I finish this chapter just in time!
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Parousia45
Yep, if you read Desire Tunnel, you will have a greater understanding of what kind of world I'm trying to create. I know my first story is poor. That's why I'm planning a remake. The plot and ending will still be the same but the characters will be expanded upon and more descriptions of the world and environment will be added.
I created Lucario with the intention that you can either hate or like him. It is up to you. Rest assured, Duosion and Houndour might return for future seasons…
Aromatisse and Farfetch'd will get their development. When? I can't tell. Maybe this chapter or the next…
Your feelings about Shedinja… Just read this chapter.
InfernoMaster64
Thanks, I appreciate your review and support. Electabuzz and Jumpluff will make an appearance again… in future seasons. Don't worry. Aromatisse and Farfetch'd might surprise you in their own ways.
I'm sorry to keep you waiting for so long. I'm about to take my tests really. Don't have much time to write especially with Breath of the Wild coming in March.
Episode 17: Para-Pirates Appeared! Yarr, Walk the Plank!
The dawn sailed divinely to the dock, bringing forth the light of a new era. Among sand and sea, lied a man gazing straight at the horizon. His eyes waited patiently for the return of the cheery sunlight that once elapsed by the 'gecko eclipse'.
"Only if you are still here…" Bisharp sulked, fixing his gaze intently. "Why do I feel like reaching the merge is such an empty accomplishment? Devoid of any essence and meaning."
The heartbroken man continued to wait as time passed relentlessly; he prayed continuously with cautious optimism for her. Clinging to his fragile faith, he didn't move from the spot.
Confessional
Bisharp: "Why can't you just return already? The longer I wait, the more I'm tempted to consume that vermin. Grovyle, he disparaged me and I feel so provoked as of right now. And you just don't provoke me because I will annihilate you." Bisharp manifested a dark expression.
Duosion groggily floated outside her cabin, pacing around the area aimlessly.
"I feel enraged. It is highly improbable for you to leave so soon so why did you… foolishly assent to Lucario's demands?" Duosion pondered with puffy eyes.
"I'm honestly sick of love. It changes me in ways that I couldn't imagine. I want to rule it as irrational and remove it from my mind so that I can focus on other things but I can't! It is embedded deep inside my heart." Duosion cried, her voice dramatic.
"Even if I need to trade my prized memorabilia collection, I will do it just for you." Duosion vowed.
The door of the Feckless Flygon girls' cabin opened. "Hey, are you alright?" Ledyba asked in a quiet and tender voice, acknowledging the sensitive situation.
Duosion turned around, the look on her face was surprising to Ledyba.
"Did you cry?" Ledyba asked, observing her swollen look.
"Y-yes." Duosion reluctantly admitted. "I just can't get past the fact that Houndour chose his loyalty to Lucario and his team over my love for him…"
"Hey, don't be so sad. One, he might return and two, he really loves you. He sacrifices himself to end the conflict. Imagine what will happen if Lucario returns after you voted him out." Ledyba consoled to the best of her ability.
Duosion dried up her face with Psychic and faced Ledyba. "I guess you are right." Duosion sniffled.
"Oh, why don't we go take a stride and talk about it if it makes you feel better?" Ledyba offered and Duosion nodded slowly.
Confessional
Ledyba: "As someone in a relationship and a close friend of Houndour, I want to help her as much as I can. I hate it when other Pokemon are depressed."
Duosion: "I just realize that I'm not mentally strong when it comes to love at all. There is still much to learn about myself. Perhaps, spending some time with Ledyba will make myself more self-conscious." Duosion looked reflective.
Nosepass shook under his blanket, twisting left and right. Jittering all over the place, the cowardly nose Pokemon breathed heavily.
"No!" Nosepass screamed in horror as he woke up, clenching his blanket for support.
Grovyle sprang up and hit his head against the ceiling. "Gah! A Chatot used Boomburst or something?" Grovyle groaned as he rubbed his head.
Nosepass teetered on the edge of his bed, swinging his legs around. The look in his eyes signaled fear and terror.
"You know what, I'm leaving." Grovyle mumbled and left the cabin, slamming the door with a disgruntled sound.
"…" Rhyhorn stared at Nosepass observantly, curling his lips a little. However, he soon stopped after seeing Nosepass' pitiful look.
"Another nightmare. This time, it is worse. I need an adult to skill swap insomnia to me." Nosepass told hopelessly.
"Want to talk about it?" Rhyhorn asked quietly, straightening his stare.
Nosepass thought for a moment before he answered. "Yeah." The two then left the cabin for a walk around the forest.
The community of trees provided a comforting shade to the two rock types as they wandered deeper and deeper. The shrubs and bushes accompanied them. The alluring flowers distracted them from their problems.
Both of them were silent at the start of their little trip until Nosepass opened up about his troubles and issues.
"I hate myself for being such a weak coward; I'm a loser that ran away from all of his problems. Rhyhorn, I have these nightmares for a reason. I regretted submitting to the bullies every day without even trying to fight or resist them. I would even betray what little friends I have for a glimmer of safety. I hate the fact that I was born as a Nosepass! I'm ugly and others pick on me for it. I hate it! I hate it!" Nosepass exploded in anger. Rhyhorn looked down, he didn't make a comment for a while.
Nosepass stomped on the ground in rage, only to step on a rock and hurt himself. "Ouch." Nosepass cried in pain.
"Are you alright?" Rhyhorn asked in concern, checking his feet.
"It's okay." Nosepass assured, averting his eyes a little. Maybe because of embarrassment for making a big deal over a tiny rock.
"Nosepass, you need to have more self-esteem. No one is looking down on you until you are looking down on yourself. You are stronger than you think. You even beat Larvitar and Scolipede." Rhyhorn indicated, teaching him a lesson.
"Those were all flukes, my impulses always got the best of me in those situations." Nosepass didn't seem to feel better about himself.
Rhyhorn didn't reply or knew how to reply.
Suddenly, there was a voice nearby from a clearing.
"I still remember the time when I teased him about being scared of caves." Duosion looked back into her memories, snickering a little. "His reaction was cute."
"Really?" Ledyba giggled alongside her.
Both Rhyhorn and Nosepass couldn't hear clearly.
"I'm scared." Nosepass clung to Rhyhorn. "The other team is probably planning to vote all of us out. I don't really trust any of them except maybe Houndour, but he was already gone." Nosepass said, conveying his distrust and unease for the other team quietly.
"…" Rhyhorn got stuck in a trance. "Let's leave." Eventually, he said something to the delight of Nosepass.
Confessional
Nosepass: "Rhyhorn is the only one I feel safe around with. Not only is he a rock type like me, he isn't aggressive or loud or noisy and also a great listener as well. He is everything that I can ask for in a big brother."
A certain bookworm was sitting on the bench outside of her cabin.
Skrelp read her book as usual, turning to her desired page skillfully without a bookmark. It was the last page. Even though it seemed like she immersed deeply into the story, she was actually eavesdropping and observing the other contestants with masterful subtlety. When they blinked, she glanced at them for half a second. Alternating between her book and spy task, she perfected the art of multi-tasking.
Bisharp walked into the camp area and gestured for Meowth to meet him on the beach. Meowth nodded before he entered his own cabin to ensure no one sees him following Bisharp.
Skrelp grinned smugly as she continued to read her book.
"What a tragic, ironic twist. The protagonist died at the hands of those he tried to protect. Not to brag, however, I predicted it correctly since the start. Nevertheless, I appreciate the author for crafting this complex, vicious spiral of psychological trauma. I give it a nine out of ten." Skrelp reviewed.
Confessional
Skrelp: "It is time for me to start being productive. I will now assert my plan into action. My strategy is quite simple. Painting bigger targets like Lucario, Grovyle and Bisharp for elimination. However, it also requires adroitness. I need to exploit the insecurities of other contestants in order for them to listen to me. I won't pretend to be nice like that deceiving degenerate, Grovyle. Unlike him, I show my true colors. It is a hassle to socialize and form such precarious, delicate relationships. I play how I want to play." Skrelp said straightforwardly, her eyes were cold and callous.
Bisharp and Meowth stood side by side as they relished at the great view of the sea on the dock.
"I want to get both of them eliminated as soon as possible." Bisharp told, turning to face him. "Have you successfully coaxed Lucario into our plan?" Bisharp asked.
"Yes. I suggested to him that manipulating Grovyle will destroy the morale of the Crazy Crawdaunt members and he agreed instantly. Of course, I didn't mention your name. I can't have my business partners compete against each other, can I? Both of you are like jealous entrepreneurs that contend for market share in the boat market. Lucario's boat is far better in terms of raw power than yours. However, your boat is sleeker and contain many nifty functions." Meowth's analogy made Bisharp chuckled.
"Are you saying that you are the customer?" Bisharp assumed, folding his arms.
"No, I'm but an expert, a specialist that makes sure both of you make the right decisions. I don't earn any fair share of profits from the sales of yours and Lucario's boat. Rather, both of you hire me with your votes and guaranteed safety." Meowth explained.
"I don't mind if you decide to stay with Lucario. I don't require your friendship and loyalty. I only need you to eliminate Skrelp and Grovyle. Our contact ends after that, am I clear?" Bisharp said coldly, signifying their relationship to be nothing more than that of an employer and employee.
"Clear." Meowth smirked.
Confessional
Meowth: "Oh, Bisharp. How narrow-minded of you to see revenge as your only goal. I guess you didn't realize that I'm the true corporate giant around here. I don't require your scraps of cash or vote. My relations expand far greater and beyond anything you can possibly imagine." Meowth shook his head.
Bisharp; "I know that Meowth doesn't have any moral obligation to help me. As long as I pay him, he will work."
Scolipede skittered around the camp, darting from place to place. Checking the mess hall, Feckless Flygon cabins and the benches, signs of worry started to grow in his eyes.
"What's up, homie?" Darmanitan asked as he got out of the cabin. "You seem to be in a hurry. What's the matter? Your boy here can help."
"Well, I couldn't find Ledyba for the entire day. It is very strange. Lunchtime is already about to start so where can she disappear to?" Scolipede wondered.
"I don't know, homie. All I know is that Lucario is in the gym and Shedinja is still sleeping. Maybe, you should ask the other girls." Darmanitan suggested.
"Thanks, very helpful." Scolipede said with slight sarcasm.
"Anytime." Darmanitan said before returning inside the cabin, scratching his head sheepishly in the process.
"Maybe, I should ask someone from the other team." Scolipede considered. "I can't find Ledyba, neither Cryogonal. Miltank, eh. I don't feel comfortable talking to her. Grovyle, no way. Skrelp, as if. Maybe… Dedenne?" He went through his options slowly until a certain Pokemon called out to him.
"Scolipede, what are you doing?!" Ledyba returned to the camp with Duosion next to her. The latter looked a lot better compare to the morning.
"Where are you? I have been looking for you for ages." Scolipede asked with relief, widening his eyes at her sudden appearance.
"Nothing, just girl stuff with Duosion. You don't need to know." Ledyba blushed a little bit.
"At least, you should leave me a note or tell me beforehand. Who knows what kind of danger lurks here? You could have gotten seriously injured like that time when we fought Raticate. Next time do it, alright?" Scolipede rebuked worriedly.
"I think you are being a bit too paranoid, Scolipede." Ledyba sweat dropped.
"Ledyba, I used to think like that once and the result wasn't pretty. I don't trust this harsh and cruel world." Scolipede insisted. "Please make me feel at ease. I'm your boyfriend."
Duosion stared with slight disapproval but didn't say anything.
"Alright, alright. I will do it." Ledyba assured.
Scolipede looked relieved. He opened his mouth and was about to say something until the speakers around the camp interrupted him.
"Attention, this is Alakazam. Skarmory left to host a redemption challenge with Chef Drapion today. Therefore, there won't be a challenge until tomorrow. I will keep all of you updated if there are any changes. On a separate matter, food will be handled a bit differently. The interns will be in charge of your meals temporarily. Please contact me if the food is inedible or can cause any specific allergic symptoms. Thank you for your attention." The announcement ended.
Most of the contestants smiled with optimism at the thought of decent food. They all believed that the interns can cook up something better than our purple, poisonous chef. Highly likely…
"Excited for tomorrow, Duosion? You might get to see Houndour!" Ledyba exclaimed.
"Probably. If I'm to assume that the challenge will be an even playing field, Houndour has a 6.66% percent chance of returning. (She wasn't aware that there are two returnees.) If by excitement, you mean optimism then the answer is no. The feeling that I have now is similar to the feeling of buying a lottery ticket and hoping to at least win something. The prospect of luck invigorates me a little." Duosion detailed her answer. Ledyba nodded, trying to absorb and process everything in.
"Ledyba, let's go to check the food." Scolipede motioned for her to follow him.
"Come with us, you won't feel lonely that way." Ledyba persuaded, waving for her to come.
Duosion smiled joyfully before she followed them.
Confessional
Duosion: "Even though Hondour isn't here anymore, I have my friends at the very least."
Scolipede: "Getting along with Duosion isn't exactly easy. At least for me. I mean she is my friend but that is because Ledyba is her friend. Our relationship is… complicated. I don't know if I can depend on her."
Ledyba: "Making Duosion happy is also making Houndour happy, which makes me happy as well. We share a lot of differences but hey I don't really care about any of that. I'm not picky when it comes to making friends. I learned that with Zorua. As long as she sees our relationship as genuine and doesn't abuse it, I'm happy."
Lucario: "Hopefully, Ursaring and Shiinotic don't poison my food. I don't trust them to take care of my diet. Surprising, the chef's food is pretty healthy."
Meowth: "The restaurant has been upgraded. I look forward to a deadly seven course meal with desserts. While I have a tongue for all classes of food, I prefer the expensive ones."
Dedenne: "I can't stand the chef. Good riddance that he is out of the island."
Drifblim: She held a list with the names of all eliminated contestants. "Let's see who has the highest chance of returning." Drifblom crossed the names of Larvitar, Meowstic, Oddish, Feebas, Magikarp out first. "Snorunt probably can't do any physical challenges. Machoke is too clumsy and hapless. Tyrunt, hmm…" Drifblim pondered.
"I doubt it. Helioptile as well. Both of them aren't the strongest or the smartest. Aromatisse has a chance of winning if there is a beauty element involved. Strategic wise, I want to see weak contestants like Feebas and Magikarp return, of course. However, I believe that it will be more exciting for fan-favorites like Jumpluff and Houndour to return. My fellow game show fanatics out there also probably wants to see more screen-time for an oddball like Farfetch'd."
Unlike any other day, the contestants lined up in front of the mess hall eagerly. They looked forward to eating good food for once. Most of them to be exact.
"Where's Shedinja?" Ledyba asked with a worried expression. "I know that he is usually late but this is starting to get ridiculous."
"He told me that he works on night shift outside of the game. That is probably why he wakes up late all the time." Cryogonal explained.
"A part-time job?" Scolipede raised his eyes in question.
"Probably." Cryogonal shrugged, seemingly unsure and hesitant to give any further details.
"I doubt that he can find a good job. That bug probably works in convenient stores or flipping burgers for sale. Like this." Heracross mocked by mimicking Shedinja's apathetic demeanor, standing still with no facial expressions whatsoever. She nudged Miltank for her reaction and they both laughed.
Cryogonal scowled. "Hey! Don't make fun of him!" By defending Shedinja, she earned looks from everyone.
"I actually agree. Miltank, you are just the worst." Dedenne directed the blame at her enemy.
"Me, what did I do, pipsqueak?" Miltank looked offended. "It's not my fault." She crossed her arms.
"It is still partially your fault for joining in with the laughter." Dedenne pointed out. Grovyle nodded.
"Yeah, I totally agree as well. Absolutely, that is just… wrong." Grovyle went along with it, giving a thumb up to support the message. Dedenne smiled widely at this, flashing her teeth. Bisharp chuckled to himself.
"I'm just kidding alright. No offense to that bug. Geez, sensitive." Heracross muttered, glaring at certain individuals.
The heat subsided once the door opened and the smell leaked out, working up their appetite.
"Smells good." Lucario commented as the first in line. Unfortunately, the Pokemon that stepped out was no one other than… his biggest fangirl.
"Really?! I'm overjoyed that you like it, Lucario! I made all the food especially for you!" Smeargle screamed giddily and dragged Lucario inside with his left hand.
"Help!" Lucario pleaded as he was forced inside. Many laughed at his predicament.
"Go get 'em, beast. Where's your aura, now?" Drifblim made a pun out of his team name, giggling until she gagged herself to stop.
"Homie, I hope you enjoy the food." Darmanitan said, giving a helpless and sheepish grin.
The others soon made their way inside the mess hall after they calmed down with the laughter.
The mess hall was redecorated. Only one long line of connected tables remained on the middle. A pink banner hung above with the words 'Merge Feast' in blue. The font was big and bold, capturing their attention. To the sides were leftover chairs, stacking together nicely. The giant table had a wide variety of food, including meat of various Pokemon (artificial), fruits, vegetables and berries. A dish of Slowpoke tail shined vibrantly among other special delicacies (not chef's).
Miltank licked her lips a little. "Feels like the good ol' feasts after a long, hard day at the farm."
"This exceeds my expectation. I will tip rewardingly." Meowth rubbed his hands together.
"You don't need to drag me. I can do everything by myself." Lucario tried to reject her help, shaking his head and right hand.
"I know but please let me do it." Smeargle requested, pulling the chair back for him.
"Are you on a date? Where is your chivalry?" Scolipede teased, plastering a mocking smile. Lucario face reddened and Scolipede regretted what he said, shutting up immediately.
"Scolipede, why did you say that? I know that you are joking but Lucario doesn't take that lightly, you know?" Ledyba scolded.
"Sorry. It was an accident." Scolipede apologized. Skrelp scanned through the situation silently.
"Good food, finally. Yay." Nosepass interrupted the tension and diverted everyone to the delicious food again.
Confessional
Scolipede: "I couldn't control my mouth. I don't know why I try to get on his nerves. This is probably suicidal and Ledyba is right. I should just stop. Maybe, I just hate him. He put me through a lot of things."
Ledyba: "I feel nervous. I don't want Scolipede to end up like Houndour. Why is he trying to aggravate and provoke Lucario?" Her face seemed a bit pale.
Lucario: "Scolipede…" Lucario clenched his fist, breathing heavily.
Darmanitan: "I think the homie is going to change his elimination list a bit. Yikes."
Duosion: "I'm glad that Lucario got humiliated. However, that isn't enough of a solace. Houndour is still eliminated because of his despotic rule." She frowned.
Skrelp: "There is a lot of tension coming from the other team. Perhaps, I can take advantage of that."
Nosepass: "I just want to eat the food! I don't care about what any of those jerks around me say. Can't I have nice things for once? The situation is too unstable for my liking."
Grovyle: "I'm sure I score some points from Dedenne, unlike Lucario. The guy seems to be in trouble right now and that's good. I remember what he did to me yesterday and I hold grudges."
Bisharp: "It is blatantly obvious that Grovyle puts up a charade to cover for his reputation yet Dedenne still fell for it. I guess love makes people blind."
Miltank: "I'm reunited with Heracross finally. For sure, we have a lot of things to discuss about privately."
Heracross: "I hope Shedinja starves, honestly. I doubt that he can eat anyway."
Cryogonal: "A part-time job? This got me thinking. He probably needs to support his own livelihood. That must be tough and difficult for sure. How is he faring outside of this game, I wonder?"
After a while…
Everyone enjoyed their food and engaged in a warm, friendly conversation. Lucario calmed down, devouring his plate of Sitrus Berry and Pinap Berry. Smeargle bugged him from his right side. Nosepass ate quietly, putting his head down and focused on the food. Rhyhorn kept his ears open but his mouth full. The others were more social than these three.
"Back at my farm, I shear Mareep wool for sale, produce Moomoo Milk, feed the horses for equestrian events and so much more. I'm basically a mighty force there, a hustler, a hard worker. Even the strongest Tauros cower in fear in front of me. With a snap of a finger, the Mareep shed their own wool for me. The milking part is the worse though." Miltank bragged, boasting a prideful smile.
"Cool. I plow the ground and plant berry seeds. My life is pretty boring unlike yours." Grovyle addressed Miltank, before shoving Slowpoke tails inside his mouth. Dedenne didn't seem pleased with his table manners.
"Really? My parents own a berry field, too!" Ledyba joined in.
"Wow, we have a lot in common." Grovyle widened his eyes, seeming a bit surprised. "Did your crops get attacked?" Grovyle asked curiosly.
"No, everyone around where I live is friendly." Ledyba replied.
"I'm envious." Grovyle admitted. He continued to stuff food down his mouth and ate a bit mannerlessly.
"So, Miltank. Why did you join this game? You seem happy back there. Does the million mean that much to you?" Drifblim asked, placing her arms under her chin.
"Well, I'm not exactly rich, even though I'm not poor. I just want to hold some solid gold once in my life, know what I mean? Showing the competition who's boss as well so that my co-workers praise me." Miltank answered.
"I see…" Drifblim's eyes flared with intrigue. She then glanced at Scolipede.
The guy was blowing a bowl of soup for Ledyba. He even filtered some of the contents out for her. More accurately, a green berry with scale-like features.
"Be careful, alright? Don't eat it if it is too hot and don't eat anything strange either or else you will get sick. I know that this isn't Chef Drapion's cooking but we can't exactly trust Smeargle either." Scolipede said in a skeptical manner. Ledyba looked a bit embarrassed because of his behavior.
The intern glared at Scolipede before she huffed and left. Lucario sighed in relief as Darmanitan rubbed his left shoulder.
"Err, Scolipede. What you just removed from my bowl is called Babiri Berry. It has a tough exterior and a strong flavor, mostly due to its spicy and dry texture. It can be used to create medicine to alleviate pain from steel type attacks. I can eat it just fine." Ledyba assured, convincing him with her knowledge.
"Alright, be careful." Scolipede still had that skeptical look on his face.
"You are a very overprotective boyfriend, aren't you? Girls might not like that." Drifblim advised.
"Hey, are you trying to criticize me?" Scolipede looked offended, narrowing his eyes in anger.
"No, I'm offering advice as another female Pokemon. Take my word lightly or not is up to you." Drifblim dealt with the situation in a composed manner.
"Are you annoyed, Ledyba?" Scolipede looked at his girlfriend anxiously.
"N-no, not one bit." Ledyba stuttered a bit, trying not to hurt his feelings. Scolipede looked relieved as he heard that. Skrelp eyed them mockingly before she resumed eating her food with proper etiquette.
The strategist eventually finished her plate, wiping her mouth with a napkin. Afterwards, she opened up her book to reread some of her favorite parts.
"Oh, this book. I just remember. A very cruel tragedy. Do you like reading tragedies?" Duosion struck a conversation with Skrelp.
"You read it as well?" Skrelp lifted up her gaze from her book slowly. Duosion nodded in reply.
"Interesting. Personally, the genre doesn't matter to me. Rather, I like to read something mature and around my reading age." Skrelp explained.
"I see. I read occasionally but not often. I prefer historical books over anything else." Duosion shared her interest.
"Are you done talking yet?" Skrelp asked in a very cold and unfriendly tone. "I don't exactly want to strain myself or overexert my mental capabilities to memorize your insignificant personality." Duosion was shocked at how Skrelp rudely ended the conversation like that.
"You asked me yourself, didn't you?" Duosion mumbled to herself.
"Don't mind her. She is like this all the time. I got the same treatment." Grovyle empathized.
"Grovyle is right. Don't mind her. She is like that all the time in our team." Dedenne agreed.
"It is okay. She didn't hurt my feelings or anything." Duosion assured upon seeing their concerned faces.
The feast was a luxury to many. Darmanitan kindly passed all kinds of food around, sharing the joy. Everyone looked happy as it all came to an end. Parting to their separate ways, some visited the confessional.
Confessional
Lucario: "Even though this is the merge, I want to remind my fellow Feckless Flygon members that we are still a team, the same entity as before. I want all of my teammates to join forces with me as if we are all in an alliance and completely obliterate the Crazy Crawdaunt. In order for that to happen, negative attitudes in our team need to change."
Meowth: "My trip to the overseas went pretty well, I say. I got new customers. Many of the Crazy Crawdaunt members seem to have taken a liking of me. A few didn't however, such as Rhyhorn and Dedenne. Heracross isn't the most ideal customer, neither is Grovyle."
Duosion: "Other than Skrelp and Lucario, I'm also keeping my eyes on Meowth. I think he betrayed the Treasure Trio. That guy is one dangerous businessman. The way he talked about charity and public projects to other contestants. He makes it very hard to hate him. I'm pretty sure that Ledyba is a close friend of his as well. He got ties with nearly everyone."
Skrelp: "My examination of all the contestants is complete; I analyzed their weaknesses, strengths, flaws and mentality. All of them should just forfeit now that only imminent victory is ahead of me." She had a cocky, smug grin on her face.
Dedenne: "If it isn't for the likes of Lucario, Miltank and Meowth, the other team would be miles better. The reason why I hate Miltank should be obvious by now. Lucario is just a jerk to our entire team and Meowth is just a no-good businessman that rigs Skarmory tokens."
Drifblim: "Very interesting. Most of the Pokemon here still have that 'team' mentality. I say wait for a few episodes and they will start to cannibalize on each other. Who knows? Lucario is the main gear driving forward this tradition with all of his followers in the backseat. After I read the atmosphere in the room, I can safely say that all the Crazy Crawdaunt members dislike Lucario in some shape or form. Therefore, they all seem reluctant to work with the other team."
Grovyle: "I like Ledyba. She is pretty cool. Miltank is alright. Heracross and I work together so we can have a place for her. Maybe, I can find some sort of arrangements for all of us. After all, I need to combat Lucario sooner or later."
Scolipede: "I don't look that weird, do I? Being worried is just another way of saying 'I love you'. I'm pretty sure. It worked on Leavanny before." He suddenly looked down in depression. "She tricked me so none of that is reliable now."
Cryogonal: "Shedinja didn't appear all day. I should save some food for him."
With permission from Smeargle, Cryogonal carried a plastic bag of Slowpoke tails back to the Feckless Flygon boys' cabin. She knocked on the door and waited patiently.
A few minutes passed by with no reply.
"Shedinja?" Cryogonal asked, starting to feel silly for waiting pointlessly. "Are you inside?"
Awkward silence.
Cryogonal opened the door to see Shedinja staring blankly into nothingness.
"What's wrong with you?" Cryogonal dropped the plastic bag down and hurriedly went over to check his condition.
"Don't you get the message? Get out." Shedinja said monotonously.
"Can't you at least say 'thank you'? I'm here to deliver food in case you are hungry." Cryogonal disobeyed his demand, persisting on her quest to reach his empty soul.
"Whatever. Place it down and leave." Shedinja didn't look annoyed or anything. He was completely emotionless. He didn't feel annoyed that she disobeyed him. He couldn't find enough anger inside him to shout at her either. Happiness? Laughable. He didn't feel hungry one bit.
Cryogonal heated up with anger a bit. "Nothing in this world means anything to you, huh? Just because you are abandoned doesn't mean you can reject other Pokemon's kindness this… heartlessly!" She shouted. Shedinja turned to face her with his empty eyeholes.
"What is the point of my life? Everything is just so boring. Do I feel any desire for further revenge? No, it takes too much effort and motivation. Enough damage had been done after I stole Ninjask's spot on this show. Money? What is the use of something so temporary? I use it and it is gone. Materialism is worthless to me. Friends? I-" Shedinja drawled until he was interrupted.
Cryogonal swung her chains around furiously as she spoke. "Stop lying to yourself! I saw it, your desire to live. You think you can fool me? You like to make sarcastic and witty remarks. Why? Probably because it is the only way to express yourself. You can't bear the pain of being lonely forever." Cryogonal paused for a short breather.
"You gave some effort in challenges even though you tried to deny that. You are somewhat competitive. You even think that you are 'talented' yourself." Cryogonal bombarded him rapidly with these weird accusations. How dare she assumed that he felt anything at all? Suddenly, Shedinja had a sickening epiphany.
He felt something. The feeling of defeat and denial.
"How did you know?" Shedinja asked, perking his eyes slightly.
"Your song and from my own experience. I went through similar things." Cryogonal revealed, calming down once she saw how he reacted.
"I underestimate you. Still, there is nothing you can do about it. Leave." Shedinja insisted with his deadpan voice. Strangely, he felt insecure. He wanted her to leave now. The longer and closer she stayed around him, the crazier his mind spun. His anti-social and aloof barrier shattered. It was a completely new experience for him. One that he couldn't control or grasp. He despised it.
Cryogonal seethed as she stormed out of the cabin, slamming the door harshly.
"Fine! Don't eat if you don't want to!" She yelled at him from outside before she left.
"I don't understand." Shedinja said these three simple words to himself quietly. Staring at the bag of Slowpoke tails, he felt nothing. Yet, he floated to it, abruptly stopping mere inches away from the food.
"What am I doing? I'm not hungry." Shedinja floated back to his bed to take a nap. However, he couldn't sleep. His eyes were bugged and pestered by the sight of the Slowpoke tails.
"The talented boy was lost and confused. What does he actually want in this world, if anything at all?" Shedinja added an extra line to his song.
Confessional
Cryogonal: "Great, I wasted my time with him. He threw every single opportunity to make friends away." She groaned. "Stupid bug."
Shedinja: "I don't know what to say. I rarely enter this shabby stall, really. What do they do inside here? I mean the other contestants. Talking behind each other's back? A secret love confession? Strategy talk? I don't have anything to say. I rarely feel much at all, really."
Grovyle had a nice walk around the forest with Dedenne.
"In the end, I found the culprit and returned justice back to my home." Grovyle exaggerated his story about how he caught a bird Pokemon that tried to steal his berries. In reality, it was just a random, hungry Swellow that strayed to his property accidentally and couldn't resist the temptation. Grovyle made such a huge fuss about it.
"Wow, you are so amazing, Grovyle." Dedenne praised, clinging onto his legs.
"Of course, I'm amazing. I even donated some food to that poor fellow." Grovyle lied, making Dedenne happier.
"Although, I want you to know that not all flying types act like that. For example, Skarmory. He doesn't go around stealing stuff like that." Dedenne taught, fearing that her precious Grovyle might be a typist.
"I know. I'm mostly talking about the birds back home. A local thing, remember? They develop that trait from their ancestors or something. I don't generalize like that." Grovyle assured.
"Aw, you are just amazing." Dedenne said dreamily.
Confessional
Dedenne: "I will admit it now, alright? I love Grovyle. He is just everything that I can ask for and much more beyond that."
Grovyle: "I know that she will be happy when I give her second place." He nodded to himself.
Dusk settled, signaling that the day was about to come to an end.
In the middle of the clearing, Meowth, Drifblim, Bisharp and Miltank all sat around in a circle. Apparently, they were playing a game of Monopoly.
Duosion passed by, glancing at them with curiosity. Noticeably, the entire board was flooded with houses and hotels, showing that the game advanced to its climax. Meowth got a stack of cash and deeds around him. Drifblim got a lot of deeds but a dangerously low amount of cash. On the contrary, Bisharp got two stacks of cash but barely any properties. Miltank got nothing around her. Did she declare bankruptcy? Or was she merely spectating?
"Aha! You land on my hotel. Pay up, dear customer." Meowth said gleefully to Drifblim.
"You know what? I give up. You can win, Meowth." Drifblim tossed everything to Meowth, dissatisfaction in her voice.
"I surrender. You win." Bisharp conceded the game, glancing at the dark sky.
"Really? You still have a fighting chance. I don't mind it but are you sure?" Meowth questioned.
"Yep, you can win." Bisharp assured, putting everything back into the box neatly.
"This game is so unfair! Meowth, you told me that the railroads pay well. I traded you a monopoly for that and looked what happened. I lost!" Miltank complained, slamming her fist on the ground.
"You are just unlucky. The product clearly states that there is no guarantee for the quality." Meowth discounted her complaints. Miltank looked frustrated.
"I objected that. You should've listen." Drifblim disapproved her decision critically.
"Can't help it. I don't really play board games that often. They are boring and long." Miltank defended, getting herself up from the ground and left. The other three properly organized everything back into the box.
Meowth noticed Duosion and gave her an apologetic smile.
"Oh, you want to play? Sorry, we are closed for the day." Meowth apologized for the inconvenience and mistiming.
"Not really. Just curious. Where did you get it?" Duosion stared at the box.
"I paid for it a few days ago, at your local Skarmory Shop." Meowth advertised. Duosion furrowed her brows.
"Goodness, you are such a jokester. You gifted businessman…" Drifblim playfully slapped his shoulder, sniggering.
"Skarmory gave me a discount. I should return the favor in some shape or form." Meowth clarified.
Alakazam made another announcement again.
"Attention. Can everyone please sleep a bit early today? Since this is the merge, I see no reason to restrict your freedom of will. You can sleep in the other team's cabin, albeit the gender segregation. Thank you for your obedience." The announcement ended.
"We should head to sleep now like Alakazam ordered." Meowth suggested and everyone around him agreed.
Confessional
Heracross: "Hell yeah, I get to sleep with Miltank. Anyways, where is that advantage? I can't find it throughout the entire day. At least, I never get to see Shedinja's stinking face."
Duosion: "Meowth is definitely a threat for better or worse. I don't hold as much grudge against him as I do against Lucario but I still convict him guilty of eliminating Houndour. I doubt that Ledyba, Cryogonal and even Scolipede would lie to me. Meowth's body language say it all."
Lucario: "I think I should remind my team that the Crazy Crawdaunt are all enemies. Even though I spent the majority of my time today in the gym, I saw many friendly interactions between the teams. I don't like that."
Scolipede: "I want today to last longer. I got to go on a date with Ledyba in the berry fields. She taught me a lot of stuff that I didn't know. I think I can afford to let my guard down a bit now. Just the berries."
Ledyba: "Scolipede is starting to feel less paranoid now. That is just great."
Drifblim: "Meowth is a key ally to my survival in this game. He got ties with nearly everyone. Surely, he can convince Lucario to spare poor me a little. I will even butt-kiss him for that to work. Figuratively, that is."
Nosepass: "I like the day-off. No scary challenges, threats of elimination and such and such."
Shedinja: "Sleep early? Kill me now." He looked a bit serious.
Lucario opened the door and Darmanitan followed behind him.
"Back from the gym?" Meowth asked, mostly addressing Lucario.
"Yeah, homie." Darmanitan answered instead. Meowth didn't mind it.
Lucario glanced around the room. "No Crazy Crawdaunt boys in here? Perfect." He seemed content.
"They are all scared of you." Scolipede stated.
Lucario surprising looked pleased. "Good." He said simply.
"You want others to fear you?" Scolipede raised his left eye, half-expecting the answer.
"They all should. Intimidation lowers their morale and valor." Lucario answered matter-of-factly.
Scolipede slumped down on his bed and turned sideways. "I'm sleeping. Good night." He sounded tired.
"Good night." Darmanitan did the same. Lucario lay down on his bed as well, closing his eyelids. Meowth placed his hand behind his head as he rested. Only Shedinja was still awake, staring at the ceiling. The lights were all off. After everyone submitted to slumber, someone knocked on the door. Shedinja remained silent.
The door creaked and Cryogonal peeked inside. "Did he eat the Slowpoke tails? If not, I will return them to Smeargle." Cryogonal talked quietly to herself.
Shedinja didn't reply, he only dropped an empty plastic bag down from his top bunk bed. Cryogonal stared at it with awe before she smiled and left.
Confessional
Cryogonal: "There is still hope for him after all."
Duosion: She yawned, her face all groggily and lethargic. "It is hard to sleep in my original cabin with two snoring Pokemon inside. I will sleep with the Crawdaunt girls even if Skrelp is there."
Nosepass clenched his bed sheets, twisting his head around. Ocean waves rang in his ears.
"Water monster, get away! Ah!" He screamed in fear and opened his eyes. Everything was all blue.
"Am I hallucinating?" Nosepass rubbed his eyes and tried to step down from his bed until his feet made contact with something wet…
"Hah?! Did I wet myself or something?" Nosepass panicked and checked his bedsheets to see all of it dry and clean. There was also a letter out of nowhere.
"Dear Nosepass, this is from Alakazam. Your first merge challenge starts now. Ingenious, isn't it? Separating you from your team straight away is a great way of initiating things with a bang. Remember that you only have y-yourself to rely on." Nosepass stopped reading for a moment and glanced around. He was stranded on the ocean. His eyes slowly widened, allowing the feeling to sink in.
"No!" Nosepass lost it, he trembled in fear and hid under his bed sheets. "Why is this happening?! I didn't sign up for this!" He wailed to the top of his lungs.
After a while, he gathered his spirits back and continued reading the letter. "Your objective is to return back to Skarmory Island. The first contestant to arrive there earns immunity. There are nineteen contestants competing for this challenge. Two returners just joined you. Of course, they didn't see this coming either. Also, a friendly word of caution from me. Beware of pirates." Nosepass lifted his face from the letter, looking pale all of a sudden and fainted.
Confessional
Nosepass: "P-pirates. I-I'm g-going t-to d-die." He rocked back and forth, stuttering all over the place.
Meanwhile, on the beach of an unknown island…
A bottle with a letter inside washed ashore, next to an unconscious Pokemon. His defining features were blades, embedded deep inside his body. On the exterior, he looked threatening. The back of his head axed the pillow mercilessly.
Yet, he shivered because of the cold. His blanket was gone and his sunlight faded. The premature morning sun granted him weak, sorrowful rays of blue. For a moment, he looked vulnerable like a baby in a cradle, crying for his parents. He wasn't threatening at all. Instead, he felt threatened.
Constant pressure from many things weighted him down. His face strained, ruining his handsome look. The way his helmet covered his face, the way his eyes shimmered as light passed through…
"Why am I here?" Bisharp asked as he slowly pushed himself off the ground and eyed the bottle with interest. He sliced the cap open and read the content quietly to himself, moving his mouth in a rhythmic way.
At one point, he stopped and his eyes widened. "Is Jumpluff here?" Bisharp wondered, fueling his body with energy and motivation.
"Jumpluff, are you here?!" He called out, praying for a reply. There was no time to wait, he rushed his steps around the beach. Each press of his foot was light and nimble. Sometimes, he stepped on a rock and nearly trip but he recovered.
His eyes scrambled around, scanning through the surroundings. He was on a strange, remote and unknown island with small, stubby trees. No signs of any fruits on them. Bisharp tapped his chin, the letter was still inside his grip.
Unexpectedly, a small piece of paper fell down. It was something attached alongside the letter. Bisharp picked it up with a puzzled expression.
"What is this?" Bisharp contemplated. There was a jagged pattern, some parts of it got cut off though. After a long, thoughtful pose, Bisharp got an idea.
"This is a part of a map. There must be nineteen parts of it. Each contestant has one. This isn't an individual race against time but rather, a stealing game. At the same time, the pirates serve as extra obstacles for us." Bisharp theorized.
Seeing that he made progress, Bisharp's confidence surged. He ran around the island, jumping across bushes, cutting thorns and branches that obscured his path. The steel and dark type was ecstatic. With an optimism filled heart, he searched relentlessly for Jumpluff.
"What is that noise, Mr. Stalk?" Suddenly, there was a voice from behind a thick group of trees. Bisharp took a moment to process it and frowned. The appearance of Farfetch'd lowered the odds of Jumpluff returning.
A sharp slicing sound snapped him back to his senses. Bisharp prepared a defensive stance in case Farfetch'd had any ideas. The tree in front of him fell down, luckily not in his direction. Farfetch'd appeared behind it, walking over the stump.
"Did Jumpluff make it back?" Bisharp asked, his eyes pleaded for good news.
"Bisharp, Jumpluff really cares about you. She wants you to enjoy your time here, with or without her." Farfetch'd gradually built up the answer.
"Tell me now! Don't be indirect or dodge the question, please." Bisharp cried out impatiently. It pained him to wait any longer.
"Sorry, she didn't make it." Farfetch'd looked down solemnly so did Bisharp.
"I see…" Bisharp staggered away slowly before he stabbed a nearby tree out of sudden rage. Farfetch'd raised his leek stalk up in a guard position instinctively.
"Why?! Why must this happen to us?! It is all Grovyle's fault. It is all his fault!" Bisharp condemned with pure contempt.
"Please calm down. Jumpluff told me that she doesn't want you to act like this." Farfetch'd conveyed the message. "She doesn't want you to do anything that you will regret."
"Are you telling me to just leave Grovyle scot-free?!" Bisharp had an emotional outburst, breathing heavily. Farfetch'd stepped back and held Mr. Stalk tightly. The duck tried his best but it wasn't enough. He started to question his place. Does he even have the right to tell Bisharp what to do? Was he being too presumptuous? Did he say something wrong?
Bisharp started feeling guilty after he saw Farfetch'd's horrified look. "I don't mean to direct my anger at you. My sincerest apologies." Bisharp bowed a little.
"Mr. Stalk accepts your apology so I guess I will as well." Farfetch'd discussed things with his trusty partner before coming up with a reply. Bisharp looked a bit weirded out but tried to remain polite and considerate to his feelings.
"Thank you Farfetch'd and… Mr. Stalk as well." Bisharp faltered a bit.
"Don't need to mention Mr. Stalk if you can't do it without any difficulty. He is used to being ignored every day. Therefore, he no longer cares." Farfetch'd spoke in Mr. Stalk's stead. Bisharp nodded slowly.
"Do you have a piece of the map? Perhaps, we can share it before we go our separate ways." Bisharp suggested.
"Fine with both of us." Farfetch'd agreed.
Confessional
Bisharp: "Grovyle... I will make sure you leave today." He sounded menacing.
Farfetch'd: "Mr. Stalk detects Bisharp's desire for revenge. Oy vey, I promised Jumpluff and a promise is a promise. My girlfriend always said that."
Duosion woke up in the middle of a tropical rainforest, glancing around at her surroundings. "Where am I?" She wondered.
The forest was dense with tall trees, all competing for sunlight. The weak tiny plants wilted and died while those that adapted to this competitive environment lived. The floor was wet and the air was filled with humidity. The temperature was scorching but Duosion didn't complain. She only sweated a little.
Noticeably, there was a letter and a piece of the map on the ground. Duosion picked both of them up with Psychic and read the letter in her mind.
"I understand it now. My first objective is to find Houndour." Duosion got a clear goal in her mind. She wandered around a bit, looking at her incomplete map occasionally. It got 'Sunoon Island' written with a border connecting to the sea.
"I only study about the main lands, sadly." Duosion admitted, regretting not studying more. "This place is new to me."
Vines wrapped around a tree, leaching its way to the top. Carcasses of Sunkern were found, all black and rotten. They deprived of any sunlight, no trace of green left on their body. Were these real-looking corpses some sick joke set up by Skarmory? He created the haunted area so who knows? Duosion witnessed these horrible imageries with a look of disgust.
"No wonder why it is isolated. I can't find any alive Pokemon here." Duosion mumbled to herself.
"Someone is here with me?" A voice was heard nearby Duosion. Bushes rustled and Aromatisse emerged.
Duosion frowned, her reaction similar to Bisharp. The odds of Houndour returning decreased substantially. "Did Houndour return?" She asked straight away, rather than finding out the reason for her black, bruised face.
"Bad news, he didn't return. Farfetch'd is back instead." Aromatisse told, leaving the fact that she eliminated him out.
"Well, that is to be expected." Duosion said sorrowfully before she asked. "Anyways, what happened to your face?"
"An accident." Aromatisse said vaguely, averting her eyes a little. "If that is all you need to ask. I will leave now. This is an individual challenge after all."
Before she was about to turn away and left, Duosion noticed a piece of map in her right hand.
"Wait, shouldn't we at least share the map?" Duosion proposed. Aromatisse raised her eyes doubtfully.
"I know that we aren't the closest of friends but helping each other a little shouldn't do much harm. It will increase both of our chances." Duosion persuaded.
Aromatisse alternated her eyes between Duosion and her map. After several seconds, she decided to share the map.
Confessional
Duosion: "Well, I didn't win the lottery. This is why I don't gamble."
Aromatisse: "I feel like I should be independent. I can't let Lucario downplay my strength. The old Aromatisse is gone for good. She is taking a vacation in a beauty spa for all eternity."
Grovyle tried to navigate his way through a short, stubby forest. Scratching his head, he looked at the map.
"How am I supposed to know where I'm going with a torn-piece of map?" Grovyle complained, throwing his arms in the air.
Taking a moment to craft a plan, Grovyle considered his options.
"You got the street smarts, Grovyle. Think, think! How to not get lost?" Grovyle seemed to be deep in thought.
He snapped his fingers and a smirk appeared on his face.
"Right! I should carve a symbol or something on a tree so that I won't go full circles. Ingenious me. Brain, you surprise me all the time." Grovyle's pointed to his head, boosting his ego.
The gecko used Leaf Blade to slash an X mark on a tree every once in a while, keeping track of his location.
Unknowingly, someone tapped his shoulder. Grovyle turned around to see Drifblim.
"Oh leader, you don't know how glad I'm to see you. I got lost like a headless ghost. Thankfully, your unrivaled intellect guided me here. Leaving an X symbol, your plan just simply can't be beat." Drifblim praised sweetly. Grovyle grinned at this.
"Of course, I'm a genius. Unlike Bisharp, who got mad that I outsmarted him. Can you believe that?" Grovyle boasted with a mocking smile.
"Anyways, do you remember our deal, leader? Oh, silly me. Your memory is too flawless. I shouldn't doubt your abilities to memorize such a trivial thing." Drifblim sucked it up to him.
"I remember everything. Don't worry." Grovyle assured.
"Excellent, I will take my leave for now. Do you know that Dedenne is close? Walk straight and turn left. Oops, you probably already know that." Drifblim massaged Grovyle mentally before she vanished.
"Such a great friend. She looks up to me like Dedenne. You can take third place, Drifblim." Grovyle 'bestowed', smiling widely.
The flattered Grovyle followed Drifblim's directions and met up with Dedenne.
"How did you find me so soon?!" Dedenne exclaimed with joy.
"I leave markings on the trees." Grovyle told. "Smart, isn't it?"
"Indeed, yeah." Dedenne looked impressed.
The two decided to work together, combining their maps to cover a bigger part of the island. A name can now be seen alongside a small drawing of a stubby tree. Jabbyjack Island.
Confessional
Dedenne: "I don't understand why Grovyle feels that other Pokemon look down upon his intelligence. He seems pretty smart to me and virtuous as well."
Grovyle: "My fans, all of you will be left speechless after I win the first individual immunity challenge." He had a cocky attitude.
Drifblim: "Grovyle is such a simple creature. You only need to praise and compliment him to manipulate him."
Sounds of local Pokemon commuting to work and going to vacation overseas buzzed around Scolipede. He woke up to a unique location, a ferry station. The floor was marble white with blue walls and a glass roof. There were many chairs of all sizes in the middle of the station. Many Pokemon sat waiting for their ferry.
Lining to the left and right were shops of all kinds. Most importantly, a ticket counter lied between the two terminal gates after the waiting area. In addition, an electronic board listed all the trips. A big banner hung below the ceiling with the words 'Ganchor Port' written on it.
Next to Scolipede's seat was a ferry ticket to Skarmory Island. Nothing else other than that.
"What is going on?" Scolipede asked himself as he tried to absorb his surroundings in. He seemed foreign to this weird, peculiar location. Scolipede collected the ticket next to him, shaking himself awake and got up from his seat.
"Might be my mission to go back to Skarmory Island." Scolipede thought to himself. He headed to the ticket counter, approaching a male Mightyena staff.
"Excuse me, where is the ferry to Skarmory Island?" Scolipede inquired.
"You must be a foreigner, eh? Head to the Outer Islands Terminal. Your ferry will depart at 8:00 am. Check the electronic board next time." Mightyena informed, pointing to the terminal on the right.
"Thank you." Scolipede said politely before he left. Catching his eyes along the way was a luxurious shop named Meowrendezvous. The entire store was decorated with cat-like items. Furthermore, the floor shined a golden color with jewelries displayed in many glass containers.
"Meowth owns that?!" Scolipede blurted out loudly, dropping his jaw. The locals murmured as they passed him.
Clearing his mind from getting side-tracked, Scolipede crawled quickly to the terminal. He glanced briefly at the terminal on the left. Apparently, it was the Main Lands Terminal. Noticeably, he also checked the electronic board. The predicted arrival time was 14:00.
The bug type queued up behind the foreigners and locals alike, waiting for the line to dwindle down. Eventually, he gave his ticket and boarded the ferry. Not before he stared at it.
The boat was a mechanical marvel, crafted from the sturdiest of metals for protection; armored and plated by defense experts for safety. The exterior was gray, dull and bland. However, the interior looked a bit more pleasing for the eye. The floor was white while the chairs were brown with red cushions. Each row had different chair sizes. The smallest chairs for the likes of Dedenne and the biggest chairs for the likes of Snorlax.
"Artern is one weird place." Scolipede commented carelessly, ignorant about the patriots' presence.
"You shouldn't say that." A male Furfrou advised. He trimmed his fur diamond style. Scolipede turned to him.
"Oh, sorry about that. I didn't mean it in a bad way." Scolipede defended.
"No offense taken, why don't you take a seat, foreigner?" Furfrou offered. Scolipede accepted and sat next to him.
At the end of the room was a clock, Scolipede checked to see that it was 7:47 am as of Artern Standard Time.
Seeing the foreigner looking at the clock, Furfrou nudged him.
"You shouldn't expect to arrive on time. Don't stress about it, you will soon understand." Furfrou said vaguely to the confusion of Scolipede. The skeptic doubted what he just heard.
"Why is that the case?" Scolipede asked, confused.
"Where do you live?" Furfrou asked a question back instead. "Your country." He specified.
"Axon." Scolipede answered.
"Axon? I now understand why you look so out of place. Your country advocate the use of traditional transportations like Drifblim balloons, Lapras boats and horse carts, correct?" Furfrou asked for confirmation. Scolipede nodded.
"That place is a paradise in my opinion. You see, Ganchor Port got destroyed by psychopaths often especially during the time of Desire Era. Time after time, each boat got… obliterated." Furfrou said in a serious tone.
"Hence, the reason why the ferry looks more like a bomb bunker than anything." Furfrou explained. Scolipede nodded in understanding. The friendly local averted his eyes to the window for a second. Scolipede followed his line of sight but quickly minded his own business and stayed silent.
Furfrou retrieved a newspaper from under his seat. Scolipede observed and copied, trying to blend in.
Reading the newspaper distracted his curiosity for a while. Scolipede still couldn't grasp why he will arrive late. He considered asking Furfrou again. However, his answer arrived by itself.
A Machamp exited the control room, lifting up a microphone for an announcement.
"Attention, passengers. This is your captain. We will soon depart for the outer islands. Before that, we need to conduct a safety check. Get straight to work everyone!" Machamp broadcasted.
Suddenly, a group of safety staff swarmed inside the boat. They meticulously inspected everyone's belongings, checking for weapons and explosives.
"Boss, this kid got a strangely colored water bottle." Toxicroak alerted. Machamp walked over to the Tentacool kid, eyeing the purple liquid. The kid gulped immediately.
"Kid, did you stuff something dangerous in?" Machamp interrogated.
"No," Tentacool sweated bullets.
"I don't believe you!" Machamp picked the Tentacool kid up and carried him outside the boat. All the passengers focused their eyes on him. Some showed sympathy, some didn't. Scolipede eyes seemed equivocal. He wasn't sure whether the kid hid something dangerous or not.
"There will be no refund for you!" Machamp yelled as he kicked the Tentacool out of the ferry. Scolipede recoiled at the sight.
The captain returned and picked up his microphone for another announcement. "Sorry, dear passengers. We will need to delay the departure time for about thirty more minutes." Scolipede and the foreigners moaned and whined. The locals didn't to his surprise.
A female Chatot flew hurriedly to the Machamp. "Boss, there are rumors of a storm!" She squawked.
"Delay for another hour!" Machamp announced. Scolipede gaped, completely bewildered at what was going on.
A female Medicham rushed over to him. "Boss, the engine made weird, rumbling noises. We should call the experts to check them." She cautioned.
Machamp sighed and spoke with his microphone once again. "Passengers… The departure time has been changed to 10:30 am, Artern Standard Time. The arrival time will be affected as well." The captain expressed the unfortunate circumstances to the passengers.
Scolipede stared at the paranoid captain, he wasn't angry or mad at him. Rather, the captain reminded him of… himself. The way he was paranoid at everything. He felt ashamed, looking down on the ground.
"Disappointed?" Furfrou placed his paw on his left shoulder.
"Yeah I guess." Scolipede replied.
"Delays are very common in Ganchor Port. Everyone is used to it by now." Furfrou told, giving him a slight encouraging smile. "There are worse cases than this."
"Aren't you Arterners afraid of being late to work?" Scolipede asked, arching his brow.
"If you are scared of being late, you aren't suited to live here. You must be scared of danger. Artern was a ruined, charred and destroyed country before. It was nearly beyond redemption until a group of heroes saved all of us." Furfrou paused for a moment, his eyes were deep like tunnels.
"If you want fast transportation, live in Crystalia. That country got airports, cars, everything. However, Artern got one thing that is better than Crystalia. Do you know what it is?" Furfrou tested his knowledge.
"Err… safety?" Scolipede guessed.
"Yep, we got the safest sea transportation out of the seven main lands." Furfrou smiled and returned his eyes to the newspaper.
Scolipede was about to do the same until he heard a scream.
"Eek! How dare you look under my dress!" Gardevior screamed and kicked Toxicroak away.
"Sorry miss, I thought I saw something down there so I need to check." Toxicroak made an excuse. Gardevoir didn't look pleased with the answer, neither did a Gallade next to her. The captain appeared and lowered his head.
"My sincerest apologies. We will cover any damage-" Machamp tried to settle this peacefully until Gallade jumped at him and Toxicroak.
"You *beep*! How dare you do that to my girlfriend!" He swore and started beating them up alongside Gardevior. Scolipede gulped.
"I can already foresee it. Delay for another hour. We need to hospitalize the captain." Furfrou predicted. Scolipede started to laugh nervously and teared up a bit.
"Don't cry now." Furfrou patted his back and pushed his head down to the newspaper. "Keep your eyes on the newspaper and pray."
Confessional
Scolipede: "Delay…delay, delay… delay for another hour..." He didn't look mentally stable.
Skrelp awakened from her slumber. Opening her eyes widely, she read a note next to her. Afterwards, she fixed her eyes on a black envelope. It was something she received instead of a map piece. Skrelp smirked deviously before she opened it. There was a note inside, written in red ink.
"Infiltrate Captain Big Beak's room if you dare! A special advantage awaits you if you make it out alive…" Skrelp ignored the last part. Analyzing and pinpointing location was the first thing she did.
She was on a beach with mist surrounding the island. The island was very small in comparison to Skarmory Island. Skrelp estimated it to be about fifty square kilometers. Palm trees were common and giant rocks scattered across the island.
"Deadly Mist Island, located next to Sunoon Island. The fastest route is to swim south from here to Jabbyjack Island and then head east, I'm pretty sure." Skrelp sounded confident.
"However, I prefer to get the advantage as well as the immunity." Skrelp said greedily.
Just as she wished, a pirate ship revealed itself in the distance…
"Captain Big Beak? I think I know the identity of that filthy scum." Skrelp seemed excited.
Confessional
Skrelp: "Every intern gets their day, it seems. Trumbeak is my opponent for sure."
The pirate ship came into view. The sails were all painted black with white skulls. The wooden masts stood tall and towering. The bowsprit was shaped like a Toucannon's beak. Cannon appeared from all sides of the ship. She was a true beauty, yeah?
Raticate climbed down the ratlines with a bucket on his head, serving as a hat. It nearly covered his eyes. Luckily, Raticate pushed it back up to not obscure his vision.
"Captain, we found an intruder. An ugly, smoking kid." Raticate alarmed.
Stepping out from the captain's cabin was Trumbeak, he donned a pirate hat with a skull design and red quill hanging out from the back. Furthermore, he wore an eyepatch on his left eye and a fancy, white pirate shirt. It got golden buttons on the cuffs, a loose collar and a golden toggle chain. The notorious pirate wielded a silver cutlass. Lastly, a Pikipek plush situated on his left shoulder.
"Yarr! Ye say an intruder attack me timbers?" Trumbeak talked with pirate language.
"Ay, captain." Raticate confirmed.
"Barrel boy, fetch me hostage." Trumbeak ordered, addressing someone inside his cabin.
"Ay, captain." Ursaring accepted.
Ursaring exited the captain's cabin and descended down to the main deck. He wore a blue striped t-shirt with a black bandana. Other than that, he held a giant barrel with him.
At the same time, the last crew member opened the hatch and ascended up. It was Chef Drapion, who looked grumpier than usual. The chef wore nothing other than a purple linen shirt.
"I thought Skarmory is done giving interns screen time." Chef Drapion grumbled. Ursaring jumped down the hatch at this time.
"Say that again, matey. Ye think me talent not suited for the job? Ye think me boring? This is me ship and I be the only one to speak pirate, ay?" Trumbeak said, sounding offended. He then walked over to his disobedient crew member and pointed his blade at the chef's neck.
"Good ol' keelhaulin' wait for ye, mate." Trumbeak threatened aggresively. Chef Drapion retreated back, fear prevalent in his eyes.
"You can't do that!" Chef Drapion protested.
"Ye be a sissy after all." Trumbeak retorted. "Ser'e poison for others but can't drink yer self. I be huntin' for that 1,000 P bounty on yer head."
Chef Drapion gritted his teeth but said nothing.
"He is right, chef. Captain Big Beak got more authority than you today." Raticate said, seemingly entertained. Chef Drapion flashed him a nasty glare.
Ursaring climbed up with an unconscious Shedinja, interrupting the conversation.
"Captain, I got the hostage." Ursaring told, placing asleep bug down. All eyes were on him.
"Splash water on him." Trumbeak ordered simply.
"Ay, captain." Raticate saluted. Using his own bucket hat, he scooped up water and soaked Shedinja.
Shedinja coughed water out before he floated up, finally awake. "Whose idea is it to wake me up?" He said in an annoyed tone.
"Me, Captain Big Beak. The conqueror of the Boundless Blues (aka Boundless Waters), the descendant of legendary, ruthless Toucannon pirates. Ye board me ship. Either ye be my mate or ye walk the plank." Trumbeak offered a chance to join him or suffer an agonizing death.
Shedinja looked around at each and every one of them before he spoke.
"My childhood is ruined." Shedinja drawled. The others had a look of disdain on their faces.
The ghost bug floated to Raticate. "What are you supposed to be, bucket head? Someone who fetches water? You aren't a real pirate to me. Lame." Shedinja criticized unenthusiastically.
"Hey, Captain forced me to wear this!" Raticate objected.
Shedinja then floated over to Ursaring, who flexed his muscles by lifting up a barrel.
"That barrel isn't even heavy. Find a real weapon." Shedinja indicated. Ursaring scowled.
"Chef, purple doesn't suit the sea. Save that shirt for a food poisoning contest." Shedinja derided. Chef Drapion groaned.
Trumbeak lifted his sword up threateningly once Shedinja approached him.
"I can make ye drown in blues. Me authority reigns far and wide, absolutely aye!" Trumbeak asserted.
"Very scary." Shedinja said sarcastically. "At least someone here looks like a real pirate." Trumbeak lowered his sword once he heard this.
"Ye join me not?" Trumbeak waited impatiently for the answer.
"What will I get?" Shedinja sounded disinterested.
"Immunity if we eliminate all of the other contestants." Ursaring explained. "Us interns will also get a bonus from Skarmory. I need that after I lost the advantage!" He slammed his fists together angrily. Shedinja seemed careless about the news of the advantage.
"Sorry, not interested. I rather walk the plank." Shedinja denied. Trumbeak widened his eyes in shock.
"Passin' an easy opportunity for the immunity? Ye seasick?" Trumbeak asked, unwilling to accept that he got rejected. Shedinja yawned out of boredom. Trumbeak curled his beak.
Ursaring and Raticate sweated, looking pleadingly at Shedinja.
"Please join us, kid. We need that smoking bonus." Raticate begged, clasping his hands together.
"Yeah, join before Captain Big Beak forces you to walk the plank for real." Ursaring suggested.
"Nah." Shedinja seemed stubborn.
"How 'bout this? We demonstrate and ye decide again." Trumbeak insisted.
"Fine. Whatever." Shedinja drawled.
"Boys, tell him. What are we?!" Trumbeak initiated a rallying cry. Chef Drapion distanced himself in a corner until Trumbeak gave him a deadly glare. The chef grumbled as he walked over next to Ursaring and Raticate. They all faced the captain.
"Para-Pirates! Supreme sailors that rule over the ocean and the sky!" The three members shouted with varying levels of enthusiasm. Shedinja had a look of confusion.
"Sky? Is this some sort of sick joke?" Shedinja scoffed.
"Ho, ho! Captain Big Beak nay ne'er kid." Trumbeak chortled as he ascended up the quarter deck to the steering wheel. With a press of a button on the wheel, the ship shot black wings from the sides. The bowsprit turned into a propeller engine, bursting out flames. This ship wasn't an ordinary boat. It was an airship.
"She's risin' to the sky!" Trumbeak shouted with exhilaration. The keel of the ship left the water and jetted above and beyond. Shedinja thought it was so-so. Nothing special.
"Shouldn't you be called a pilot or an air raider instead of a pirate?" Shedinja quipped.
"Well, you see, we are modern pirates. We strike from above." Ursaring told, climbing out of the hatch with a hang glider. It got a skull design with a mixture between black and white like the aesthetics of the ship itself. In addition, there was a waist rope attaching to the handle for safety.
"We are about to attack that ugly kid." Raticate said invitingly, giving Shedinja an encouraging stare. Unfortunately, Shedinja didn't seem to have any interest.
Chef Drapion stepped out of the hatch last, folding his arms.
"How are you going to guarantee my safety?" Chef Drapion questioned as he fiddled with the waist rope to make sure it attaches properly.
"Alakazam will save ye. Shiver me timbers if ye die." Trumbeak answered. He didn't sound assuring.
Chef Drapion looked disturbed at the answer.
"Chef, you get paid to do this. I will do it for sure. My first pay check is waiting." Raticate reminded.
Chef Drapion groaned, rolling his eyes. "Skarmory better pay me extra." He collected an armful of coconuts before edging slowly out of the ship. Taking a deep breath, he jumped out of the boat alongside his crew.
Shedinja spectated as the three glided down, encountering Skrelp. Her plan to infiltrate the ship failed since it flew into the air. It was an unprecedented event that she couldn't calculate for, forcing her to retreat.
The seahorse dived under the water, camouflaging herself with rotten kelp. However, this tactic didn't work with the keen eyes of the pirates.
"Right there, she hides with the rotten kelp." Ursaring pointed out. He glided closer to the surface of the ocean before he dropped a pile of coconuts from his barrel.
"What the hell?" Skrelp immediately fled out of her hiding spot, barely dodging the assault.
"Attack!" Raticate gave a sharp cry as he released his hands from the handle (waist rope still suspended him for safety) and pluck coconuts out of his bucket, barraging her with his throws.
Skrelp dived to the bottom parts of the ocean, sneering at the pirates' fruitless attempts. All the coconuts fell down and floated back up harmlessly once it made contact with water.
"The laws of physics don't allow you imbeciles to penetrate through my defenses." Skrelp smiled mockingly.
"We need a better plan. I'm about to sink into the ocean!" Ursaring alarmed. His hang glider got dangerously close to the water.
"Ye be assured. I don't isolate me crew." Trumbeak controlled the ship so that it swooped down to rescue Ursaring and the rest. Shedinja sighed, losing the little interest he had.
"Acti'ate the grand, bombastic cannon!" Trumbeak commanded, flying to the balcony and pointed down at Skrelp.
"Ay, captain!" Ursaring and Raticate rushed inside a room in the main deck and pushed a giant cannon out. It barely made its way out of the door.
"About smoking time!" Raticate lighted the rope in flames while Ursaring dropped the cannonball inside. Chef Drapion pushed it over the edge of the boat and aimed it at Skrelp.
Boom! A deafening sound roared as the cannon shot down like a meteor, piercing through the water.
"*beep*" Skrelp swore with a look of astonishment in her face as the cannon knocked her out.
"Hooray!" The pirates cheered. The ship landed on water and Ursaring dived down to retrieve Skrelp's fainted body.
"Ye join me crew now?" Trumbeak asked Shedinja with a confident grin.
"No." Shedinja still rejected the offer.
Heracross and Miltank walked around Deadly Mist Island randomly. They seemed lost.
"This map ain't helping!" Miltank yelled as she threw it down the ground and stomped on it angrily. "We got lost for an hour now!"
Heracross got a wooden shield instead of a map, grinning at her item. "What's the use of a crappy map when you have a weapon to fight against the pirates? You got unlucky, girl."
"This map is so misleading. It doesn't tell us much of anything. Can't we get a real navigation tool? Back at my farm, we have compasses, hidden item trackers and even a GPS! This is so unfair." Miltank ranted.
"Yeah. Cheap of Skarmory to give you a crappy item. Anyways, let's go and win this dang immunity so we can vote Shedinja out. Everyone else can follow soon after." Heracross suggested, leading the way. Miltank boiled for a few seconds before she followed her.
A shadow drifted across the sky.
"I found them. Attack!" Raticate announced, bombarding the two with coconuts. Heracross blocked all the shots with her shield. Unfortunately, Miltank got hit straight in the face. Raticate beamed at his accomplishment.
"You are dead!" Miltank snarled, throwing the broken shell back at the rat. It hit the right wing of his hang glider. Raticate was plummeting down dangerously.
"Ah!" Raticate screamed until Ursaring dived down to save him.
"Chef, rain down coconuts while I take care of Raticate. Captain, rescue us!" Ursaring communicated with his crew. The airship lowered itself down to the ground out of the misty sky.
Shedinja was barely visible for a moment. He was next to Trumbeak, spectating the battle apathetically. Despite constant threats of walking the plank, he was still safe. The captain really wanted him to join, no it was desperation. Heracross didn't see him, however.
"Board the ship! We can go back to Skarmory Island this way." Heracross told Miltank. The two took this opportunity to try and hitch a free ride. However, Chef Drapion served a special surprise.
"Eat my special delicacy." Chef Drapion flipped his pot of sludge over and spilled all of the contents down. Heracross used the shield as an umbrella, blocking the rain of sludge. Miltank hurriedly hid under the shield as well.
"I will blast your faces like I smash my berries." Chef Drapion growled as he threw some coconuts at them.
The shield neutralized all of the attacks. Eventually, Chef Drapion ran out of ammunition. Heracross got cocky and dropped her shield down.
"You will never get me, you blind buffoon." Heracross taunted, sticking out her tongue.
Chef Drapion seethed and threw his pot at her. Miltank ran away, leaving Heracross to get hit in the face.
"Ow, my nose." Heracross yelped as she covered her face. Chef Drapion smiled jubilantly.
"Hahaha…!" Shedinja suddenly laughed hysterically from the ship. He felt a pang of satisfaction, something he never felt before. All eyes were on him, they were all overwhelmed by this… surprise.
"Did the kid just show happiness?" Raticate asked Ursaring, who shrugged.
"Why the hell is he there?" Heracross wondered, humiliated.
"…haha…ha…ha." Shedinja stopped once he realized what he just did. "Why did I act so out of character?" He looked down upon himself, reflecting on this anomaly. The bug was baffled to say at the very least. "Isn't our rivalry one-sided? Did I suppress my emotions all along? I don't understand." Shedinja shook his head rapidly, trying to shake this headache away.
"Ye alright, mate?" Trumbeak placed a wing on his right shoulder, staring at him worriedly.
Shedinja clenched his bug arms, he hated these feelings. He was already desensitized. He no longer cared about his family or the friends that abandoned him. He steeled his heart so that it won't feel anything. No more pain but also no more happiness. He considered himself dead so why did all these feelings came back to him?
"Captain, I will join you. But, not because I care about the immunity or want you interns to win your bonuses. I just want to clear my mind, got it?" Shedinja said, deadly serious. Trumbeak nodded.
"Ahoy everyone, we got a new crew member!" Trumbeak announced. Raticate and Ursaring smiled contently while Chef Drapion just crossed his arms.
Shedinja sprang into action proactively without any need for orders or command. He loaded the cannon up and lighted it all by himself, aiming at Heracross. He didn't care that his crew members were in the way.
"Watch out for us!" Chef Drapion shouted as he glided away.
Shedinja's soul beat with excitement as he watched Heracross' look of despair as the cannon blasted its way to her. He embraced the feeling… just this once.
Boom!
Confessional
Heracross: She had burn marks on her. "Shedinja…" She said with utmost spite.
Miltank: "Damnit, I got captured as well. Couldn't run away fast enough."
Grovyle and Dedenne walked past a chopped down tree and shuddered a little.
"I bet it is Lucario who did this." Grovyle guessed.
"Yeah, who else can it be?" Dedenne nodded in agreement.
"Wait for me, homie!" There was a voice nearby. Grovyle signaled for Dedenne to duck under the bushes immediately. He squinted his eyes to look as far as possible. Lucario and Darmanitan were in the distance. Darmanitan got a map while Lucario got a wooden sword.
"I will go and distract them. You hide here and run. Take the map with you." Grovyle instructed, averting his eyes and rubbing his nose a little.
"Grovyle, you are going to sacrifice yourself for me?" Dedenne looked touched.
"Yep." Grovyle gave her a reassuring gaze before he stealthily maneuvered through the forest to them. Dedenne gripped the map tightly and followed Grovyle quietly.
"Grovyle, I don't want to leave you alone. Sorry for not doing what you asked." Dedenne mumbled.
Grovyle turned around shortly, smiling once he didn't see Dedenne. He strode carefreely to Lucario, showing himself without any sort of fear.
Lucario and Darmanitan stopped their discussion and turned to him.
"I see that my pet is here." Lucario smirked.
"I'm willing to work under your service." Grovyle kneeled. "My loyalty is with you just like I promised." Darmanitan scratched his head, looking at Lucario for answers but got none.
"Good. Now be an obedient pet and sabotage your team." Lucario ordered, lifting his chin up.
"Yes, master." Grovyle submitted apprehensively.
Dedenne clenched her heart, tears falling from her face. She quickly left before anyone saw her.
Confessional
Grovyle: "My plan is to act loyal and betray Lucario. I'm sure he won't see it coming. The only thing that I need to make sure is that Dedenne doesn't know this."
Lucario: "Meowth told me that Grovyle isn't to be trusted. I just want him to ruin his image as a team leader and then vote him off."
Dedenne: She sniffed. "Grovyle, why did you do this to me?"
Shedinja hurled both (unconscious) Farfetch'd and Bisharp inside a jail, locking the cell and floated away.
He exited the hatch and met with a satisfied Trumbeak.
"Ye did a good job. Couldn't do it better myself. Smart of ye to lure Bisharp with a fake real life size Jumpluff doll and stranded Farfetch'd alone." Trumbeak praised.
"Not a big deal." Shedinja remained indifferent. "Who will we go for next? Scolipede?"
"Nay, ye see… We picked a lucky winner and a unlucky loser out of a hat. Ye be lucky and Scolipede be unlucky. No need to eliminate him for the treasure." Trumbeak explained.
"Captain!" Raticate interrupted as he climbed down the ratlines with a binocular. "We found Nosepass. Err, he is already unconscious." Raticate reported.
"Unconscious? Boys, let's go and check." Trumbeak dropped a ladder down to the bed and led his crew over to the Nose Pokemon. Upon closer inspection, there was an inflatable tube under his bed.
"Fun fact for ye, we hid a compass under his bed." Trumbeak pointed out to Shedinja.
"Hahaha…" Shedinja laughed sarcastically at the pun.
The pirates captured an easy prey and threw him inside the jail as well.
Confessional
Shedinja: "Working with these pirates is pretty fun." Once he realized what he just said, he slowly lifted his hands up to his neck. It was as if he was going to strangle himself. In the end, he dropped his hands down in defeat. "I need to go to a hospital so that a doctor can check what is wrong with me."
"Grovyle, what the hell are you doing?!" Rhyhorn exclaimed as the leader of the Crazy Crawdaunt pounced his former teammate.
"Give me that map!" Grovyle desperately stretched his arm to reach the map on Rhyhorn's horn.
"I see… You want the immunity for yourself." That was all Rhyhorn said before he kicked Grovyle away.
Grovyle got off the ground with resilience, he continued to attack Rhyhorn again and again… Dedenne watched from behind a tree, sobbing quietly to herself. Lucario witnessed the battle from afar.
The professional athlete gestured for Darmanitan to hide all of a sudden. They dug a hole and hid there.
A shadow over loomed the sky as the airship approached.
"Attack!" Trumbeak ordered, pointing his sword at the fighting duo. Shedinja, Ursaring, Raticate and Drapion all leaped down from the sky with their hang gliders.
All four were in a group like a flock of birds, never separating from each other. Shedinja led the sky assault, taking charge as the one in front.
Shedinja swooped down and everyone followed, readying their coconuts in their hands. He threw the first one at Grovyle, colliding with his stomach.
"Argh." Grovyle rolled on the ground in pain.
Dedenne stretched out her head to look, expressing her concern for him quietly. "Are you alright?" After she said that she quickly averted her eyes sideways.
"Dedenne? Why are you here?" Grovyle had a look of surprise.
"Ursaring and Raticate attack Rhyhorn. Chef Drapion, attack Dedenne." Shedinja managed the crew.
"With pleasure." Chef Drapion said as he threw a coconut toward her forehead and clapped with gratification once he hit her successfully. Dedenne whimpered in pain at the hit.
"Dedenne!" Grovyle got no time to worry about her as Shedinja slammed another coconut against his back. "Shedinja, you jerk." Grovyle growled and leaped up, trying to catch him off guard. Shedinja swerved to the right, dodging his futile attempt.
Rhyhorn didn't seem fazed by the coconut onslaught. He observed the situation quietly, waiting for an opening. Sadly, there wasn't an opening. Shedinja signaled for everyone to retreat.
"Fire!" Trumbeak blasted the three contestants into oblivion, knocking them out cold. The coconuts were just distractions all along.
The pirates collected all of their bodies and boarded the ship before leaving to find more victims.
Lucario and Darmanitan got out of their hole and stared at the departed ship, before turning to each other.
"Homie, Shedinja is working for them. What should we do?" Darmanitan asked for his opinion.
"We fight. It is that simple." Lucario looked determined as he gripped his sword tightly. Suddenly, Drifblim appeared besides them. Darmanitan got a jump-scare while Lucario looked stoic. She snickered at how Darmanitan reacted.
"What do you want?" Lucario gave her a cold stare.
"I suggest that we work together. There is no way that we stand a chance without helping each other." Drifblim proposed.
Lucario whispered something into Darmanitan's ear. The fire type looked hesitant but agreed in the end. Drifblim tried to listen to no avail.
"Are you boys talking behind my back?" Drifblim casted them a sorrowful look.
"Nothing. We agree to work with you." Lucario replied. Drifblim narrowed her eyes in doubt but didn't argue.
Confessional
Grovyle: "Did Dedenne find out?"
Drifblim: "Those two boys are planning something…"
Meowth, Ledyba and Cryogonal wandered around the rainforest. They got lost for ages.
"I'm thirsty, Meowth. It is so hot." Ledyba whined a bit, wiping the sweat off her face.
"Here is water, my dear customer. Free of charge." Meowth handed her a water bottle generously.
"Thanks." Ledyba said gratefully.
Cryogonal looked at map, scratching her head a little. "I think, this way." She reluctantly pointed to a narrow path of trees with a cool canopy providing them shade.
"Sounds right to me." Meowth decided to believe her. The three headed toward the narrow path of trees. They squeezed themselves through, until they halted.
In the distance was a parked airship and unconscious bodies of Duosion and Aromatisse being carried by Chef Drapion. They watched quietly until Cryogonal gasped at the sight of Shedinja. "Shedinja?"
Ledyba and Meowth covered her mouth and lay low as the ghost bug turned toward their direction. He shrugged and left. The three sighed with relief.
"Why would he do that?" Cryogonal said with a slight hint of sadness in her tone.
"He probably got a different mission." Ledyba speculated positively. "I think they forced him to work for them."
"That might be true." Meowth rubbed his chin.
Bam! A barrel smashed his head, fainting him. Ledyba turned around to look.
Bang! A bucket knocked her out cold. Cryogonal turned around slowly to see Shedinja and Chef Drapion with a frying pan.
"Good night." Shedinja signaled for Chef Drapion to finish her off before she can even say anything.
Confessional
Shedinja: "It is so easy to fool all of them."
Cryogonal: "What a jerk. No need to be rough." She rubbed her sore head a little.
Chef Drapion hurled three more contestants into the jail. He then proceeded to splash them all awake with cold water upon Trumbeak's command.
"Bah!" Ledyba coughed the water out. She glanced around to see unhappy faces of all the eliminated contestants.
"Using Jumpluff against me? That's a new low for you pirates." Bisharp folded his arms.
"I'm going to kill Shedinja!" Heracross banged the jail cell.
"Scolipede isn't here?" Ledyba looked surprised and happy at the same time.
"He won't appear for a long while." Trumbeak appeared with Shedinja by his side, staring at all of the contestants.
"Shedinja, die!" Heracross tried to reach her arm out of the jail, only to fail miserably.
"A Trumbeak that is also a pirate descendant?" Meowth widened his eyes. "Are you by chance the heir to the aggrandizing, bountiful Toucannon Mall, Trevor?" Meowth questioned his identity.
Trumbeak gaped for a moment before he replied, averting his eyes a little. "Don't talk too much about my bloodline. I'm no heir. My old man will hand his inheritance to his so beloved daughter." He used his normal language for a second before he reverted back to talking pirate.
Meowth turned silent, looking away. Some of the contestants looked at him with sympathy like Ledyba. Shedinja was stunned for a moment.
"I don't care about any of that crap! I will kill Shedinja!" Heracross roared angrily.
"Anyways, I be here to give one of ye a chance. Solve this Rubik's cube and ye may leave." Trumbeak told and Ursaring came to hand them all a 3x3 cube with six different colors.
"How elementary, no rudimentary. I can solve it even with obscured vision." Skrelp boasted.
"This isn't fair for some of us." Grovyle complained.
"On a count of three…" Shedinja started the countdown.
Duosion remained quiet and tried to study the cube.
"Two"
Bisharp took deep breaths.
"One"
Heracross threw her cube at the cell.
"Start now." Shedinja declared.
While Pokemon like Heracross didn't even try, Bisharp, Duosion and Skrelp twisted the cube furiously at a rapid speed.
Grovyle tried to peel the stickers off and reattached them. However, he got disqualified and frowned. Dedenne looked at him with disappointment, she was very upset. The little mouse saw what kind of Pokemon Grovyle truly was now.
"Hey Duosion, you seem to be very logical…" Skrelp tried to distract her main competition. The seahorse finished two sides.
Duosion stayed focused and finished two sides. Bisharp finished two sides soon after as well. The sides were soon undone in order to solve the other sides.
"So why did you engage in such nonsensical matter like love?" Skrelp pestered her. Duosion frowned but continued to work on her cube.
"Shouldn't Houndour be of peripheral importance to you?" Skrelp continued to annoy Duosion. Ledyba, Aromatisse and Cryogonal glared at her. Rhyhorn scowled at her. Bisharp flashed her a look of contempt. Farfetch'd and Mr. Stalk looked unimpressed.
Duosion got distracted for a moment, she thought that this was it. She couldn't beat Skrelp until she remembered what Houndour said to her during the second day, in front of Skarmory Cave.
"Please believe in yourself a bit more…" The word echoed in her ears, motivating her for the final push.
Skrelp found a way to complete all the sides. Only one more move and she will win. She saw it coming, her imminent victory. The poison type moved her muscles for that last action.
"Finish!" Duosion shouted victoriously. Skrelp was speechless. She lost? Many of the contestants congratulated Duosion for beating Skrelp.
"Thank you, Houndour." Duosion teared up proudly. "I did it."
"Ye can come out." Trumbeak opened the cell for her. Duosion floated out and was immediately pushed back inside by him. The dirty Captain Big Beak locked the cell immediately,
"Hey, you promised to let her out!" Dedenne protested angrily.
"Did I say I won't be lockin' her back in? Ne'er trust pirates especially me, Captain Big Beak. I be the most notorious and dirtiest pirates of the Boundless Blues." Trumbeak countered.
"He is right. Us interns need that bonus." Ursaring obviously agreed.
"But…" Ledyba tried to protest for her friend until Duosion stopped her.
"Alright, I get it. No big deal. The immunity doesn't mean that much anyway. I just want to prove it to myself that I can do it. That I can exceed my limit and capabilities." Duosion didn't mind it that much. Since the winner didn't complain, none of the other contestants complain either.
Skrelp stared long and hard at the ground, clenching her own fin.
Confessional
Skrelp: "Impossible, I lost? I was in the lead at first. I don't understand."
Duosion: "Skrelp doesn't understand that positive emotions and feelings like love can motivate you and drive you forward in life and everything in general. That's why I won."
Bisharp: "I see that Dedenne started taking the medicine. Today, I will eliminate Grovyle at all costs."
Nosepass: "Heracross is making me scared. She is crazy! I think I will vote for the scariest contestant today."
Heracross: "I will kill Shedinja!"
Miltank: "I don't even think I can calm her down at this point. She got a worse temper than me."
Meowth: "I got ties with many business owners around the world. I even know the identity of the Eevee girl. She is the richest heiress among all Eevee out there. Her family members are wealthy landowners."
While the ship searched far and wide for Lucario and his little group, Shedinja approached Trumbeak. Currently, the captain was steering the ship.
"You got family issues as well?" Shedinja asked. Trumbeak stood still, remaining quiet for a while. Eventually, he turned to Shedinja with a heavy-hearted expression.
"You see, I'm forced to be an intern." Trumbeak didn't speak his pirate language. "Not for money but work experience. My old man wants me to take care of the family business. That's why I work here to take care of the budget and financial matters. All the boring stuff. Most interns don't really talk to me. Chef Drapion is right, I'm boring." He paused for a moment to think. Shedinja stared at him with empathy.
"Here is the thing, I don't want to get involved with any of that financial stuff. I prefer to pursue my passion in acting and adventuring. My old man isn't happy to hear that. He said that I'm crazy and that he will disown me. Then all of the inheritance will go to my little sister." Trumbeak told, giving Shedinja an empathetic smile.
"Shedinja, I don't exactly know your situation but I know that it isn't good to keep all of your feelings to yourself. Don't try to desensitize it and act like nothing happened. Alright? Someday, I wish to reconcile with my old man." Trumbeak explained everything and returned his attention to the challenge.
Shedinja contemplated a lot of things in his mind. He wondered whether or not Cryogonal was right. He debated many things to himself. However, there was no time for that. The pirates were about to face their greatest enemy: Lucario.
"Pirates, come down and fight me like real men!" Lucario challenged. Darmanitan and Drifblim were there by his side.
"Boys, prepare for the final showdown. We be lootin' that treasure." Trumbeak announced, piloting his airship down.
"Ay, captain!" The crew members shouted in unison as they charged up the cannon, aiming directly at Lucario.
Lucario glanced at Darmanitan and they both nodded. They both knew what this signal meant.
"What is your plan, boys?" Drifblim butted in, unaware what was about to happen. Lucario grabbed Drifblim by her left side while Darmanitan grabbed her by her right side.
They threw her at the incoming cannonball.
"What?!" Drifblim shouted in disbelief. Lucario betrayed her. Unbelievable.
"I don't work with the enemy team!" Lucario declared. Drifblim got blasted and fell down, unconscious. Lucario threw her body at the pirates.
"Wow, you are something, Lucario." Ursaring caught her body before going down the hatch to lock her up.
"Are you ready for this?" Lucario looked at Darmanitan with slight concern.
"I'm ready, homie." Darmanitan assured, giving him a look of fierce determination. Raticate and Chef Drapion glided down for their aerial attack. However, it won't work when they were up against the master of acrobatics.
Lucario jumped on Darmanitan, who boosted him up high to the sky. The professional athlete reached an astounding height. He jumped off Chef Drapion's hang glider, propelling himself further. Raticate threw a coconut at him. Lucario merely slashed it, spilling all the juice over Chef Drapion's eyes. The chef groaned in irritation.
"Sorry, chef." Raticate apologized. He got no time for apologizing, however, as Lucario jumped on his head. The aura beast stretched his hand out and successfully managed to grab the wing of the airship with his left hand (his right hand was holding a wooden sword).
Trumbeak tried to shake him off by diving down the sky at a high speed. Unfortunately, that didn't work. Lucario got up on his feet and boarded the boat successfully. Descending down only gave Darmanitan a chance to infiltrate the boat as well.
Raticate and Chef Drapion quickly recovered and got right back up the airship, running over to where the captain was.
The true battle began. Captain Trumbeak and his crew walked down to the main deck. They tried to be intimidating. Ursaring lifted his knee high into the air before stomping down loudly on the wooden floor. Raticate zig-zagged while pushing his elbows to the side. Chef Drapion swung his arms wildly. Captain Big Beak walked normally but he swung his cutlass in an X motion. Shedinja facepalmed at how his ridiculous they all looked.
Lucario stared at them mockingly before he speeded up to them, diverting their attention from Darmanitan. The fire type made his way over to the steering wheel.
"Ho, I be makin' ye walk the plank. Yarr!" Trumbeak pointed with his cutlass at Lucario, ordering his crew members to attack first.
Ursaring threw his barrel at Lucario. The latter kicked, breaking it into pieces. Raticate tried to slam his bucket at Lucario. The professional athlete sidestepped and grabbed the tail of the rat. He swung him around and threw the helpless bucket boy at the chef, knocking them into each other.
Lucario ran at a blinding speed behind Ursaring and pummeled his back repeatedly with the hilt of his sword before he dealt the final blow by giving Ursaring a roundhouse kick to the back of his head, sending him flying into Raticate and Chef Drapion. They all fell down to the ground, moaning and groaning.
Only Shedinja and Trumbeak stood in front of him.
"Shedinja, move." Lucario warned as he scurried to Trumbeak and thrusted his sword at him. Trumbeak sidestepped and parried Lucario's incoming vertical slash by a horizontal slash of his own.
"The blood of a pirate flows in me vessels!" Trumbeak grunted as he intercepted all of Lucario's extremely fast slashes.
The professional athlete struck to the left, right, down, up, spun around and slashed diagonally. He made all sorts of insane offenses.
Trumbeak jumped, ducked, sidestepped and blocked his attacks skillfully with the cutlass. He needed to do everything to avoid Lucario's relentless attacks at all costs. However, this drained his energy by a ton. Captain Big Beak was sweating horribly.
Lucario retreated back and ran to build up his speed. Trumbeak did the same. Once the two were close to each other, they jumped and traded blows. None of them was hurt but Lucario's wooden sword got chipped a little. Lucario glanced at the damage and rushed back at Trumbeak.
The captain got into a defensive stance, ready to block the attack. However, Lucario jumped up and kicked the mast with his left leg, changing direction unexpectedly. This gave him an opportunity to strike Trumbeak on his left shoulder.
Trumbeak clutched his left shoulder and retreated back a few steps, panting. Lucario wasn't done yet, he thrusted his sword again. Trumbeak was forced to roll away to his right and recovered back to his feet. However, Lucario ran up and kicked him in the face before he could recover fully.
Lucario was merciless, he didn't wait for his opponent to recover. He lifted his sword up and prepared for a deadly skyward strike. Trumbeak luckily blocked the move with his cutlass and kicked his feet back up to stand up properly. Lucario forcefully pushed with his sword, sending Trumbeak to the plank.
"A wooden sword isn't supposed to be this strong." Trumbeak panted heavily, eyeing Shedinja who was merely spectating the fight. He pleaded for the bug to help him, exchanging looks of empathy. Shedinja nodded and loaded up the cannon.
"Any final words?" Lucario said before he was about to push Trumbeak off the airship.
"Captain Big Beak ne'er give up!" Trumbeak cried desperately, head butting Lucario and flew out of the cannon blast vicinity. This distracted Lucario long enough for him to get damaged by a cannonball.
Lucario got blown off his feet and fell down the plank. Miraculously, he stabbed the sword deep into the wing of the ship and crawled his way back up slowly. The professional athlete sweated as he clutched the cannonball wound on his chest.
"The cannonball… nay enough?" Trumbeak was astounded. Not only was Lucario strong but he also had great endurance.
Shedinja didn't want to intervene any longer. He respected the fight between the two.
"Let's end this." Lucario properly held his sword and faced Trumbeak. Captain Big Beak flew up the ratlines, luring Lucario up there. The Aura Beast feared nothing and climbed up the ratlines, straight to the crow's nest of the ship. He glanced swiftly down the ground. Skarmory Island was in sight.
"Yargh!" Trumbeak uttered as he swooped down and slashed Lucario diagonally. Lucario countered with his mighty horizontal slash. The two continued to engage in relentless combat while Darmanitan controlled the ship.
"Homie, hang on. We are about to reach Skarmory Island." Darmanitan told. Shedinja was snapped to his senses and went after Darmanitan.
He bashed himself for being so foolish. His eyes, they were captured by the sight of such elegant swordplay. It reminded him of the time he was a Nincada, watching ninja swords fight back at home. He was so enthralled that he didn't want to intervene.
Shedinja tried to steal control of the steering wheel but it was too late, the ship landed on Skarmory Island already.
"Homie, let's go." Darmanitan motioned as he escaped from the ship. The fire type blazed through the ladders and landed on the ground first. Skarmory waited for him near the beach.
"Congratulations, Darmanitan. You are the first to arrive. You win immunity." Skarmory announced the results.
Lucario dropped down from the boat seconds later, patting Darmanitan on the back.
"You did well, good job," Lucario congratulated. Darmanitan suddenly felt guilty.
"Homie, I think you deserve it more." Darmanitan said shamefully.
"It is alright. You did well, memorizing all the map pieces we collected." Lucario assured. Darmanitan had a small smile on his face but it turned into a frown quickly.
Confessional
Ursaring: "Damn it, Smeargle. Why did you vote for Lucario to get the wooden sword?"
Darmanitan: "I don't deserve it. I feel like I'm taking advantage of him.
Shedinja: "What's wrong with me? Why am l like this all of a sudden?"
Lucario: "As long as my team wins, I'm happy."
In the Feckless Flygon girls' cabin…
Drifblim, Aromatisse, Duosion, Ledyba, Dedenne and Cryogonal were all together, discussing the elimination.
"There are two possible candidates for elimination. Lucario and Skrelp. Who should we eliminate?" Duosion asked, looking around at the other girls.
"I don't know. I'm worried about Scolipede. He hasn't return yet." Ledyba said anxiously.
"Indeed, what is going on?" Cryogonal sounded concerned as well.
Dedenne was unusually silent, something bothered her.
Suddenly, Meowth knocked on the door and Ledyba opened it.
"Hi, Meowth. Why brings you here?" Ledyba greeted.
"Scolipede is back." Meowth delivered the news. "He is on the dock."
"Thank you Meowth." Ledyba hurriedly flew over to the dock. She missed the elimination meeting but that didn't matter. Scolipede came first.
Once she arrived there, she saw a gigantic ferry. This was very surprising to her. Moreover, a Furfrou carried a sleeping Scolipede out, placing him down on the ground gently. He seemed to be in great pain after carrying such a heavy Pokemon.
"Who are you and what is your relationship with him?" Furfrou asked carefully. "You know what? That doesn't matter. Just take care of him." He re-entered the boat and it departed to the next destination.
Ledyba rushed over to Scolipede's side and placed her arms on his body.
"What happened?" Ledyba asked with concern.
"Delay… delay…" Scolipede repeated slowly. Upon seeing this, she brought him to the infirmary.
Confessional
Ledyba: "I hope he is alright."
Darmanitan exited the gym. "Homie, I will make sure to vote for that Pokemon." Darmanitan said before he closed the door.
Miltank passed him by pure coincidence. "Homie boy, when are you going to stand up for yourself? You rely on Lucario too much, you know that right?" Miltank said in disapproval.
"Sorry." Darmanitan's eyes drooped apologetically.
"You can't even beat Heracross. Not in this state where all you're good at is apologizing." Miltank retorted before she headed inside the gym.
Confessional
Darmanitan: "Miltank is right. I rely on Lucario too much. Sorry, homie." He rubbed his head sheepishly.
Skrelp scrambled around desperately. She started to feel the pressure of the elimination. However, the strategist wasn't about to give up so easily.
Skrelp approached Meowth deep inside the forest. The cat paced around with his hands behind his back. His face lightened up when he saw her. Skrelp only stared at him coldly, however.
"Good evening. How are you?" Meowth tried to strike a polite conversation with her.
"Cut the crap and get straight to the point." Skrelp rejected his hospitality. Meowth looked a bit appalled, covering his mouth with his right hand.
"You want my assistance, don't you? As long as you save me from this elimination, I will lend my support and serve as your sustenance. I'm well aware that you have no moral obligation to be loyal as long as you get paid, Meowth. I will offer more wealth and prosperity than you could imagine. You only need to eliminate Lucario for that." Skrelp pitched aggressively.
"One more regulation, if you have the audacity to betray me… Prepare to face unemployment. Lucario won't be pleased when he hears that you work with Bisharp." Skrelp added threateningly and smirked once she saw his petrified look.
Meowth clenched his fists as she left.
Confessional
Meowth: "Bisharp and Skrelp, who do they think they are to showcase such informal insolence against me? I guess they don't realize that I'm their boss. I'm the one who decides whether or not to fire them!"
Skrelp: "I need to secure more votes. There won't be a variable that I don't account for this time."
Bisharp scribbled something down on a piece of paper hurriedly. The elimination ceremony was about to start in half an hour.
Farfetch'd approached him curiously, sneaking a peek at the paper. He widened his eyes immediately.
"Bisharp, are you framing Grovyle?" Farfetch'd accused.
Bisharp turned around slowly and averted his eyes. "Yes." He confessed. "Don't tell anyone."
"Mr. Stalk doesn't understand. Why do you need to stoop down at his level? Jumpluff loves you. You got friends, you got honor and you need revenge?" Farfetch'd patronized.
Bisharp stared down at the ground solemnly. Farfetch'd sighed and patted his back before he left, leaving Bisharp to reflect upon himself.
Confessional
Bisharp: "Farfetch'd is right but… should I become the monster that my parents want of me?"
Farfetch'd: "Mr. Stalk is a bit nervous that he won't be able to keep his promise. I'm… nervous as well."
Scolipede slept peacefully in the infirmary. Everything was calm and quiet. Ledyba just recently visited him. He couldn't ask for anything else, such tranquility and comfort was rare.
However, there was a disturbance in the air. A torrential tempest of problems. The door squeaked as Skrelp entered ten minutes before the elimination.
"Scolipede, I want you to deliberate on eliminating Lucario. Remember all those times that he snapped at you and hindered your relationship with Ledyba? Aren't you terrified of that autocratic arbiter?" Skrelp planted a seed of doubt. Scolipede glared at her.
"Consider it assiduously. Ledyba and you will be in danger if you don't heed my warning." Skrelp said before she left. Scolipede twisted on his bed, writhing in mental pain.
Confessional
Scolipede: "I don't like or trust both of them. Just as I was about to feel better…"
Skrelp: "I'm certain of the outcome. No imbeciles are going to spare Lucario brainlessly when this might be the only chance to eliminate the biggest threat in the game."
The elimination ceremony started as Skarmory landed with a plate of Leppa Berries. The seats were occupied and crowded than usual.
On the top row sat from left to right: Ledyba, Duosion, Cryogonal. Darmanitan, Lucario, Grovyle, Dedenne, Aromatisse and Shedinja.
On the bottom row sat: Scolipede, Drifblim, Meowth, Bisharp, Farfetch'd, Miltank, Heracross, Skrelp, Nosepass and Rhyhorn.
"First things first, Darmanitan won immunity." Skarmory tossed the first berry to Darmanitan who accepted with an undeserving expression, guilty that he 'stole' Lucario's immunity.
"Everyone knows the drill by now so I will just start." Skarmory said eagerly.
"I think you are just too lazy to remind it to the viewers." Drifblim retorted. Skarmory rolled his eyes.
"Scolipede"
"Shedinja" He smiled to even his own surprise. Cryogonal noticed that as well.
"Duosion"
"Ledyba"
"Dedenne" She didn't sit close to Grovyle as she used to.
"Cryogonal"
"Rhyhorn"
"Drifblim"
"Nosepass" Nosepass looked relieved.
"Farfetch'd"
"Aromatisse" The two returners were happy that they didn't get eliminated straight away.
"Bisharp" He gave the berry to Farfetch'd, not feeling hungry.
"Meowth" He fiddled with his claws.
"Miltank"
"Heracross"
Grovyle sweated nervously, glancing at Dedenne. She averted her eyes, not looking back at him. Grovyle seemed saddened.
"Grovyle" He swallowed it and sighed depressingly.
"Lucario and Skrelp. One of you is a strategic threat and the other is a physical threat. Who will be eliminated?" Skarmory paused to build suspense.
…
Lucario's confidence was unwavering, his eyes were adamant.
…
…
Skrelp had a smug grin on her face.
…
…
…
Darmanitan prayed quietly for his homie.
…
…
"Lucario…" Skarmory put the contestants at the edge of their seat. Skrelp's grin grew while Lucario remained calm.
"You are safe." Skrelp was dumbfounded by the result.
Confessional
Duosion: "Personally, I prefer to eliminate Lucario. However, I think Skrelp is much more unpredictable and volatile. I can't rest comfortably with her around the camp."
Heracross: "I didn't vote for Shedinja. Surprise! Honestly, that girl gripes me for ages."
Drifblim: "Looks like I will get to turn over a new leaf now. No one will suspect me for creating chaos in the future."
Scolipede: "I don't trust Skrelp one bit. She is hard to read at times unlike Lucario."
Meowth: "I don't need an egotistical employee who thinks she is better than her boss."
Elimination Confessional
I couldn't comprehend this anomaly. This distortion in logic and reality… All of them are imbeciles! I will anticipate the day they all regret their decision. Watch as Lucario obliterate every single of them… Do I want anyone to win? No, except maybe… Drifblim.
Skrelp quickly departed from the dock on a Lapras without a word. She didn't care about farewells or any of that friendly stuff.
Skarmory landed on the dock after she left and ended the episode off.
"Exciting? I assure you all of the merge challenges are going to be long, action-packed and intriguing! What is the secret advantage that Skrelp failed to find? What will happen next? Will Darmanitan cling to Lucario like a life leech and snipe all the immunities? Will Lucario continue to dominate? What happened to Shedinja? Will we see romance between him and Cryogonal? Or will Heracross kick him off the island first? Find out in the next vengeful episode of Total Skarmory Island!" Skarmory winked at the end, hinting with subtlety about the next challenge.
Votes
Darmanitan: Skrelp
Lucario: Skrelp
Skrelp: Lucario
Drifblim: Skrelp
Shedinja: Skrelp
Cryogonal: Skrelp
Grovyle: Skrelp
Duosion: Skrelp
Ledyba: Skrelp
Scolipede: Skrelp
Dedenne: Skrelp
Aromatisse: Skrelp
Farfetch'd: Skrelp
Bisharp: Grovyle
Meowth: Skrelp
Miltank: Skrelp
Heracross: Skrelp
Nosepass: Lucario
Rhyhorn: Lucario
Skrelp: 15 (eliminated)
Lucario: 3
Grovyle: 1
Lucario got less votes than we all thought, huh? He might actually win…
A fun fact for all of you, Dragalge is my favorite poison type. However, I don't want to favor her unfairly so I turn her into a villain.
Hopefully, I will be able to update this story soon. See you all later!