aren't handsome enough for my taste." Aromatisse answered confidently.
"What are you doing here?" Someone asked. Jumpluff looked confused, this voice sounded different than the three girls.
"Jumpluff, what are you doing here?" The voice addressed her directly. Jumpluff looked shocked as she turned around slowly to see… Scolipede.
"I-I can explain. I'm just curious." Jumpluff tried to defend herself but Scolipede didn't buy it at all. He looked very skeptical.
"Rather, I think you are a spy for the other team." Scolipede said, keeping his voice quiet so the three girls wouldn't hear.
"Holy moly, I'm not a mole for the other team. You can trust me." Jumpluff tried to reinforce her case.
"Trust is a volatile thing, Jumpluff. I can't trust you through meaningless words. Perhaps, I should report your intrusion to Lucario. I'm pretty sure that he isn't in a good mood right now." Scolipede threatened.
"Please, I beg you. Don't tell anyone, especially Lucario." Jumpluff begged, shaking her hands. The mention of Lucario sent a chill down her back.
"I will spare you once. However, if there is a repeated offense... Lucario will have a friendly talk with you." Scolipede emphasized the word 'friendly'. Jumpluff gulped as she quietly and quickly floated away.
After, she was gone, Scolipede was about to leave until…
"What are you doing behind our cabin, Scolipede?" Ledyba asked, placing her arms on her hips. It was his turn to defend himself.
"Someone suspicious was here. I just come here to check." Scolipede explained, his eyes were filled with worry.
"Alright, I trust you but you should leave before the others see you." Ledyba ended it like that. No further questioning. Scolipede's eyes widened a bit. He never expected it to be this easy. He quickly crawled away from the cabin.
Confessional
Scolipede: "That's it? She trusts me so easily. Seems a bit unwise to me. I guess it is just her personality. Anyways, I don't trust Jumpluff. I will keep my eyes on her."
Jumpluff: "I just want to socialize with the girls on the other team a bit. I feel like they would welcome me more than the girls on my team. However, if I do that, my team might use that as a reason to vote me out, especially Skrelp. Sometimes, I feel like Skrelp is observing me with her cold, icy glare. Therefore, I resorted to eavesdropping and that… made things worse. Now, I look like a stalking swine in front of everyone. I hate it. I… don't know what to do anymore." Jumpluff looked depressed.
Meanwhile in the mountain area…
Lucario threw an Aura Sphere at a rock, obliterating it completely.
"I *beep* lost again! My team isn't good enough. We need to improve." Lucario threw another Aura Sphere at a random rock. The explosion sound was deafening as pieces of rock flew out of the giant black cloud of smoke.
Unexpectedly, someone coughed behind a rock. It wasn't one of the contestant. It was…
"Ursaring, get out of my sight!" Lucario demanded, he wasn't fazed by the intern at all. The professional athlete just pointed to the stairs, signaling him to leave.
"Leave? You don't care about the advantage? Are you *beep* serious?" Ursaring's jaw dropped. He couldn't comprehend the reason behind this action.
"I don't need the advantage to split my team apart. If I will take the advantage, I will take it with my team. In the next few days, my entire team will hunt you down. Leave now before I make you leave." Lucario threatened. Ursaring fled with the statue in his left hand.
Confessional
Lucario: "This is a team game. I can't keep the advantage for myself alone. It will make me an even bigger threat and spread paranoia in our team. Instead of eliminating our weakest link, the team will go for the big members. I can't allow that. The reason why our team function better than the other team is because we are all in agreement about each and every elimination. We are always in a mutual agreement. That's why I need to eliminate rebels like Magikarp and Meowstic. They schemed to eliminate someone for their selfish gain. For one, I know that Magikarp voted for me."
Ursaring: He trembled a bit as he rubbed his shoulders. "Boss, I need a jetpack, a bazooka, a mind controlling machine, a sleeping dart…" The list continued for a very long time.
Miltank and Heracross were relaxing in the beach area. Heracross threw a pebble into the sea for fun.
"Things aren't looking good in my team. I'm not sure if I'm going to make it." Heracross updated the situation.
"Why do you need to be scared? Just tell your team to get rid of the weak members. Tyrunt, Nosepass and Snorunt. Three easy eliminations." Miltank advised.
"My team is different than yours. There are a bunch of these alliances." Heracross explained.
"You got one as well. No big deal." Miltank pointed out.
"My alliance is crumbling like an upside-down triangle. I need the advantage at this point. I gotta find the damn bear and beat him into a pulp." Heracross said confidently.
"Good, beat that ugly bear up." Miltank agreed.
Confessional
Heracross: "Miltank has it pretty easy in the pre-merge. She probably already guarantees herself a spot. On the other hand, I gotta scramble. Life is so unfair. The poor get poorer and the rich get richer."
Snorunt fixed her eyes on her diary. Currently, she sat on a bench outside of her cabin. Grovyle passed by (holding tons of treasure in his arms), looking at her diary momentarily before he shrugged it off.
The ice type seemed surprised by his sudden presence. As a result, Snorunt accidentally dropped her diary. Immediately, Grovyle dropped his treasures and rushed over to pick it up for her.
"Here." Grovyle handed the diary to Snorunt. Until, he unintentionally saw his name on the page. Grovyle took the diary back by force and squinted his eyes to read.
"Don't read!" Snorunt shouted but it was too late.
"Grovyle isn't trustworthy? What? I-I feel hurt by this." Grovyle gave the diary back to her in disbelief before he left. Snorunt sighed, anxiety clear on her face.
Confessional
Grovyle: "How is this possible? I can't believe this…" Grovyle held his head, seemingly had a headache.
Snorunt: "Now I'm officially his enemy. What should I do?"
Drifblim saw Snorunt covering her face with her book and floated over to check up on her.
"What happened? Is this how you normally read?" Drifblim asked.
"Drifblim, will you vote for Grovyle or Skrelp?" Snorunt asked, the book still covering her face. Drifblim was taken back by this question.
"I advise you to not ask for others' vote directly, especially when you are being specific. It is a poor strategic and social move. For example, I can tell either Skrelp or Grovyle and you will be in the hot seat." Drifblim warned.
"I just want to get rid of them now." Snorunt said, sounding impatient.
"What's the hurry? Surely, you can wait." Drifblim asked further.
"I- It's nothing." Snorunt hesitated. Drifblim stared at her doubtfully.
Confessional
Drifblim: "She is clearly keeping something from me. It is an interesting proposal, getting rid of either Skrelp or Grovyle. However, I'm in Skrelp's alliance and Grovyle has many friends that will get revenge for him. In addition, both of them can potentially return when the merge hits. Very risky but a big move nonetheless. I'm a fan of big moves but I'm not impetuous or easy to be convinced."
Rhyhorn carried Nosepass on his back. The latter shook every time a droplet of water fell from the ceiling.
"I'm about to wet myself. Can I leave and go to the restroom?" Nosepass asked for permission.
"Quickly." Rhyhorn permitted. Nosepass got down from his back and fled the cave with a bright smile on his face.
Rhyhorn waited and waited. It was already about an hour and the auction was about to start. Still, there were no signs that Nosepass will return.
Confessional
Rhyhorn: "He isn't coming back."
Nosepass: "I… I'm sorry, Rhyhorn."
Nosepass nervously stood outside of the cave. He looked at himself with shame.
"It isn't too late to return, right?" Nosepass mumbled to himself.
The Treasure Trio exited the cave with tons of treasure. They all stared at Nosepass, surprised that he was here.
"What are you doing, Nosepass? Need help?" Houndour asked with concern.
"I… ditched Rhyhorn in there, all alone by himself. I don't know what to do." Nosepass confessed.
"How disgraceful, leaving work early and throwing all the burden to someone else. No bonus for you this month." Meowth scolded.
Nosepass' eyes were a bit teary. Houndour patted his back.
"Meowth, I believe your words are too harsh. Nosepass is sensitive." Duosion indicated.
"No, he's right." Nosepass spoke up and interrupted them. "I need to go back in there. We were supposed to be hunting for treasure together. I will go." Nosepass resolved. With all of the little courage he had, Nosepass ran into the cave recklessly.
"Rhyhorn, I'm here!" Nosepass screamed, half of it due to fear from the darkness of the cave.
Confessional
Rhyhorn: "Not bad." Rhyhorn said simply and vaguely.
Nosepass: "I hope that I'm slowly improving at the very least. Maybe this will just be a one-time thing like the Larvitar incident."
Meowth approached Lucario before the auction. They counted their Skarmory tokens.
"One hundred and six." Lucario tallied the amount. Meowth looked deep in thought.
"Is this not enough?" Lucario asked.
"No, I have an idea." Meowth smirked mischeivously.
Confessional
Meowth: "I'm an expert when it comes to auctions. Here are tips for all of the business enthusiasts out there. Ultimately, the auctioneer controls the auction. He or she has the right to manipulate many things behind the scene. Therefore, a good relationship with the auctioneer is vital for the success of the bidder. The auctioneer decides the starting price. Usually, the price will be lower than the actual price of the item. However, this can also work in reverse, the starting place will start off very high at first to lure in foolish bidders to waste their money. Another power of the auctioneer is to bring down the hammer a bit early or late sometimes. Lastly, the scariest trick is installing a shill among the bidders that works to raise the price up."
Meowth approached Skarmory secretly minutes before the auction. The host stared at him with interest.
"I want to be in good terms with you. I believe the reason why you create the auction is to get rid of our Skarmory tokens. Lately, no one eats the chef's food. Correct?" Meowth presented his analysis.
"Indeed, you hit the nail in the head." Skarmory seemed impressed.
"I will help you by raising the price up and I will do absurd jump bids to speed up the auction so that you will have more screen time for the challenge. In return, please bring down the hammer early for me." Meowth offered a deal.
"Deal." Skarmory accepted.
Meowth walked away normally, acting as if nothing happened. Skarmory flew to the middle of the clearing and used his megaphone to make his announcement.
"Contestants, the auction will now start! Please gather near my superb Skarmory Shop!"
Confessional
Grovyle: "I either got fifty-two or fifty-three Skarmory tokens; I lost count. I wonder what will happen if I accidentally overbid. Can I return the item and ask for a refund? Pretty sure I can. I'm Good Guy Grovyle after all."
Heracross: "If I get something, I'm happy. You can't have this kind of mentality in the auction or else you will overspend. Trust me, I saw some examples around the streets."
Duosion: "I want to buy something for Houndour as a little gift for all the things he done for me."
Machoke: "I should just step out of this auction. It isn't my place."
Nearly everyone attended the auction. They were all eager to spend their tokens and get some items. Except for Shedinja and Machoke. Shedinja slept like a Snorlax while Machoke left to the gym area to prepare himself for the challenge.
"Where's Machoke?" Darmanitan asked Lucario.
"I don't know the reason behind his absence but he better competes in the challenge." Lucario replied.
"I will see if I can find the homie." Darmanitan bid his leave.
"Contestants, I'm your auctioneer, Skarmory. I will now start the auction. Chef Drapion, can you please hold the hammer?" Skarmory ordered. Chef Drapion grumbled to himself.
"Lazy as always, am I right Chef Drapion?" Drifblim assumed. Chef Drapion widened his eyes while Skarmory frowned.
"Will there be any make-up kits or perfume?" Aromatisse interrupted, earning looks from the three of them.
"No." Skarmory answered simply. Aromatisse looked disappointed as she left.
"What about food?" Tyrunt asked, salivating a little.
"Yes, bib boy." Skarmory annoyed Tyrunt.
"I wear this bib because I'm a messy eater not a gluttonous one." Tyrunt defended himself.
"It is counterproductive to point out another flaw, Tyrunt. Now, everyone assumes that you are both messy and gluttonous." Skrelp criticized, frustrating Tyrunt.
"No more questions. I want to move on. First item is a sweet, sweet pillow." Skarmory announced the first item as Chef Drapion placed an ordinary pillow on the stall.
The contestants all seemed uninterested. They already got pillows in their cabins.
"I will start with one token." Skarmory started things off.
"Two." Grovyle bid for fun, throwing two tokens into the air from his bag.
"Three." Meowth outbid him. Grovyle gave him an intense stare. Things were about to heat up. Skrelp shook her head in disapproval.
"Four." Grovyle doubled the amount. Bisharp looked as if he wanted to pull Grovyle out of the bidding.
"Five." Meowth raised the price higher.
"Eight!" Grovyle shouted. Meowth stopped bidding.
"One, two, three, deal." Skarmory gave the item to Grovyle as Chef Drapion slammed the hammer down.
Grovyle smiled with satisfaction while the other contestants gave him mocking looks.
Confessional
Meowth: "Grovyle is the second biggest bidder other than me and Lucario. Therefore, I need to lure some greens out of his pocket."
Grovyle: "It is cheap and comfy. Eight tokens for a pillow isn't bad."
"The next item will be a tasty berry juice. Two tokens, start!" Skarmory placed the next item down. Many still looked uninterested. Although, a few like Tyrunt fiddled with their tokens.
"Three." Grovyle flaunted his tokens.
"Five." Meowth competed with him again.
"Seven." Grovyle bid even more.
"Grovyle, remember the third day on this island?" Bisharp tried to interrupt him.
"Ten." Grovyle didn't seem to hear what Bisharp was trying to say. Meowth glanced sideways to Lucario (who was beside him), the professional athlete gave him an eye contact and nodded.
Confessional
Meowth: "Let me make things clear for the viewers. Most of my tokens are in fact Lucario's. While I may be somewhat competent at finding these tokens, Lucario is a true treasure tracking beast. Therefore, I need his permission."
"Fifteen!" Meowth made a great leaping bid. Grovyle didn't want to lose. He breathed in deeply.
"One..." Skarmory was about to end the deal until Meowth gave him a slight wave.
Skarmory took a very long time to say "Two" The other contestants were confused as they complained among themselves.
"Twenty!" Grovyle wasted his money. The other Crazy Crawdaunt members facepalmed.
Confessional
Grovyle: "My fans will know that I'm not an idiot. I just want to look like one of those cool, rich kids in the movies. You know? Just want to show all of them that I'm rich."
Lucario: "I'm waiting for a special item." Lucario emphasized.
Bisharp: "Maybe I should teach him business basics."
Skrelp: "Grovyle is an utter complete moron."
There was a box on the stall. Skarmory grabbed something inside with his wings but he didn't show it yet.
"In the dark, scary night filled with creepy creatures…" Skarmory introduced this item differently. Nosepass seemed spooked by the story.
"…there is a beacon of hope called a flashlight, which costs three Skarmory tokens." In the end, it was another random junk, or was it?
"Five, I need that to go to the restrooms at the night." Nosepass bid. A few of the others started to get their tokens out, debating whether or not to buy the flashlight.
Skarmory stared at Meowth, giving him a signal to speed up the process.
"Fifteen!" Meowth bid. The other contestants were too scared to compete against Meowth, they all knew what will happen. Grovyle hesitated as well, giving Meowth the item.
The fourth item was a plate of sushi. Tyrunt wanted it really badly. However, Meowth quickly bid another fifteen tokens and won in the end. Scolipede glared at Meowth, Lucario and Skarmory respectively.
Confessional
Scolipede: "There is something wrong with this auction."
Houndour: "I didn't know that Meowth is this competitive in an auction."
Chef Drapion lifted up a purple box with a question mark design, capturing the interest of many. The box was a bit crumbled up, the item made no sound. Was it very light?
"A mysterious prize. Might be something good or bad… or both." Skarmory created suspense. "Starting at five tokens." Skarmory informed. Immediately, many hands were raised. Skarmory had a sly smile on his face.
"Ten!" Grovyle bid.
"Eleven." Heracross outbid him.
"Twelve and a rare trading card. A fair deal?" Tyrunt sweetened his bid. Skarmory rolled his eyes, before swiftly giving Meowth the eye contact. Lucario reciprocated this as well.
"Twenty!" Meowth made a great jump bid.
"One, two, three, sold!" Skarmory quickly accepted it.
"You could leave some items for the rest of us, greedy businessman." Dedenne scolded. The other bidders nodded in agreement. Meowth cringed a bit at their reactions. Lucario stepped up for him.
"If he wants to bid, then he rightfully can! The only reason he wrecked all of you in this auction is because all of you lazy bums never search for Skarmory tokens seriously!" Lucario shouted, mostly at the other team.
"Lazy bums?!" Grovyle raised his voice.
"Hey, I do hustle." Heracross defended herself.
"Gosh, what a way to be a jerk." Jumpluff talked back to Lucario as well, although she looked a bit scared of him.
"Sure, coming from the competitive athlete, I'm surprised that you didn't bid at all." Drifblim retorted.
"I'm actually a bit lazy honestly." Tyrunt admitted, making his teammates all stared at him disapprovingly.
"Frankly, I'm just telling the truth." Tyrunt was being blunt.
"Enough! Meowth, come here and accept your prize!" Skarmory shouted through his megaphone.
Meowth walked over and collected the box from the chef. Meowth opened it and emptied the contents to find... a card with the words: "Jokes on you. You wasted Skarmory tokens! How does it feel? From Skarmory."
Meowth chuckled a bit, before giving Skarmory a mean look. The host returned a sheepish grin.
"Can I see?" Lucario read the card and his expression was roughly the same as Meowth.
"It is called a mystery for a reason." Skarmory stated.
"Serves you right." Dedenne said proudly. Meowth frowned.
Confessional
Meowth: "Deceiving me with fraudulent goods? Unacceptable. I hope Skarmory understands that the most powerful bidder can dictate the success of the auction." Meowth's expression darkened.
Dedenne: "Most businessmen are such jerks. They only care about the profit, not the customer."
Houndour: "I bet that if Darmanitan is here, he will say something along the lines of… Homie, chill out. You win some, you lose some. Honestly, having Darmanitan here might actually lighten up the mood a bit. The atmostphere is a bit uncomfortable as of right now."
Tyrunt: "The random number generator gods or RNGods aren't on their side. Err… actually I don't think that makes much sense in an auction where the prize is already predetermined." Tyrunt facepalmed.
Drifblim: "Nine times out of ten, don't risk something for a 'mystery'. Basic rule of reality shows."
Lucario: "An hour worth of work down the drain. I should have known better to not gamble. Gah!" Lucario banged the confessional room.
"You gambled and lost. No big deal." Skarmory tried to calm down the two. Meowth breathed in deeply. Lucario punched a tree.
"Perhaps, that wasn't my smartest investment. However, I warn you that I will return the favor." Meowth said darkly. Skarmory looked a bit uncomfortable.
"For the penultimate item, we have a cool silver bracelet." Skarmory placed the item on the stall. Duosion looked at it with interest. "Twenty tokens, a fair deal?" Skarmory asked shamelessly.
"Lame." Grovyle gave it a thumb down.
"What a rip-off." Dedenne complained.
"Too expensive, sorry." Ledyba turned down the deal.
Skarmory looked a bit worried, he turned to Meowth. The cat didn't seem to have any interest. Instead, he smirked.
"It looks pretty cool. Too bad, I don't have enough." Houndour sighed in disappointment.
"I don't have enough either." Duosion revealed. "Maybe, we can buy it-" Before Duosion was about to finish suggesting her idea, Meowth held her back.
"Skarmory is getting desperate. Wait for a price drop." Meowth advised. Duosion had a look of uncertainty. However, it soon disappeared.
"How about ten instead?" Skarmory halved the price.
"Nine." Duosion bid after Meowth whispered something to her.
"Are you serious?" Skarmory said, feeling frustrated.
"No more, no less." Duosion kept her bid the same.
"Fine, nine. Sold." Skarmory said unwillingly as Chef Drapion slammed the hammer down.
Duosion used Psychic to get the bracelet and handed it to Houndour. He hesitated to take it at first until Duosion gave him a reassuring gaze.
"Thanks, I will deeply treasure it." Houndour thanked her gratefully, smiling at the same time.
"I'm glad to be able to offer you a little gift." Duosion was happy upon seeing his reaction. "Try to wear it." Duosion was excited to see him wearing her gift. Houndour inserted the bracelet into one of his paw and tried to move it around comfortably.
"Aww, they are such a cute couple." Ledyba told Cryogonal.
"I second that." Cryogonal agreed.
Skarmory coughed a few times to get the attentions of the campers back. "For the final item, it is an advantage in today's challenge." Skarmory didn't show anything. The advantage must be intangible.
A fire immediately lit up in Lucario's eyes. He raised his entire paw, showing three fingers to Meowth.
"Starting at-" Skarmory was interrupted.
"Thirty tokens!" Meowth guaranteed the prize for his team. Grovyle opened his mouth but said nothing after he noticed his bag of tokens getting smaller.
"Sold out!" Skarmory exclaimed. Lucario carried the bag over to Skarmory. The host smiled upon seeing the tremendous number of tokens overflowing.
"This is more like it. Finally, you stop giving me that cold treatment." Skarmory approved, feeling relieved.
"Just tell me the advantage already." Lucario responded impatiently. The Crazy Crawdaunt members weren't thrilled to hear about their advantage in the slightest. Rather, they dreaded it. The Feckless Flygon showed a complete opposite reaction.
"Gather all the contestants over here first." Skarmory instructed.
Confessional
Grovyle: "Maybe if I spend a little less, I will have enough. In the end, I got this pillow and a cup of berry juice for twenty-eight tokens. I feel like a winner today. After all, I look like a real man in the auction out there. My friends will be proud."
Skrelp: "May god bless the dim-witted imbecile that cost us the advantage with a slightly bigger cranium and more grey matter."
Machoke: "What did I miss? Is it something important? Well, I will know sooner or later."
Machoke and the others that didn't attend the auction eventually gathered around Skarmory.
"The challenge will be very unique. I guarantee it." Skarmory promised.
"Do you mean unique in a horrible way?" Drifblim mocked cheekily.
"Haha… Very funny." Skarmory laughed sarcastically. "Anyways, each team will either play the role of prisoners or guards." Skarmory revealed.
"A good guy like me should be the guard." Grovyle stated his opinion. Some like Dedenne agreed, some like Scolipede disagreed and others like Skrelp thought that he was being pompous.
"Feckless Flygon, your advantage is the ability to choose your role. I will explain the details of the challenge later. What will it be then? Honorable guards or sneaky prisoners?" Skarmory asked.
The Feckless Flygon discussed with each other in secret. They returned to Skarmory to give him an answer.
"We rather be guards." Lucario told.
"No!" Grovyle screamed deafeningly to the dismay of many.
Confessional
Lucario: "Serves the other team right."
Dedenne: "While Grovyle is a great guy and all, I do have some concerns."
Grovyle: "I don't deserve any of this!"
Machoke: "Hopefully, I can be a great guard. I still got a few techniques left to show."
Skrelp: "It seems that we are being incarcerated. The success of this challenge seemingly depends on how well we can immerse into our role."
Skarmory led the contestants through the haunted area to the prison. Along the way, Nosepass hid behind Rhyhorn, avoiding all the spooky props.
They were very close to their destination as all of them could see the giant steel, gray wall surrounding a building. However, before they reached the prison, Skarmory made a rather weird request.
"Crazy Crawdaunt, please move over to the red square." Skarmory said, pointing to the square in front of the entrance to the prison. They all wondered about the reason behind this but obeyed nonetheless.
"Good night." Skarmory separated with them. Suddenly, a purple gas was released underneath them. The Crazy Crawdaunt members fell asleep instantly. They were then teleported somewhere.
Skarmory returned his attention to the Feckless Flygon. They were surprised as well, but they didn't complain.
"We can't show them too much of the prison, can we? It will be advantageous for all of you this way. Their objective is to escape the prison before the night falls. Let me give you a nice tour then." Skarmory started to guide them through the prison.
Confessional
Bisharp: "The smell was revolting, even though I'm a steel type. It makes your mind blank out for a moment and then put you to sleep."
Heracross: "Looks like I'm in prison now, better than a Raticate hole at least."
Nosepass: "I'm scared of surprises like this. It isn't Nosepass friendly at all."
Drifblim: "To be honest, I was caught off guard a bit there."
Scolipede: "I will be more careful of Skarmory's tricks from now on. Luckily, I'm in the other team."
Skarmory pushed the door of the prison open. The Feckless Flygon members glanced around the first room, gaping their mouth in awe.
They never expected to see couches, a refrigerator filled with food and drinks, a jacuzzi tub, air conditioners, board games and a table with walkie talkies, golden keys and police hats. There were three doors in the room. One to the left, right and middle.
"Why did you install a jacuzzi tub?" Duosion asked, looking strangely at the tub.
"Who cares? I'm going to have a spa day." Aromatisse replied, despite Duosion addressing Skarmory.
"Because, I'm nice and I want all of you to feel refreshed after keeping those pesky prisoners in prison." Skarmory answered.
"I'm more interested about the items on the table. Can you explain?" Lucario asked, ignoring the tub.
"Obviously, let me get to the point. All of you will wear the hats because it is in the staff uniform procedures, created by yours truly. The keys can be used to open any room. Don't lose it to those stinking prisoners. Most importantly, the walkie talkies. Your main tool of communication. However, there is a twist. It is a one-way walkie talkie." Skarmory explained.
"One-way? What an oversight in the production department." Meowth criticized. Skarmory nodded at this.
"Indeed, blame the production department. Not my fault that only the warden can use it to communicate with the others. The warden is pretty much your leader. He or she will be the last line of defence in this prison as well." Skarmory explained further.
"I will gladly be the warden." Lucario volunteered. His team didn't seem to have any objections.
"I have a special uniform for you but let me clarify a few more things first. The flashlight item from the auction can be used in this challenge." Skarmory allowed. Meowth looked a bit delighted.
"The item worth more than I initially thought. It might be a worthwhile investment." Meowth said contently.
"Next, only five members can leave this place, called the staff area, at the same time. See that door at the end of the room? That marks the end of the staff area. The door to the left connects to a prison confessional and to the right, we have a security camera room. I think the purpose of the confessional and security cameras are obvious enough. However, here is the thing, security cameras are powered by manual labor." Skarmory explained, observing the contestants' reactions. Aromatisse didn't seemed pleased when manual labor was mentioned.
"I think I have said enough. Let's pay a little visit to the prisoners and explain the rules to them." Skarmory moved on.
Confessional
Lucario: Lucario wore a police hat, a blue khaki suit with a golden star badge on the left side. In addition, a special walkie talkie was attached to his belt alongside a golden key. He held a baton stick on his right paw.
"I take my job seriously as the warden that protects the safety of the civilians from those convicted prisoners. If I fail, I will resign." Lucario put his job on the line.
Skarmory unlocked the door and led all of the Feckless Flygon members out of the staff area as a one-time special exception.
The first thing they saw were countless jail cells lining in neat rows, left and right. The Crazy Crawdaunt woke up by now. All of the jail cells were empty except for Grovyle's, there was a pillow inside.
"Hey, get me out of here! What is my crime?" Grovyle banged his jail cell.
"Shut up! Behave properly and I will reduce your sentence. If not…" Lucario yelled, looking irritated by the noise. Grovyle seemed intimidated, gulping a bit.
"Crazy Crawdaunt members, your objective is to all escape from this prison before the night falls. How? Figure it out yourselves. Although, I will tell you a few things. If the guards see you trying to escape or steal something, they have the right to put you into a solitary confinement room. You will also need to work in the meantime here." Skarmory explained. The Crazy Crawdaunt members groaned.
"Don't be lazy or else solitary confinement for you." Skarmory threatened. "Although, you have a chance to get a reward for working." The Crazy Crawdaunt lightened up as they heard this.
"Oh, another thing, Chef Drapion cooks the food around here. You are allowed to leave your jail cell at any time and go to the mess hall as well as your working station. The prison confessional and the restrooms too, of course. Everywhere else is off limits, the guards can put you in solitary confinement if you dare to trespass. I will be watching to make sure this challenge runs smoothly so no cheating." Skarmory said before he left. The Feckless Flygon returned to the staff area momentarily.
The challenge was about to begin for real.
Confessional
Tyrunt: "Work, seriously? I thought that you can be lazy in jail nowadays. Not cool, Skarmory."
Skrelp: "I will figure everything out by myself because I'm the most intelligent contestant."
Lucario rallied everyone before they got distracted by all the stuff in the staff room.
"We need to plan our shifts. Spread our members across many places so we cover a wide area. Understood?" Lucario addressed his entire team. They all nodded.
"As the warden, I need to stay here so I can communicate with the entire team as there are only five walkie talkies, excluding mine. Who wants to guard some prisoners?" Lucario asked, pacing around as he looked at each of his teammates.
"I will take care of the workplace and make sure none of them slack off. Just want to boss the other team around." Miltank stepped up.
"Homie, I will go out there and patrol around the off-limits area. I will make sure to throw the Crazy Crawdaunt into solitary confinement." Darmanitan volunteered as well.
"I prefer to stay here and monitor the cameras. I'm probably the most suitable for the job." Duosion said.
"Fair enough." Lucario allowed before eyeing specific members. "Machoke and Aromatisse, I believe it is for the best if both of you stay here and do nothing." Lucario tried to say it kindly.
"But I want to contribute. Any job is fine. Please, give me another chance." Machoke pleaded. On the other hand, Aromatisse shrugged. She was fine with it.
Lucario sighed. "Machoke, you can err…" Lucario stuttered. Machoke eagerly anticipated the answer.
"Maybe the homie can help me guard the off-limits area. I will keep him in check." Darmanitan suggested.
"I'm fine with that." Lucario replied. Machoke smiled a bit.
"Well, I can generate the power for the camera room. I'm fine with manual labor." Houndour told, hoping that he can be with Duosion.
"That's great." Lucario commented. "We still need more volunteers. Come on team!" Lucario encouraged.
"I will try my best to guard the mess hall." Ledyba finally volunteered.
"Fine." Shedinja drawled. Lucario looked at him, waiting for his clarification.
"A boring job for a boring Pokemon. I can guard the jail cells." Shedinja volunteered unenthusiastically, his voice flat and monotone.
"Alright, we can switch around later. For now, we better perform our duties! Remember to get the keys and the hats. Guards, move out!" Lucario ended.
Confessional
Machoke: "I got Darmanitan with me. Hopefully, everything will be alright." Machoke checked his injuries. "They are getting better…"
Houndour: "Well, I'm very close to Duosion lately. It does bring a lot of attention to us. Hopefully, that isn't necessary a bad thing."
Cryogonal: "I guess I will play Monopoly with Meowth to pass some time. I don't expect to win but maybe I will. It's all about luck and dice rolls."
The Feckless Flygon members swarmed around the table, collecting the necessary equipments. Hats for everyone. Walkie talkies and keys for the prisoner guards.
"Police hats are bottom tier in terms of fashion." Aromatisse complained.
Machoke adjusted his hat so that it fits his head properly. Houndour was next to him, doing the same. Machoke looked at the canine, smiling at first, but the smile soon disappeared as he averted his gaze from him.
Houndour patted his back. "Dude, go out there and show them what you are made of. I believe in you." Houndour's words of motivation reached Machoke's ears.
"Thank you for… many things." Machoke said gratefully, although a bit hesitant.
"No problem, man." Houndour didn't suspect a thing.
Afterwards, Machoke checked all of his equipment.
"Hat, walkie talkie and err…" Machoke tried to memorize.
"Homie, the key. It unlocks every room around here." Darmanitan reminded.
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot. My attention got caught up by something." Machoke told.
Confessional
Machoke: "I know that Houndour and the other two lied to make me feel better but it still hurts somewhere around here." Machoke moved his hand close to his heart.
Grovyle hugged his pillow as he rocked back and forth on the floor.
"Err… Are you okay?" Nosepass asked from the opposite jail cell. Grovyle said nothing.
"Alright." Nosepass sat and stared at the wall in boredom.
Heracross tried to break the iron bars with her fists. However, it released an electric shock after a while.
"Ouch." Heracross yelped, blowing her hand.
Skrelp observed her surroundings, there was nothing in her jail cell. Not even signs of a secret exit. The seahorse peeked outside of the jail cell to see Bisharp doing the same. The two saw that the door to the staff area was locked. Although, they didn't know that it leads to the exit due to the sleeping gas. They got no maps and Skarmory didn't guide them anywhere either. In addition, they noticed the other door that leads to the mess hall. There was no keyhole so it must be unlocked.
Suddenly, the five prison guards entered. Miltank strode in smugly at the front, twirling her keys. Darmanitan and Machoke followed soon after. The latter attached his key to his belt. Ledyba flew in slowly, while Shedinja floated in even slower at the back. Neither of their keys could be seen as well as Darmanitan's key. Many prisoners eyed the keys, plotting how to steal them.
"Prisoners, I'm your work station guard and you better listen to me. Or else, I will kick you into the solitary confinement room!" Miltank asserted her authority.
"Where's the solitary confinement?" Skrelp asked, trying to get some sort of information. Skarmory didn't show anyone the solitary confinement so Miltank didn't really know either.
"None of your business." Miltank didn't answer anyways. "Now, we will open the jail cells but behave or else I will let you taste my fists." Miltank threatened. Nosepass gulped as expected.
The five guards opened all the jail cells and everyone obediently followed Miltank to the mess hall, except for Grovyle. The gecko stayed in his jail cell.
"I will keep my eyes on him." Shedinja drawled.
"Alright, work hard, Shedinja." Ledyba motivated. Shedinja remained indifferent.
The others entered the mess hall while Shedinja and Grovyle engaged in a staring contest. Although, it was unintentional on Grovyle's part. He just didn't move his eyes, only blinking occasionally.
Both remained indifferent as there were some noises in the mess hall.
"This is so exciting. I can't describe it in words." Shedinja drawled sarcastically. "We have a world-breaking discovery here of a very unique specimen called the Grovyle. Their natural habitat is the prison and they hug a pillow at all times. They are very valuable and should be protected in a museum." Shedinja was deadpan throughout his documentary of a new specimen. Grovyle chuckled a bit but then stopped quickly.
The two then returned to staring at each other.
The mess hall was a bit disorganized with misaligned tables and chairs. There were four doors, one on the left was the confessional. Two on the middle were the boy and girl restrooms respectively. The right door connected to the work station.
Chef Drapion stood grumpily with trays of his special delicacy in front of him. There was a sign with the words: 'Drapion Games Twist, beat Chef Drapion in a game of his choice and you get a chance to save your teammate from solitary confinement. If you lose, go to solitary confinement directly.'
"Interesting." Bisharp said, looking at the sign intently.
"Chef Drapion, show them who's boss." Miltank cheered for him.
"Stop yappin', I don't care!" Chef Drapion hushed.
"The homie needs to chill out a bit more." Darmanitan whispered to Machoke, who nodded.
"I'm in a bad mood after that *beep* opening so get lost!" Chef Drapion swore.
"We are allowed to be in here, though. I'm sorry if you are in a bad mood but this is for the sake of the challenge." Ledyba pointed out. Chef Drapion grumbled to himself.
"What should we do to escape?" Dedenne whispered to Jumpluff.
"I don't know." Jumpluff looked worried.
Miltank got between both of them.
"What are you two whispering about? Escaping?" Miltank asked, lifting both of them up.
"Yikes, don't be rough." Jumpluff felt uncomfortable.
"Who do you think you are to interrupt a conversation impolitely? How impudent." Dedenne scolded.
"Lips sealed, eh? I have good news for both of you. You two have been invited to the work station." Miltank carried all of them to the right-side door of the mess hall. There was a banner with the words: 'Work Station, start working slaves!'
Jumpluff and Dedenne tried to resist but failed. Miltank opened the door and shoved both of them inside.
"Wait, please free them. We can talk through this mature-" Bisharp got dragged in there by Miltank as well. "-ly." Bisharp finished.
The work station was like a treasure hunting site. There were shovels and patches of sand. It was purely indoor with fake clouds on the ceiling.
"Keep digging or else I will whip all of you into shape!" Miltank forced the three to work.
Confessional
Dedenne: "Bisharp was nice… Hmm… That's new. I couldn't tell if it was an act though."
Bisharp: "Perhaps, I shouldn't say anything in front of someone as aggressive as Miltank. This is nothing new to me. When I tried to reason with my parents, they treated me like Miltank did." Bisharp sighed. "Still, I rebelled because I don't want to be in those chains and shackles again."
Jumpluff: "When was the last time someone tried to help me in this show? Bisharp might not be the most social or outgoing Pokemon but gosh he sure is nice. Sometimes, even nicer than my friends..."
Miltank: "I don't want to bring too many of them here or else they might get the reward. Those three lightweights don't stand a chance when I can just sit on them if they try to play hooky."
To the left of the mess hall, there was a corridor with an 'Off Limits' sign at the top. Machoke and Darmanitan patrolled around the corridor.
Machoke's eyes drooped down to the ground as he sighed. Darmanitan placed a hand on his right shoulder.
"I know how you feel and why you didn't attend the auction, homie. You want to give it all for this challenge. You work harder than the rest of us. Unlike the others that didn't follow Lucario's training regimen seriously, you always overworked yourself. I have faith in you. You are my boy so no matter what the others think of you-" Darmanitan tried to help. Machoke removed his hand and interrupted him.
"I know that you understand but it hurts that nobody has faith in me, including myself. I feel like I'm born… wrong. It is as if I'm destined to be weak. My intelligence is crippling and my body is crippling. I want to prove my worth to the team. In the end, even Lucario cast me aside. Even Houndour and you go easy on me. I don't want a special treatment. I don't want to be a burden to my team. I join this show because I want to prove that I'm capable of doing something on my own." Machoke clenched his fists. Darmanitan continued to listen attentively.
"I only manage to be a guard because of your supervision and ties with Lucario. I know it. He is probably thinking that I will drop my key-" Machoke checked his belt, the key was still there. Machoke sighed in relief.
Darmanitan's walkie talkie vibrated. Lucario was calling him.
"Let's talk about this later, homie. I got a call." Darmanitan paused their conversation.
"Aha. Both of us are taking care of it. Nothing's wrong so far. Duosion notices anything yet? The solitary confinement is ahead? Okay. Gotcha, homie." The call ended.
Suddenly, someone ran toward them.
Confessional
Darmanitan: "That was unexpected."
Meanwhile, at the same time…
Skrelp ate her purple sludge slowly, trying to avoid attention from Ledyba's line of sight.
"Psst…" Drifblim signaled her to come closer and Skrelp did so.
"Any ideas on how to escape?" Drifblim asked quietly.
"Distract Ledyba and get the key, preferably from Machoke. Hide it quickly afterwards." Skrelp told.
"How do we deal with those two beefcakes over there?" Drifblim asked with concern.
"Let Heracross deal with them. We need to use every member to our advantage." Skrelp instructed further. Suddenly, Ledyba turned her eyes at them and they separated momentarily.
At another table, Tyrunt relaxed, having a great time with Nosepass.
"What is your crime?" Tyrunt asked. "Mine is shoplifting video games." Tyrunt confessed jokingly.
"I err… accidentally hurt someone… I guess." Nosepass stuttered.
"What about you, Rhyhorn?" Tyrunt asked Rhyhorn, who was next to them as well.
"…I killed someone." Rhyhorn revealed.
"That's… cruel." Nosepass looked a bit scared.
"Nah, he is just kidding, Nosepass. Nothing to be scared of." Tyrunt assured. Rhyhorn nodded slowly.
Back to Skrelp and Drifblim…
Drifblim got off her seat and floated to Ledyba.
"Ledyba, I got a problem." Drifblim acted anxiously.
"What?" Ledyba asked.
"There is a scary looking Raticate in the girls' restroom. Can you check? Please!" Drifblim begged in an apprehensive tone.
"Err… I will check it." Ledyba hesitantly agreed to help her. When Ledyba entered the restroom, Drifblim immediately blocked the door from outside.
"Hey!" Ledyba shouted from inside the restroom.
Heracross saw that the coast was clear and ran to the off-limits area. The corridor was pretty long with Machoke and Darmanitan around the halfway point.
"Homie, Heracross is here! Catch her." Darmanitan heard the thundering footsteps and alerted Machoke.
"Prepare to face my Guard Wall Technique!" Machoke said dramatically as he spread his arms and legs widely, as if he was a wall. This only gave Heracross the opportunity to snatch the key.
"Hey!" Machoke look annoyed. Darmanitan ran past him, chasing Heracross at a rapid speed. Rhyhorn saw Darmanitan catching up and ran over to help her.
"Take this." Tyrunt threw his plate of sludge at Darmanitan in an attempt to help but it missed and it Rhyhorn instead.
"Oops. Sorry, Rhyhorn. My accuracy stat is pretty low as of right now." Tyrunt apologized. Rhyhorn didn't reply.
"What can I do? Running and screaming?" Nosepass considered.
"What's with the noise?!" Miltank shouted from the work station.
"Someone quickly-" Snorunt was about to warn her teammates but it was too late.
Miltank slammed the door open.
Confessional
Nosepass: "Well, that was scary."
On the other side, the staff area was pretty lively…
"You land on my hotel. The rent costs 200,000 P." Meowth said joyfully to Cryogonal, who was frowning.
"I declare bankruptcy." Cryogonal admitted her defeat, tossing all of her money into the bank. "Aromatisse, want to play instead?" Cryogonal invited.
"Nah, I'm having a great time in this jacuzzi tub." Aromatisse continued to relax.
Lucario was busy with his walkie talkie.
"Miltank, don't put more than three in the working station. I don't want any of them to get the reward. Also, what's that noise? Sounds like someone is running. Please check it." Lucario ended. He then visited the security control room.
Scolipede was inside, standing next to Houndour. The fire type was running on a conveyor belt to power up the cameras.
"When you need a break, I will take over." Scolipede said.
"Thanks, not now though." Houndour sweated.
The screen was blank at the moment, with the power meter currently at fifty percent. Duosion gazed at the screen before she turned around to address Lucario.
"It takes approximately five to ten minutes for the screen to work for around thirty seconds. It is less useful than I initially thought." Duosion explained. Lucario furrowed his brows.
"Can't it be faster? Hurry up, I need to check something." Lucario wanted the process to speed up.
"Sorry, it is so tiring." Houndour panted.
"I will do it myself. Step back." Lucario ordered and Houndour obeyed.
Lucario started to sprint at full speed on the conveyor belt. He was so fast that smoke was released from the conveyor belt. The meter went up from sixty to seventy. Seventy to eighty. Eventually, the meter reached one hundred percent. Everyone widened their eyes at Lucario's speed. The professional athlete focused his eyes on the screen.
Apparently, Miltank was wrestling with Heracross, both of them rolling on the ground. Noticeably, both of them dropped their keys. Darmanitan kicked both keys out of Drifblim's grasp. Machoke tried to help but Rhyhorn pushed him against the wall. Snorunt, Tyrunt and Nosepass blocked the restroom door to keep Ledyba inside. Lucario gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. He used his walkie talkie and shouted demandingly at someone.
"Shedinja, get out of there! I'm going in!"
Lucario marched out of the door as soon as Shedinja returned.
"Yay, vacation." Shedinja said unenthusiastically.
Lucario stomped hard on the ground, gaining attention from everyone.
"All of you are dead!" Lucario roared as he rushed ahead at the Crazy Crawdaunt. Grovyle lifted his gaze up lazily from the ground to glance at Lucario before he buried his face on his pillow.
Confessional
Tyrunt: "We got wrecked by the final boss this early into the game? What kind of rubbish game is this? Our warrior, Heracross was captured for stealing the keys. Although, the others luckily survived. The situation is looking hopeless. I don't want a game over screen."
At roughly the same time in the work station…
"We need to… keep digging! No giving up… everyone." Jumpluff tried to motivate. However, she ran out of breath. The three of them kept digging up empty treasure chests. Therefore, their morale was a bit low.
Dedenne groaned as she stabbed her shovel into the ground. "This is tough. I'm tired." Dedenne complained.
"I don't have that much energy left…" Bisharp said, sweating heavily. With the last of his strength, he lifted up another treasure chest. He opened it with low expectations, feeling hopeless.
"Finally, it is here!" Bisharp exclaimed. The others dropped their shovels and rushed to look inside the treasure chest.
"It is a map." Dedenne picked the treasure up.
"Hide it now before Miltank returns." Bisharp advised. Dedenne folded it before she buried the map not too deep under the sand.
Abruptly, Miltank opened the door to check on them. The three instantly returned back to digging except for…
"Oh god, where is my shovel?" Jumpluff forgot where she left her shovel.
"Over there." Miltank pointed. "I thought that you are Machoke for a second."
"I'm forgetful sometimes. Hahaha…" Jumpluff laughed nervously.
Miltank observed the tremendous amount of treasure chests opened and felt a bit worried.
"I think all of you should leave now." Miltank ordered.
"Where do we leave the shovels?" Bisharp came up with something to distract Miltank. Dedenne used this opportunity to dig for the map sneakily.
"Leave it wherever you want. Who cares?" Miltank replied, before giving Dedenne a suspicious look.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Miltank asked.
"I fell on the ground." Dedenne lied, hiding the map behind her back.
"Yeah, she is a total klutz." Jumpluff reinforced the lie.
"Sucks to be you. I don't think you are going to survive long in prison, pipsqueak." Miltank insulted with a mocking smile.
Dedenne walked sideways toward the door, hiding the map from Miltank.
Confessional
Miltank: "What a weirdo."
Dedenne: "Miltank is such a jerk to me. Is she jealous of my small stature or something?"
The three returned to the mess hall, gaining the attention from their teammates.
"What happened?" Bisharp asked.
"I will give you three a small briefing. Heracross stole Machoke's key and got captured because of Lucario's interference. As of right now, we are debating about our next course of action." Skrelp updated them of the events that transpired.
"We got something to show." Bisharp signaled for Dedenne to show the map secretly.
"We should read this in the restrooms." Skrelp suggested. Everyone agreed. Ledyba was still watching them. She grew suspicious and tried to eavesdrop but Rhyhorn and Drifblim blocked her view.
Confessional
Skrelp: "From my analysis of the map, there are two key locations. First, the solitary confinement rooms at the end of the corridor. We need to maneuver over there to bail Heracross out. Second, the secret sewers under the restrooms. I speculate that there might be a secret exit down there somewhere."
Tyrunt was instructed to tell Grovyle about their plan.
Tyrunt approached the gecko slowly, his face still buried on the pillow.
"Hey, we are going to the sewers." Tyrunt whispered. "Want to come? You act a bit weird today. No, alright." Tyrunt assumed that Grovyle didn't want to go as he didn't reply or move.
As Tyrunt left, he glanced up at the ceiling to see a camera staring at him. Tyrunt shrugged it off, believing that Skarmory was filming the episode.
Confessional
Tyrunt: "He better get up and do something. Seriously, even I did something in this challenge as a lazy gamer."
Lucario quickly returned to the staff area after he captured Heracross. Houndour replaced him instead since Lucario will take care of the cameras.
"How's the situation, Ledyba? Going well?" Houndour asked.
"Well, the Crazy Crawdaunt acted a bit weird. As of right now, Drifblim is playing a game with Chef Drapion." Ledyba informed.
"I think you should take a break. Cryogonal and Meowth still haven't got their chances to shine." Houndour suggested.
"Alright, take care." Ledyba said before she left, waving at him.
"Damn it, I lost!" Chef Drapion yelled in frustration. Drifblim and Chef Drapion agreed to play with darts. Chef Drapion threw carelessly and got a five, while Drifblim took her time and got a bullseye, earning herself a ten.
"Chef, are you sure that you are an expert? You said it yourself that you can do it blindfolded. Perhaps, you should play with someone around your level, like Machoke." Drifblim infuriated the chef.
"Gah! Just take this key and leave!" Chef Drapion gave her a silver key. It can only be used to open the solitary confinement rooms.
"According to the plan, we should send someone to check the sewers. Preferably, someone weak so it will not be suspicious. How about Tyrunt and Nosepass?" Skrelp discussed with her teammates.
Houndour got a call at this moment.
"Lucario, keep your eyes on the mess hall." Houndour reported.
"Fine, I guess." Nosepass looked nervous but accepted the task nonetheless.
"Oh well, at least someone is with me." Tyrunt tried to be optimistic.
"I will go and check on Grovyle." Dedenne said, her tone was a bit pessimistic.
"Perfect, proceed as planned." Skrelp ended the discussion. Jumpluff and Bisharp felt uneasy when Skrelp took charge.
Confessional
Skrelp: "No matter how hated or despised I'm, the others will keep me because I'm their most intelligent member."
Bisharp: "Where is Grovyle? He is supposed to be the leader."
Dedenne: "Grovyle… what happened to you?"
Dedenne approached Grovyle, sighing upon seeing his reaction. No reaction at all, Grovyle just buried his face on his pillow, blocking everyone from him.
"Grovyle, what happened to you? You are our leader and my… hero. I guess I don't understand how much agony you feel from being in prison but we need you so please get up. We are about to check the sewers." Dedenne encouraged.
"I guess you used to be my hero." Dedenne emphasized. She then left, turning around to look at Grovyle for one last time before she left for real. Grovyle removed his face from his pillow and averted his eyes.
Dedenne returned to the others. Tyrunt and Nosepass already departed to their location. However, something was a bit off.
"Round 'em up boys." Miltank ordered. Machoke, Darmanitan and Miltank surrounded the Crazy Crawdaunt members.
"What did we do wrong?" Bisharp asked, looking around for any escape routes.
"Oh nothing, we are just going to force all of you into the work station. Lucario's order, it is absolute. Cryogonal, go and guard Heracross." Miltank ordered her 'underlings' around. The Crazy Crawdaunt members had no choice except to work until their job is done.
"Help!" Dedenne screamed for help desperately.
"What a pathetic last ditch effort, pipsqueak. Haha…" Miltank laughed.
Confessional
Lucario: "What did I witness? Their scheme to go to the sewers. I sent Houndour after Tyrunt and Nosepass already. The only one left is Grovyle but meh, who cares about him?"
Tyrunt and Nosepass saw a floor tile in the boys' restroom being a bit misaligned. The color was normally black and white. However, this floor tile was black and gray instead. They lifted it up to see a ladder down into the sewers.
"You go first." Nosepass stepped back.
"Fine." Tyrunt sighed as he slowly descended down the ladder.
Houndour opened the door to the restrooms and followed them silently. He turned the flashlight that he got from Meowth on.
Nosepass and Tyrunt saw that there were two directions, left and right.
"Look, there are light bulbs illuminating the right direction. I think we should check there first." Tyrunt suggested.
"I agree." Nosepass tried to peer into the left direction. It looked ominous. He quickly turned his head around and followed Tyrunt.
"Lucario, is this place off-limits? Can you check?" Houndour got a call from Lucario, who wanted to check his progress.
"Off-limits, alright." Houndour sneaked toward the two slowly. Unfortunately, a drop of water fell on his head and he winced, accidentally moving the flashlight at Tyrunt's back. Houndour quickly turned off the flashlight and hid it.
"I think someone is following us. Let me check." Tyrunt worriedly turned around, he was shocked to see Houndour.
"Sorry." Houndour apologized as he pinned both of them down.
Confessional
Tyrunt: "At that moment, I thought it was basically game over."
"Help!" Dedenne shouted desperately. Grovyle heard it and lifted his body off the ground.
"Help? From who? I'm Guilty Guy Grovyle, not Good Guy Grovyle." Grovyle sighed and fell back down to his pillow. After a painfully long few seconds, Grovyle peeked his head out of his cell, nobody was to be seen. Grovyle frowned.
"They all need my help. True, not all of them are nice to me and I don't think some of them deserve my help. However, there are those that look up to me… I need to do my duty as the leader of this team at the very least." Grovyle talked to himself, trying to find the motivation inside his lifeless body.
"Did Dedenne mention the sewers? Maybe, I should check it." Grovyle ran with great agility to the sewers. The camera caught him and Lucario made a call to Houndour.
Confessional
Grovyle: "I'm not the hero that my team need, I'm the hero that they deserve. No, that isn't right. I'm the hero that half of my team deserve. I don't like Skrelp, that backstabbing Bisharp and Snorunt. Drifblim and Heracross? Eh, they should give me more admiration and respect."
Houndour lifted his walkie talkie up.
"What? Grovyle?!" Houndour turned around to see Grovyle sprinting at him. Nosepass and Tyrunt cheered with delight.
"My hero!" Nosepass shouted.
"Obviously." Grovyle said before tackling Houndour, knocking his silver bracelet off.
"My bracelet!" Houndour tried to retrieve it but Grovyle got if first.
"Catch." Grovyle threw it up into the air and kicked it to the opposite direction, the dark and ominous left side. It rolled continuously, making it hard to get. Houndour chased after it with his walkie talkie still on his paw.
"Lucario, I'm sorry. I will chase them later. I-I need to get it first." It seemed that Houndour and Lucario was in an argument.
The three continued to run through the right side of the sewers. Tyrunt turned back to look at Houndour.
"Was that really necessary?" Tyrunt asked, feeling a bit guilty.
"Of course." Grovyle replied as if it was something normal and not something to be ashamed about.
Confessional
Tyrunt: "Houndour was nice to me in that cave… I don't know how I feel about this."
The three finally reached a secret room. They opened it to see a freezing gun from an old challenge. There was a note attached to it.
"Unlimited ammo." Grovyle read. "I will take this." Grovyle lifted it up and got a comfortable grip.
"Yeah, you deserve it man." Nosepass agreed. Tyrunt looked deep in thought about something.
"It is time to free everyone." Grovyle smirked.
Confessional
Nosepass: "Grovyle saved me. That's all it matters. Houndour is nice but he is on the other team."
Houndour got very close to the bracelet until a Raticate bit it and ran away.
"Hey, that's mine! I got it from a girlfriend." Houndour shouted angrily.
"Sewer life is tough. Who cares? I'm going to sell it in a black market. Later, loser." Raticate sneered at him.
Houndour chased the Raticate and got another call from Lucario.
"I know what you want but… sorry." Houndour closed the walkie talkie.
Confessional
Lucario: "*beep*! That insolent… How dare he defied my authority?! This is for the sake of our team, goddamn it!"
Heracross scribbled something down on the wall of the solitary confinement with a piece of rock. It appeared to be 'Lucario sucks'.
"Boring." Heracross complained.
Suddenly, there were freezing sounds and the door was unlocked. Heracross looked out of the door to see Grovyle grinning and a frozen Cryogonal.
"Didn't expect to see you here." Heracross said with a small smile.
Confessional
Cryogonal: "How ironic. I got frozen as an ice type."
Grovyle: "I'm a great sharpshooter. I definitely didn't take several tries to do it." Grovyle looked a bit nervous at the end.
Miltank talked with Lucario through the walkie-talkie.
"No worries. Gecko boy can't beat me. I got a few hostages." Miltank said, feeling overconfident.
"Grovyle?" Dedenne didn't hear it clearly.
"Yes, your hero." Grovyle slammed the door open at that exact moment and rapidly shot at Miltank and Machoke. He froze them successfully. However, Darmanitan got close to him. The fire type was about to slap the gun out of his hands until Heracross held him in place. This allowed Grovyle to shoot him successfully.
"Freedom for everyone!" Grovyle shouted. Everyone cheered for him except for Snorunt and Skrelp.
Confessional
Jumpluff: "Wow, Grovyle is so epic! I will totally follow him on social media. I only wish that he teaches me how to do things like juggling. Why didn't he teach me?"
Dedenne: "Now, the old Grovyle is back! The Grovyle that we all love."
Lucario rallied the rest of his teammates at the staff area for their last line of defence.
"We will do anything, at all costs to prevent those criminals from causing havoc out there. It is my responsibility as the warden to ensure that." Lucario slammed his baton on the ground. Noises were getting louder as rampaging footsteps could be heard.
"Here they come." Lucario alerted.
The door was unlocked and Grovyle fired rapidly like a madman at everything. He wasn't accurate but who cares when you got infinite ammo? Aromatisse was frozen near the jacuzzi tub. Shedinja dropped down to the ground lifelessly. Everyone was frozen except for Lucario, who utilized his baton to deflect the shots.
"Run!" Grovyle shouted. Everyone distanced themselves from Lucario and rushed to the door except for Grovyle. Surprisingly, Lucario allowed all of them to escape. He only focused his eyes on Grovyle.
"What about you?" Dedenne asked in concern.
"I will survive." Grovyle gave her a reassuring smile. Jumpluff nudged for Dedenne to escape and she quickly did so before Lucario changed his mind.
"I only need to keep one prisoner in my prison to win. That prisoner will be you. Prepare for a beatdown." Lucario intimidated Grovyle.
Everyone else already escaped… It all came down to this. The final showdown between the warden and the leader of the prisoners.
"Take this." Grovyle rapidly shot at Lucario. The professional athlete reflected all the shots with his baton skillfully. Grovyle ducked to dodge the reflected shots. Lucario got closer and closer to him.
Grovyle tried to shoot Lucario again, this time, he aimed for his legs. Lucario jumped but it barely hit his foot. His right leg froze but he was still fine.
"Farewell." Grovyle said as he threw his gun away and sprinted to the door. Lucario tried to run as fast as he possibly could but with one leg frozen, it was a difficult task. As Grovyle approached the door, the sun was about to set. The final result was…
Lucario jumped with his last remaining strength to grab Grovyle's legs…
However, Grovyle stretched his hands out of the door.
Skarmory landed and announced the final result.
"Technically, Grovyle wins because he got his hands out of the prison at the very least. That counts as getting out of prison so… the Crazy Crawdaunt win barely."
"What? That's not fair!" Lucario protested.
"I make the rules." Skarmory countered.
"I resign!" Lucario threw his hat away angrily.
Confessional
Lucario: "*beep*! Where the hell was Houndour when we all were fighting to the death? Only if he was there… the outcome would be different. He might think that he secures a strong spot in this team and can do whatever he wants… I will demonstrate what happens to Pokemon like him to my other teammates so that none will follow his example."
Lucario rallied all of his teammates in front of the mess hall before the elimination. Machoke looked down solemnly at the ground. Houndour got his bracelet back, although he didn't seem to be in a good mood in the slightest.
Lucario addressed his teammates. "Every elimination was a landslide so far and I expect the same this time. I want everyone to put personal matters aside for this one." Machoke nodded.
"The person that we are going to eliminate is a disobedient, selfish, love-sick puppy. That's you, Houndour." Lucario pointed at him. Nearly everyone gasped, they didn't expect this.
"Fair enough to me, he did chase after that bracelet after all." Miltank agreed.
"Preposterous! We can't judge him through his performance in one challenge. Think about his overall performance." Duosion tried to defend him.
"Yeah! He is a very kind and nice fellow in general. I think we should give him a second chance." Ledyba defended him as well.
Meowth stayed silent, he looked at Lucario and saw the scowl on his face. He stepped back and let everything played itself out.
Scolipede didn't seem to like both Lucario and Houndour, he distanced himself from the two.
"Insolence! How dare you try to defend someone that cost us the challenge? He prioritizes his relationship before his team. We need to eliminate him to set up an example!" Lucario yelled at his teammates. Houndour stayed silent, he didn't want to say anything that might worsen the situation.
Machoke clenched his fists, gritted his teeth and cried a little. Lucario eventually called off this discussion.
Confessional
Machoke: "It should be me. I should be eliminated. I failed and failed. I mean nothing to my team. I can't even protect my own key…"
Lucario and Darmanitan met up. Lucario took deep breaths.
"Are you sure about this?" Darmanitan asked in concern. "This will turn a lot of Pokemon against you. Maybe even from the other team."
"Either way, they will all turn against me. Houndour, he is a dangerous player. He has a dominating social game. That canine can create a rebellion if he disagrees with me. He can rally votes and turn against me. When that happens, all control is lost." Lucario explained, clenching his fists. His eyes looked sore and exhausted.
"I see… I will vote with you, homie." Darmanitan promised. Machoke looked at both of them from a distance.
Confessional
Darmanitan: "I need to stick by Lucario's side. I'm the closest Pokemon in this island to him. If I betray him, he will go on a rampage. Lucario can't control his emotions very well. He is like a ticking time bomb that I need to chill it out with my zen principles."
Houndour and Duosion were on the beach, talking to each other.
"Houndour, use your connections. You will stay in this island that way." Duosion said, focusing her eyes on him. He was silent for a moment.
"I think I should leave…" Houndour said, giving her a sorry smile. "I made that mistake and I will pay for it."
"Why? No, please don't. I want you to stay here. I don't know what I will do without you." Duosion pleaded. "We should vote out Lucario instead. He is starting to become a dictator. Vote him out and survive." Duosion suggested.
"No, if I vote out my own team leader, what kind of Pokemon am I? A villain, I will soon be one. My friends will soon turn against me. Do you think someone like Ledyba wants to do that? Voting out Lucario? There will be chaos and all control will be lost in our team." Houndour looked determined.
"I made my decision." Houndour said confidently. Duosion sobbed as Houndour consoled her. Machoke looked at both of them from a distance.
Confessional
Machoke: "Both of them are like different sides of the same coin. I can't allow them to eat each other alive like this. Neither of them are wrong for how they think and react. I'm the one who is wrong. I'm the weakest link. I will do the last thing that I can do for this team!"
Machoke rallied everyone minutes before the elimination. They were surprised to see Machoke making an announcement.
"Everyone, I would like to tell something to all of you. I'm born with the lowest attack record in the history of all Machop. I struggled and struggled. No matter how I tried, I always failed…" Machoke paused to think. The others waited in anticipation.
"However, I was met with kindness from many of you. All of you cheered for me, became my friends and consoled me when I failed." Machoke started to cry. However, he continued regardless, giving eye contacts to all of his teammates.
"It really makes me feel like a burden. It pains me to stay in this game if it means that I will continue to cause trouble for all of you. I realize it now that this isn't my time to shine. Perhaps, I'm not useful in this show but maybe I will be useful in something else. I want to find that, my talent. What I'm good at. Therefore, I want to sacrifice myself. Please vote for me!" Machoke spoke from his heart. It might not be the most well-structured argument but it was his best nonetheless.
Everyone was shocked and touched by this, even Shedinja, albeit a little.
"Homie, what are you talking about? Don't leave. You don't need-" Darmanitan tried to discourage him from leaving.
"No! I must leave for the two Pokemon that I care about. First is Lucario…" Machoke said, tears fell from his eyes. Lucario was astonished, he stared at the ground.
"During the first few days in this island, you saw my potential. I might be very weak but you definitely see my effort and determination. You took me in, under your wing. I got promoted to errr… a high position." Machoke stuttered a bit but he continued, he wasn't frazzled.
"Sure, you lost some faith in me lately but I still can see that you still trust me, deep inside. Next…" Machoke moved on. Lucario seemed to be emotional from this.
"Houndour, you were very nice. I remembered the time you shared noodles and all those words of encouragement. I also remember that you tricked me into believing more in myself. You made me into a bigger person than I could be. I couldn't ask for anymore than this. The elimination is about to start. Please vote for me! I want a moment of reflection out of this game. Perhaps, I will return in a second season after I figure out what I'm good at. That's it. Did I miss anything?" Machoke looked a bit unconfident, scratching his head in the process.
"No, homie. Your speech is beautiful." Darmanitan wiped off his tears.
"Yeah…" Houndour admitted, feeling emotionally overwhelmed.
Confessional
Darmanitan: "The homie deserves all the credit. It is very tough for someone like him to say all those things. He will agonize over memorizing the same lines again and again. What made it special is that he spoke from his heart."
Skarmory didn't have a plate of Leppa Berry with him today.
"Wow, what a shocker. Since it is unanimous, there is no need for me to build up the elimination. By a vote of twelve, Machoke, you are eliminated.
"Bye everyone. I think I have said enough." Machoke waved to everyone as they all watched him departing. Everyone attended, even Shedinja.
"Our residential captain oblivious is gone…" Shedinja drawled.
"He saves us." Lucario said, staring into the distance. He then turned to Houndour.
"Hmm?" Houndour looked confused, hoping that it wasn't something bad.
"I will give you a second chance all because of Machoke. Don't waste it or else there will be no mercy from me." Lucario said, deadly serious.
"I know." Houndour nodded, smiling at how everything turned out. Duosion smiled happily next to him as well.
"Well, let's end things off differently this time. Everyone shout Total Machoke Island!" Skarmory instructed.
"Total Machoke Island!" The Feckless Flygon members and Skarmory shouted in unison.
Well, did anyone expect this? One of the hardest elimination to create in this story. There might be more like this. I want my Total Drama to be unique and stand out from the crowd. At the same time, showcasing familiar, unoriginal ideas that everyone can relate to.
On another note, there will be a second season. However, it will be released in like the next three or four years. Machoke will probably not return after the merge hits but he guaranteed himself a spot in the second season. Oops, spoilers.