Reply to Reviews
Parousia45
Hickery-o will return with Nosepass in Season 3. Season 2 is already filled. Once again, you're right about the villains. Your analysis really is spot on. Triple G and Bisharp are two of the best characters I ever created in my opinion. They're comedic but at the same time they can serve other roles. I can't wait to write about them again.
Worma-Sir
You better be scared about Farfetch'd. He might not see Mr. Stalk ever again... Your predictions are interesting. Watch out for possible curve-balls though. Maybe I'm just messing with you because you guessed correctly.
Fallenstreet01
I don't want to make Heracross too deep. It doesn't suit her character. There are many remaining contestants with D as the first letter. Isn't that strange? Maybe, I'm just messing with you.
Episode 26: The Sheriff, The Outlaw and The Patissier
Skarmory wore a cowboy hat this time around. He pushed it up slightly so it wouldn't obscure his vision.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Skarmory used his wings as if they were guns.
"Welcome back, viewers. Last time, our contestants got to see their loved ones again. Ah, the happy and lovely reunions… The kisses and hugs…" Skarmory recalled romantically. "After many touching moments, they all competed in our two-part challenge. The first tested their knowledge of each other while the second tested their strength. In the end, Nosepass timed out a victory against Meowth, earning himself his first individual immunity. Oh, how the businessman scrambled to get votes as Drifblim set her sights on him. It came down to Aromatisse, who got the final call as to who would go home. Bye, Bye Heracross. Bang! Meat exploded out of her head." Skarmory ended the recap, blowing his right wing coolly.
Nosepass woke up, yawning before sliding off his bed. His head felt really light and his thoughts were strangely empty. Nosepass slapped both of his cheeks for a few times, trying to snap his mind to work. Suddenly, a sudden jolt of realization shocked him.
He stole Mr. Stalk and Meowth found out about his shadowy deed.
"No, oh god, no! They're going to kill me! Are they here?" Nosepass panicked, trembling as he turned around rapidly. He withdrew his hands close to his chest, fearing for his own safety. He grew restless. Even the fact that Farfetch'd wasn't inside the cabin right now didn't relieve him of his worries in the slightest.
His heart skipped a beat as he stepped on a newspaper.
"Ah!" Nosepass screamed, jumping onto his bed and hid under his blanket.
"Nosepass, h-help me…" Nosepass heard a weak and dying voice. He continued to hide under his blanket.
"Help me… H-help me…" The voice grew weaker and weaker. Nosepass shut his eyes and ears, wishing the voice to stop.
"Help me!" Suddenly, the voice turned malicious, loud and threatening. A monstrous figure loomed over him.
"Go away! Go away! Go away!" Nosepass shouted desperately. However, his blanket was taken away. Nosepass opened his eyes, witnessing true terror.
It was a newspaper figure with shadowy arms and legs. Soon enough, it grew ears, eyes and fangs… All bloody red. Its body bled severely from a red, gashing cut.
"Nosepass, why did you abandon me to suffer from Farfetch'd's wrath all alone? Why?! We are supposed to be partners! You coward!" Mr. Newspaper grabbed Nosepass and threw him off his bed.
Nosepass cried in agony as his head slammed hard against the floor. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry…" Nosepass repeated the same, empty apology. "I'll confess, I'll confess!"
"It's too late to apologize. It's too late to confess as well." Mr. Newspaper rejected, looking down critically with no sympathy.
Tears coursed down Nosepass' cheeks as Mr. Newspaper blasted a storm of newspapers at him, giving him several paper cuts.
"Ahargh!" Nosepass yelled in indescribable pain. It was cold and freezing…
Mr. Newspaper kicked Nosepass out of the cabin. Outside, Nosepass saw the looks of despise from all of the other contestants.
"You have a zero percent chance of making it out alive." Duosion stated, loading her firearm with bullets.
"You can't be s-serious, Duosion. H-houndour won't like t-this." Nosepass stuttered, gulping once Duosion penetrated his eyes with her serious look.
"You'll never be able to look at your face again." Aromatisse sharpened her knife.
Nosepass retreated back apprehensively.
"I hope you got your health insurance ready, thief. The punishment for embezzling the goods of my guests is death." Meowth kicked his suitcase open, lifting up a laser gun.
"Time to chill out in hell, homie." Darmanitan wore boxing gloves, belly drumming.
Nosepass cried endlessly as they all stepped intimidatingly and slowly toward him. As Nosepass kept retreating, his back was pressed against Mr. Stalk.
Nosepass turned around, quivering as he saw Farfetch'd and his devilish grin.
"Nosepass, why did you steal Mr. Stalk and locked him up in your cold, solitary secret base?" Farfetch'd asked with a deceiving smile, slapping Mr. Stalk against his right wing lightly.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I won't do it again. I promise, I promise! Please spare me! I'll do anything!" Nosepass fell to his knees, begging for his life.
"Anything? Then will you go and *beep* kill yourself?!" Farfetch'd questioned, blood leaking from his eyes.
Nosepass screamed in terror at the sight. At the corner of his right eye, Drifblim appeared with a sympathetic smile before she vanished.
"It's Drifblim's fault! She tricked me!" Nosepass threw her under the bus.
"Silence, coward! What about me?! You used me to steal Mr. Stalk and even then, I still got this *beep* cut!" Mr. Newspaper pointed at his wound. "Where is my justice? Farfetch'd, punish him!" Mr. Newspaper appealed for Nosepass' death sentence.
"Mr. Stalk agrees and I agree as well. Nosepass, accept your *beep* punishment!" Farfetch'd raised Mr. Stalk up, preparing for the final blow.
"No!" Nosepass woke up from the dream (I use my divine rights to show it exclusively to my viewers), breathing heavily. Tears still fell from his eyes as he hugged himself for comfort. The nightmare destroyed him mentally and emotionally.
Confessional
Nosepass: "I just had a nasty nightmare. It was so terrifying. Everyone was trying to kill me. I don't want to experience something like that again." He shuddered, sniffling.
Nosepass slowly sneaked outside, trying to avoid everyone.
Distantly, he heard sounds of a commotion. It was between Meowth, Darmanitan and Farfetch'd. Nosepass secretly eavesdropped the conversation.
"What do you mean this isn't Mr. Stalk? This is definitely him!" Meowth insisted, confidence waned in his eyes.
"Are you trying to trick me with a cheap fake? I know how Mr. Stalk feels, looks and smells. This isn't him!" Farfetch'd saw through the scam. He threw the fake Mr. Stalk away.
Farfetch'd pointed Ms. Stick at Meowth's neck threateningly. "I think you're the thief! You have stolen Mr. Stalk from me! I know your evil plan. You knew that Mr. Stalk is a multi-talented professional. You kidnapped him so you can force him to work in a circus like a freak to his very last breath. You don't want to arouse any suspicion so you fake to help me. Exposed!" Farfetch'd accused assertively.
"That isn't true, my dear guest. I never kidnap any personnel from other organizations. No, I never intend to resort to such illegal means." Meowth defended, raising his hands up to his face level and tilted his head backwards.
"I don't believe you!" Farfetch'd shouted aggressively, fixing a skeptical and hostile look. The duck even slashed the air with Ms. Stick, making Meowth flinched.
"Homie, chill!" Darmanitan intervened. "We don't know everything for sure. Let's take some time to talk about this politely and keep the conversation chill." He proposed.
Nosepass stopped eavesdropping. At one hand, he was relieved. At the other, he felt guilty.
Confessional
Meowth: "It didn't work. Ugh, I underestimate my guest's intelligence. I can't believe that customers nowadays read the fine print or their product details and specifications. They're getting smarter. This is bad news for business."
Farfetch'd: "If Meowth thinks that he can force Mr. Stalk to work in his crazy circus for freaks then he better thinks again. Mr. Stalk is a tough, indomitable man. Even the toughest cookies crumble under pressure from his presence. He'll never throw away his professional pride and work in a circus like a fool, especially without me."
Nosepass: "I feel safe for now but if Meowth didn't take Mr. Stalk from me, then… Who did it?" He looked baffled by this strange mystery.
In the Feckless Flygon girls' cabin…
Aromatisse was applying her morning make-up while the other two girls had a conversation.
"Statistically, violence is presented in 99 percent of street punks due to lack of parental disciplines and proper education. While statistic is certainly no excuse for her behavior, it really does raise the question of inequality in our society. Should someone that's deprived and suppressed of opportunity like Heracross deserve to stay and win the money more than a rich man who lives in a perfect world like Meowth?" Duosion set up a thesis.
"The general public usually likes to root for underdogs. If we put both of them side by side without any context as to how they play this game, the majority of the viewers will support Heracross for sure." Drifblim contributed to the discussion.
"Are you girls mad at me for choosing to eliminate Heracross? Duosion, I thought you gave me the choice." Aromatisse felt like she was being criticized.
"You misunderstand, Aromatisse. We aren't trying to disapprove your decision. We are just having a sophisticated conversation here." Duosion clarified, giving her a reassuring look.
"Sophisticated conversation, huh? Then, why don't you girls let me join? I'm not stupid." Aromatisse felt excluded.
"Girls, don't fight. Our numbers are down here. The guys might find an easy opportunity to vote us out one by one. They're having a conflict over Mr. Stalk right now. We should use this chance to eliminate one of them like Meowth. If we stick together, it's easy final three for us." Drifblim advised.
"You're right about that, Drifblim. I totally agree with you. I don't like any of the boys anyways. The last one that I can stand is Shedinja and he's eliminated a long time ago."
"Quite the opposite for me, honestly. I like all of the boys except for Meowth." Aromatisse gave her opinion.
"We are all in accord of booting Meowth, then?" Duosion looked at her two allies. They both nodded.
"Good, let's go and get breakfast, girls." Duosion suggested. "My treat." She said generously.
"Sounds good to me." Aromatisse agreed, grinning.
"How nice of you, Duosion. Certainly, more generous than Archeops." Drifblim said in a grateful tone.
"Hey, I need to treat my friends everyone once in a while. Let's go." Duosion opened the door to see Nosepass waiting outside. He seemed agitated.
"May I see Drifblim?" Nosepass asked, a bit quieter than usual.
Duosion turned to face the ghost. "Drifblim, Nosepass wants to see you."
"Alright. Girls, go ahead without me. Leave some food for me, alright?" Drifblim requested.
"Don't worry, girl. I'm on a diet." Aromatisse assured. The two girls left, leaving Nosepass and Drifblim with their private talk.
Confessional
Aromatisse: "I think I overreacted a little but still, they make it really sounds like they're criticizing my decision and downplaying my intelligence. I'm done being known for just my beauty, you know? I want to look smart and strong too." She sighed.
"I guess they can't take me seriously sometimes. I'm not always the brightest I guess. I make a fool of myself over Decidueye. How can you blame me though? That guy is hot." She daydreamed.
Duosion: "I'm not mad at Aromatisse at all for choosing to eliminate Heracross over Meowth just like I'm not mad at Drifblim for eliminating Houndour early yesterday. I still feel pretty bad though. I make it sound like I'm insulting her. That's why I want to buy some good food for Aromatisse as an apology."
Drifblim: "I don't mind Heracross getting eliminated, honestly. She's no longer useful to me anyways. If she was to last any longer, she would turn into an eyesore for the viewers, no doubt. Why did I suggest that the girls target the boys? Well, the thing is they don't know that I have Nosepass in my back-pocket. With four votes, I control the elimination."
"Drifblim, be honest with me, did you remove Mr. Stalk from my secret base?" Nosepass asked in a gravely manner.
"You lost Mr. Stalk?! How?!" Drifblim shouted, shocked.
"What?! I thought you were the one." Nosepass sounded equally shocked.
"No, Nosepass. Why would I do that? Think about it, a very risky move in execution. If I move Mr. Stalk, others might see me with him. Then, there's the risk of causing confusion with you. You get the idea." Drifblim reasoned.
"Drifblim… I'm done with this sabotaging business. I can't take it anymore. The guilt, the nightmares… They're too much for me. Maybe, we should just confess and share the blame together." Nosepass really wanted to retire from being the shadowy saboteur.
"No, Nosepass. That's ridiculously stupid! Do you want to throw your chance at the million away just like that?" Drifblim strongly opposed, scowling slightly.
"It isn't worth it to me anymore, Drifblim. I don't want to suffer any longer." Nosepass sobbed. "I don't want to hurt anyone anymore. I'm scared."
"Nosepass, you think I'm not scared? I'm scared too. This is my life-long dream. I can't afford to waste it no matter what. However, confessing doesn't solve the problem in any shape or form, especially when you don't have Mr. Stalk in your possession. Don't act impulsively. Don't drag both of us down together. Please." Drifblim pleaded with earnest eyes.
"I guess you're right. I'm too scared to confess anyways." Nosepass admitted.
Confessional
Nosepass: "Well, no turning back now. Maybe, everything will turn out well if I just stay quiet, you know? Farfetch'd might just randomly find Mr. Stalk and then everyone is happy."
Drifblim: "While this is certainly quite a predicament, I don't mind it. I take it as a test of my worthiness to win this game."
Aromatisse and Darmanitan helped Farfetch'd searched for Mr. Stalk around the forest area. Aromatisse already heard about Meowth's duping scam from Farfetch'd and wasn't pleased at all.
"Meowth is totally trash tier. What kind of business owners commit that kind of fraud shamelessly?" Aromatisse condemned.
"To be fair, he might just want to make you feel better. Just saying, homie." Darmanitan addressed Farfetch'd.
"Darmanitan, you're too positive. Meowth influenced Lucario in a bad way. Things turned out ugly probably because of him. You realize that, right?" Aromatisse disagreed with his chill mentality.
"Let's stop talking about this and continue searching, homies." Darmanitan frowned, no longer in the mood for a conversation.
Aromatisse eyed Darmanitan worriedly until she heard a scream of pain.
"Ow, I drop a rock on my right foot!" Farfetch'd yelled. It was one clumsy and unlucky accident. Darmanitan decided to carry him over to the infirmary.
Confessional
Farfetch'd: "Maybe it's me that should be performing in a crazy circus like a freak. I'm willing to let the audience throw Mr. Tomatoes Mrs. Pies at my faces in exchange for getting Mr. Stalk back."
Darmanitan: "I'm not that close to that homie, Meowth but we are on friendly terms. For one, he's one of the few that isn't mean to me for idolizing Lucario. Second, he's the only roommate I got left in our cabin. We talk sometimes." He sighed. "Still, Aromatisse is probably right. Meowth caused all the hot mess. I should take some time to meditate and think carefully about this."
Aromatisse: "Darmanitan can be pretty blind sometimes. I seriously can't believe that he sees Lucario as his role model. There are so many more famous superstars and models out there that he can pick instead."
Skarmory called everyone to gather in front of Chef Drapion Grill for today's challenge. He still wore his cowboy hat to fit in with the theme.
"Contestants, the objective of today's challenge will vary according to the roles you'll be given. If you complete it first, you win individual immunity. No moves allowed like most of the challenges. Seven unique roles and seven envelopes awaits you inside Chef Drapion Grill. Choose one and read it in secret. We will start right away." Skarmory finished his explanation.
Confessional
Drifblim: "I'm honestly concerned about balancing issues when all the roles are unique and different. However, I learn to trust Skarmory and his skills by now." She smiled proudly. "You better not disappoint. I'll do a post-show recap and trust me when I say this, Skarmory. I'm critical."
The camera showed Meowth ripping the envelope opened with his claws. The role card showed the following:
Sheriff
The protector of the town. The light that shines hope upon other good Pokemon.
Goal: Eliminate three contestants with evil roles out of the other six.
Advantage: Can drag one contestant at a time to jail for fifteen minutes, has a gun (shoots sleeping darts) at the start of the challenge.
Confessional
Meowth: "Not bad, not bad. This is a role befitting of me. Hopefully, Drifblim got one of the three bad roles. I wish for a stand-off against her. The battle with the town's treasure on the line."
The camera drifted over to Drifblim's role card next.
Outlaw
The one who opposes the law and commit many crimes with the desire to take over the entire town.
Goal: Eliminate all the other contestants
Advantage: Start with 1,000 P.
Confessional
Drifblim: She smirked. "I like my role. It's thrilling, exhilarating and most importantly, flexible. I sure hope that there are multiple methods to eliminate other contestants. It'll make the challenge a lot more interesting for the viewers."
The last role card shown for now was Farfetch'd's. He smiled as he read his.
Patissier
An honest baker that could never earn enough money or catch a break.
Goal: Work inside Chef Drapion Grill and hope you don't get eliminated or fired until you satisfy ten of your customers.
Advantage: Chef Drapion got your back… probably. You have special access inside Chef Drapion Grill.
Confessional
Farfetch'd: "Mr. Stalk is a five stars chef. What about you, Ms. Stick?" He asked with high expectations. "What?! You don't know how to cook? Oy vey, I guess it's all on this three-stars chef. Siblings aren't alike." He muttered quietly to himself.
The desert town was finally complete. Houses were fully furnished. The well got a metallic ladder installed for convenience. Next to the well was an information board, detailing the directions to many places.
They were multiple buildings of interest. Obviously, we got the signature restaurant owned by Chef Drapion and the sheriff's office. However, there's more that the viewers had never seen before.
One was a giant rundown, three-floors sandstone building with broken windows and doors. The brown color faded from the frames, leaving an unappealing gray. It located in the far corner of the town.
Another was an attractive looking sandstone building with a red, alluring door lamp. In addition, the building gave off a peculiar smell. Apparently, it was a brothel, evident from a sign.
Among the buildings was an interesting boy. He wore bright pink shades and held a travel brochure and a pen. Seemingly, he alternated between reading and glancing around. It was Nosepass.
Tourist
A random tourist that's too curious for his own good.
Goal: Find out about four of the other contestants' objectives and write it down at the back of your brochure.
Advantage: Put your pink shades on to see invisible ghosts. They might contain what you're looking for.
Nosepass had trouble deciding where to go first. There were several places to explore in the desert town like the detective agency and the pharmacy even if they didn't catch his attention much. Those buildings were very bland and ordinary. Besides, Nosepass wasn't a fan of detective shows…
Eventually, Nosepass saw Lurantis walking past him and entering Chef Drapion's Grill. The tourist decided to follow her, having no better idea for himself.
"May I ask you something, Lurantis?" Nosepass nudged her awkwardly after the two got inside. Truth to be told, he didn't feel comfortable around her after all the times he put the pants on his head.
"What is it, Nosepass?" Lurantis looked willing to help.
"Well, you know anything about this place? Or, maybe something about the other contestants? I'm just a random, curious tourist." Nosepass asked.
"Of course! Not long ago, a Farfetch'd got hired as the patissier here. He bakes the most delicious pastries. They're hot like the sun itself! I can't wait to eat it!" Lurantis informed enthusiastically.
"I see… Thank you for your help." Nosepass jotted before making his way over to the order counter, lining behind Lurantis.
"I want to order bread that's hot like the sun!" Lurantis told.
"Hot like the sun? Alright, I'll try…" Farfetch'd looked weirded out by her, sweat dropped. He wrote her order down, then looked at the next customer.
"Nosepass? Want to order anything?" Farfetch'd asked with a slightly surprised expression.
"What are you doing here, Farfetch'd? Why do you work? Like what's your goal? Care to tell me before I order so I can you know… be confident that it'll turn out good." Nosepass asked, making his intention obvious.
"I need to satisfy ten customers before I get fired or eliminated, Nosepass. Care to help… Nosepass?" Farfetch'd gawked as Nosepass waved at him from the door.
"Sorry, Farfetch'd. I got no money. Bye." Nosepass left just like that.
Confessional
Nosepass: 'Wow, I can't believe that anyone will fall for it."
Farfetch'd: "Ms. Stick, am I gullible?" He shook her sideways. "Yes, I'm gullible without Mr. Stalk. I can't do anything without him." He looked disappointed in himself.
Meowth looked out the window of his office. He saw Nosepass exiting Chef Drapion Grill with a joyful smile. He soon returned to his table. Three sleeping darts were placed on it. He grabbed his gun out from his holster and loaded the darts inside.
Soon, there was a knock on the door. Meowth placed the gun back in the holster and adjusted his hat before permitting entry. "Come in."
Drifblim entered, eyeing the gun on his holster. "Why did you call me here? The challenge just begins."
Meowth walked slowly to her, letting his arms swayed in a relaxed manner. "You see…" Suddenly, he grabbed the gun and aimed at her head. "I forecast that you'll harm this town's value."
"Are you sure?" Drifblim didn't show any signs of fear.
"It's just a gut feeling but I'm sure nonetheless." Meowth grinned confidently. "You should be scared."
"Why should I? I doubt that you have more than three bullets. Skarmory won't let you just shoot everyone that you come across. It's too easy to win immunity that way. I watch gameshows on a daily basis, Meowth." Drifblim astonishingly grabbed the gun and positioned it against her head. "I know how to win them. Shoot me if you're that confident." She dared.
Meowth widened his eyes in shock, sweating bullets. The audacity of her…
Meowth pulled his gun back. "I'll save you for last. Leave." He dismissed. Drifblim bowed politely before she left.
Confessional
Meowth: He clenched his fists. "Playing with me like that, huh? Drifblim, prepare for a payback with no paycheck."
Drifblim: "Oh, Meowth. All talk, no walk. How disappointing. I expect more from you."
In the kitchen…
"Hot, hot, hot like the sun!" Farfetch'd screamed, dropping the blazing bread on a plate before immersing his wings with water.
"Ah…" Farfetch'd sounded relieved.
"Duck stew, ever heard of fire-resistant oven mitts?" Chef Drapion sneered, showing the mitts to him.
"No. I didn't see them, chef." Farfetch'd admitted, smiling sheepishly.
"Ha, what an idiot." Chef Drapion walked over to Farfetch'd threateningly and turned off the tap water before gripping him by the neck with his huge claws. Farfetch'd looked terrified, trying to unclamp the claws from his neck.
"Duck stew, do you still think that I stole Mr. Stalk?" Chef Drapion asked threateningly.
"No." Farfetch'd replied weakly.
"Do you think my restaurant looks horrible because it still looks like a sushi restaurant instead of a bakery?" Chef Drapion asked again. Farfetch'd shook his wings, giving up on trying to free himself.
"Do you still see me as some garbage chef from a pathetic cooking school?!" Chef Drapion basically demanded an answer he wanted.
"No." Farfetch'd submitted in his pathetic state.
"Good. Because if you piss me off even once, I'm firing you!" Chef Drapion yelled threateningly before dropping Farfetch'd down. The duck held his neck in pain as Chef Drapion was very rough.
"Hurry up and do your goddamn job! Serve the *beep* bread!" Chef Drapion hastened and Farfetch'd immediately obeyed.
Confessional
Farfetch'd: He sobbed quietly to himself. "My job, my life and myself are all horrible without Mr. Stalk."
Chef Drapion: "Mwahaha…" He laughed maniacally. "My revenge will be sweeter than sweet bread."
Aromatisse looked through the window into the sheriff's office, staring at the two jail cells. Ursaring and Druddigon got locked up inside.
"Aromatisse, what are you staring at?" Drifblim asked after exiting out of the office. Aromatisse got spooked.
"You scare me, Drifblim. I thought you're Meowth for a second." Aromatisse sighed in relief.
"Do we have a common enemy?" Drifblim asked, inspiring confidence and ease with an empathetic smirk.
"Of course. Maybe we should check the pharmacy out. There might be… poison and drugs that we can use to eliminate him." Aromatisse whispered.
Jailbreaker
The role every criminal gang needs.
Goal: Break Druddigon out of jail and eliminate the sheriff in revenge.
Advantage: None
The two shook hands, signifying cooperation.
After the two left, Duosion came and looked through the window as well before she quickly left.
Confessional
Drifblim: "Meowth, you better watch your back now. We are coming for you."
Aromatisse: "I like this. Us girls taking down that dirty businessman."
Duosion: "I should check out the detective agency."
Darmanitan walked inside Chef Drapion Grill. He approached the closest table to the door.
"Do you have a job for me?" Darmanitan asked Lurantis.
"I want you to give me the sun as a birthday present!" Lurantis requested unrealistically. Darmanitan shied away immediately.
"Sorry, homie. I'm the chill like the moon type." Darmanitan left and Lurantis frowned.
"Do you have a job for me?" Darmanitan asked Snorlax this time. He wore a black hat. The headgear made him stand out from all the other interns.
"Sit down." Snorlax instructed, tapping the table.
Darmanitan obeyed, sitting down and giving Snorlax the 'eager to work' face.
Snorlax showed Darmanitan a poster of a wanted criminal. The bounty was 2,000 P.
"This is Palossand. He's wanted for hugging, extortion and thievery of my goods. He usually can be found near the oasis. Catch him dead or alive and you'll get the reward. Understood?" Snorlax explained.
"Yes, homie. I'll get right to work." Darmanitan got off his seat immediately.
"Wait." Snorlax stopped. Darmanitan turned to face him again. "You might want a dart gun. Solve this riddle and you might just get it. Ahem. Remember to flush twice after doing your dirty business."
"I'll keep that in mind, homie." Darmanitan left, scratching his head.
Confessional
Darmanitan: "Well, this homie boy isn't the best at riddles. Maybe if I meditate, I'll be enlightened."
Drifblim and Aromatisse entered the pharmacy. It was pretty small and shabby with only a few shelves and glass containers. Medicines ranged from healing berries to prescription drugs.
Seeing the two girls looked around, unable to find what they wanted, Wimpod offered to help. "What are you two l-looking for? I'm the o-owner. I c-can help." Wimpod stuttered, finding it difficult to fit his role.
Aromatisse got close to his ear. "Poison." She whispered.
"P-poison?" Wimpod quivered in fear. "Are you trying to kill someone? I'll report this to the sheriff."
"No, don't! Drifblim, what are we going to do? If Meowth finds out, he'll shoot our fabulous faces!" Aromatisse started panicking. Drifblim placed a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. This calmed her down considerably.
"Wimpod, I think you misunderstand. We are conducting a research on the harmful effects of certain drugs. Please bring us the cheapest one." Drifblim requested.
"We are medical students. Sorry for scaring you." Aromatisse reinforced, trying to sound natural.
"C-cheapest? Err… Just give me a moment." Wimpod excused himself to find the cheapest one. He scurried around the store, struggling.
"Where is it? Where is it?" Wimpod mumbled, becoming more anxious with every passing second.
Drifblim and Aromatisse looked frustrated. Therefore, they searched on their own.
This drug store was pretty much extremely unprofessional. No price tags, no proper organization of drugs and berries. Everything mixed together like a mess.
Drifblim came across a small bag of brownish-green leaves that looked like herbs. She thought it was weed until she touched it.
"How much does this bag cost?" Drifblim pointed and asked for the price.
"Uh, 300 P." Wimpod said randomly. Drifblim paid him the money before exiting the store with Aromatisse, not impressed with the store. Wimpod averted his eyes. His service was unacceptable.
"Drifblim, are we even allowed to drug Meowth? I'm not so sure about this anymore." Aromatisse cast her doubts.
"Don't worry, Aromatisse. It's fake. Touch it, artificial leaf." Drifblim exhibited. Aromatisse touched it, it gave a papery feeling to her skin.
"It really is fake." Aromatisse nodded slightly.
"I have a change of plans now. Instead of poisoning the sheriff, we are going to frame someone to divert his attention from us." Drifblim devised quietly.
"Who are we going to frame?" Aromatisse kept her voice low. Drifblim threw a look toward Chef Drapion Grill. Aromatisse had a moment of hesitation before agreeing to it.
Confessional
Wimpod: "I guess I'll be stuck with the credits for the rest of my life."
Drifblim: "Wimpod breaks the immersion of the challenge and makes the show looks really unprofessional. Maybe the viewers will like it but, eh. It feels awkward watching him scrambling around for a whole minute or two. I feel bad for Skarmory. He should edit some parts out."
Aromatisse: "Well, I like Farfetch'd but I rather win immunity more. I'll choose the million over him any day of the week. Even on Sundays when I feel generous after a long spa time. The show will be over soon and I finally can go back to my old beauty routine."
Duosion entered the detective agency. On the exterior, it looked like any other building. On the interior, it had more of a detective feel to it.
There was a coat stand with a deerstalker on top. There were paintings of detective movies along the walls. One showed a detective Heracross and his Ice Sandslash partner.
The table was pretty well organized with a laptop computer and table lamp. Bookshelves held many case files and records. At the end of the room was a coffin, strangely.
As you could guess, Smeargle worked here.
"Detective, can I see the murder files of Ursaring?" Duosion asked.
"Ursaring?" Smeargle got off her chair and retrieved a file from a bookshelf. "You need an authority's approval to see it. You have any note or anything that grants permission?"
"No, not right now." Duosion admitted.
"I'm sorry but I can't just show it to outsiders." Smeargle denied. "Return once you got permission. You can ask the sheriff."
Duosion sighed in disappointment. This was unexpected. She left the detective agency, looking down on the ground. Did she really need to beg Meowth for approval? Anything but that. There must be another way.
"Miss, you looked pricked. May I hear your story? Perhaps, I can help." Abomasnow approached her suddenly after she exited.
"I guess. The thing is I need to get an authority's approval so I can save an innocent man from getting wrongfully hung." Duosion revealed.
Guardian Angel
A kind-hearted angel that looks after innocent Pokemon of the desert town.
Goal: Clear Ursaring's name and free him from the sheriff's jail. You may not resort to violence in order to achieve your goal.
Advantage: An angel doesn't need an advantage.
"I see… Miss, I'm a forger. This is your lucky day. I'll help you if you help me." Abomasnow offered a deal.
"Thank you very much. What do I need to do?" Duosion asked eagerly.
"Follow me." Abomasnow led her to his house. Once Duosion entered, she saw a giant pile of Sudoku puzzles on the table. The psychic widened her eyes in shock.
"Please complete all of it for me, miss. I'll wait outside patiently." Abomasnow bowed politely before he left.
Confessional
Duosion: "This is going to take a very long while. Luckily, I'm good at Sudoku puzzles."
Meowth descended down to the first floor of his office, glancing at the two jail cells. Druddigon snarled, barking and cussing swear words at him. Ursaring said nothing, avoiding eye contact. His eyes were grief-stricken.
Meowth ignored the swears and headed over to the table with a bunch of newspapers. A Granbull statue with a police hat was next to it. Meowth searched through the newspapers, trying to find some sort of hint or clue that might be hidden.
Soon, there was a sound of someone knocking on the door.
"Who is it?" Meowth wondered, preparing his gun just in case. He opened the door and aimed the gun at the tourist.
"Ah! Don't shoot! Don't shoot!" Nosepass screamed deafeningly.
"Quiet!" Meowth closed his ears.
"Don't scare me then. I just want to ask you a few questions. You're the sheriff of the town but what exactly do you do?" Nosepass asked straightforwardly.
"Customer, do you think I give away my company's confidential information to random strangers? How naïve. Look at you with that pair of eager eyes and a pen. No one will fall for it." Meowth found his attempt pathetic.
"Come on, just give me a hint. Please." Nosepass begged.
"We have a no beggar policy here. Get lost or else..." Meowth threatened.
"Are you going to put a noose pass my neck?" Nosepass made a pun, albeit the fearful expression. Since he found out Hickery-o, Luca and Chamel liked them, he made them more and more.
"I'll shoot you!" Meowth thrusted the gun against Nosepass' forehead. The cowardly fled immediately, screaming all the way. Meowth grinned, satisfied with his accomplishment.
In reality, Nosepass fled because he noticed the newspapers at the corner of his right eye.
Confessional
Meowth: "I love cowardly customers. You can pressure them to buy your products with fear."
Nosepass: He rocked back and forth, traumatized. "Please don't hurt me, Mr. Newspaper. Please don't hurt me, Farfetch'd. Please don't hurt me…"
Darmanitan carried Palossand on his back as the intern hugged him, sweating under the scorching heat.
"Homie, you're heavy…" Darmanitan panted. "It isn't easy carry you all the way to town."
"Aw, sorry. I'll try to lose weight next time." Palossand apologized before tightening his arms around Darmanitan. The homie boy grimaced in pain before sucking it up.
"Zen, zen…" Darmanitan chanted, concentrating his effort on the laborious task.
Confessional
Darmanitan: "I dislike the desert. It isn't chill like the snowy area. Instead of hugging Doctor Chillman, Palossand gets to hug me."
Farfetch'd used the oven mitts to remove a tray of delicious pastries out this time. The duck smiled at his accomplishment as he placed each pastry on a dish.
"Wash these dishes!" Chef Drapion shouted demandingly, slamming a pile of dishes down in front of Farfetch'd.
Farfetch'd grumbled as he left his pastries and went to clean all the dishes. Drifblim used this opportunity to add fake weed in before vanishing.
Meanwhile, Aromatisse alarmed the situation to Meowth.
"Sheriff, Farfetch'd is putting weed inside his customers' food. You need to catch him!" Aromatisse sounded serious.
"Farfetch'd? I'll teach that competitor a lesson for harming his customers." Meowth rushed out of his office. Aromatisse grinned as she followed him.
Meowth pushed the door opened and the chatter died down instantly. The customers watched as the sheriff showed off his cowboy boots. The spurs were shiny and the rowels were sharp and big. Each stomp emitted a sense of authority and power.
Farfetch'd heard the intimidating sound and lowered his head as Meowth arrived before him with censuring eyes. The sheriff sliced the floor of the restaurant with the rowels, creating a sharp and clinking sound.
"Farfetch'd, how dare you put weed in your customers food? I shall arrest you." Meowth indicted.
"I didn't! I never do that. I hold my honor as a professional chef. There must be some misunderstanding, I swear!" Farfetch'd spoke of the truth.
"How will you explain this then?" Meowth picked up a dish filled with weed.
The customers all gasped. Farfetch'd gaped in shock.
"I got framed. Chef, you know that, right? I was washing the dishes." Farfetch'd turned to Chef Drapion to verify the truth for him.
"Is that true, chef? You'll be charged with perjury if you testify falsely." Meowth discouraged. It wouldn't actually be perjury as this wasn't court.
"I don't know what the hell duck stew is talking about. Just arrest him, sheriff." Chef Drapion chuckled meanly as Meowth dragged Farfetch'd away.
"Chef, you're supposed to have my back. You're supposed to defend me!" Farfetch'd resisted to no avail.
"Screw you, baker bird. You don't deserve my help. *beep* off in jail!" Chef Drapion swore, inconsiderate toward his customers' feelings. A few customers left the restaurant out of disgust.
Confessional
Meowth: "It doesn't matter if Farfetch'd gets framed or not, I just want to hinder his progress and throw him into the jail. If I really think that he got an evil role, I would shoot him already."
Farfetch'd: "Mr. Stalk and Swanna will be so disappointed to see me stuck in a jail."
Nosepass finally pulled himself together after reminding himself of his blissful memories in Toucannon Island. The tourist decided to hunt for ghosts next since begging the other contestants for information probably wouldn't work on anyone else.
Nosepass couldn't spot any ghosts in any open areas. Therefore, he speculated that they probably hid in isolated areas, probably around the far corners of the town. Looking at his brochure once again, he found an ideal but scary place.
The rundown building.
If it was the old Nosepass, he wouldn't dare to get anywhere close to that creepy place. The brochure told a story of a prosperous family destroyed by greed and corruption.
However, this was the new and improved Nosepass. After his time with Hickery-o, he felt a bit braver. Still a coward but no longer a spineless coward.
"I can detect ghosts with my shades and they're there to help me. There's nothing to fear." Nosepass reassured himself as he got closer and closer to the building. Soon enough, he stood in front of it with shaky legs.
Taking a deep breath, Nosepass stepped forward sluggishly. He fitted through the hole of the entrance, glancing around at his surroundings.
Now that he got a closer look, it looked really similar to the haunted mansion. At least for the foyer.
Two doors, one to the left and the other to the right. A grand, double staircase leading to the second floor. A chandelier got attached to the ceiling.
Nosepass couldn't find any ghost types in the foyer. He continued with slow and apprehensive footsteps, heading to the right.
Nosepass held the doorknob, twisting it opened slowly. The door creaked and Nosepass trembled, peeking through the narrow gap of the door.
The room appeared to be a small dressing room with a shattered mirror, a table and a stool. Spider webs clung to the mirror and ceiling.
Most noticeably, there was a clothing rack with a pink hat and a blue overall on it. The hat got the letter N on the front. A Haunter holding a camera floated above it. He got a friendly smile on his face.
"Why the fearful face, Nosepass? Come in, hohoho…" Haunter laughed jollily. Nosepass opened the door fully, invited by his friendliness.
"So, any useful stuff to tell me?" Nosepass asked.
"Of course. But first, I think you'll look good if you put the overall and the cap on, Nosepass." Haunter suggested.
"Alright." Nosepass complied. He didn't mind it. Not like he was brave enough to refuse anyways.
The camera cut to when Nosepass finished dressing up.
"Perfect, Nosepassario." Haunter nicknamed. "Now, let me tell you the mission. Inside this haunted place filled with ghosts, role card replicas of other contestants are hidden. Find them and beware of hostile ghosts. They will attack you." He warned.
"A-attack?" Nosepass turned pale.
"What are you waiting for? Start finding. I'll film your adventure for a movie called Nosepass' Mansion." Haunter hurried.
"Okay." Nosepass replied simply, returning back to the foyer. Turning around, he saw that Haunter was still filming him. At least, he got a companion… kind of.
Nosepass opened the left door and jumped backwards. Upon seeing that they were no ghosts, Nosepass pushed his shades up his nose before entering the room.
It was a room filled with cleaning equipment. A vacuum cleaner was at the center of the room, capturing his attention.
"Can I capture ghosts with this?" Nosepass asked the Haunter cameraman.
"Yes, just don't capture me." Haunter nodded.
"I'll be careful." Nosepass equipped the vacuum cleaner behind his back and started heading upstairs cautiously.
Nosepass had a feeling that he would meet a hostile ghost soon…
Confessional
Nosepass: "Mamma-mia, why did a random tourist like me end up in a haunted mini mansion? I didn't win a random, suspicious contest or anything."
"Sheriff, you got the wrong Pokemon! I do wheat, not weed! Free me!" Farfetch'd shouted disobediently as he tried to free himself from the sheriff's grasp.
"Go and reflect upon your wrongdoings inside the jail for fifteen minutes." Meowth sentenced, hurling Farfetch'd into the same prison as Druddigon. The sheriff even confiscated Ms. Stick before shutting the cell close.
"Hey, give her back!" Farfetch'd stretched his wings out of the iron bars.
"Yes, after fifteen minutes." Meowth placed Ms. Stick next to the newspapers before exiting his office.
Farfetch'd gasped. "Mr. Newspaper…" He scowled.
"Hey, you got arrested for what?" Druddigon asked with his hands behind his head, leaning on the wall.
"I got framed. This is so unfair. The law system of this town is flawed." Farfetch'd complained.
"Yeah, sure. 'Framed', everybody says that." Druddigon scoffed.
"Hey, I got framed too! I didn't actually kill my own wife. Hell no!" Ursaring yelled earnestly.
"Sure, sure. We are all innocent." Druddigon said in a sarcastic tone.
Farfetch'd and Ursaring exchanged looks of empathy.
Confessional
Farfetch'd: "I think I know who is Mr. Newspaper's accomplice now…" He narrowed his eyes. "The scummy sheriff, Meowth."
Before Darmanitan was about to carry Palossand inside Chef Drapion Grill, he saw Lurantis exiting with a sullen expression.
"What's wrong, sunlight homie?" Darmanitan asked with concern.
"Meowth and Chef Drapion, those two jerks are so mean to Farfetch'd! He baked me a delicious, scorching sunlight bread. Someone like him wouldn't put weed in his customers' food. I'm never coming back to this stupid restaurant ever again!" Lurantis vented off.
"Alright." Darmanitan absorbed the situation in as he walked to Snorlax. The chill Pokemon soon dropped the sandcastle down, unloading the burden and wiping the sweat off his forehead.
"Good job, worth 2,000 P." Snorlax paid him the money before he tied Palossand up with ropes.
Darmanitan smiled proudly after his successful bounty hunt. Aromatisse and Drifblim suddenly approached him.
"Darmanitan, you got an evil role, right?" Drifblim assumed.
"Yeah, homie. I'm a greedy thief." Darmanitan confessed.
Greedy Thief
You only care about the money. No need to eliminate the others.
Goal: Rob Chef Drapion Grill and the sheriff's office for treasure.
Advantage: You heard that someone got a job for you inside Chef Drapion Grill.
"Let's work together and take down Meowth, Darmanitan. Will that be okay with you?" Aromatisse asked, proposing an anti-Meowth coalition.
"I'm fine with that, homie." Darmanitan accepted. Although, his eyes showed reluctance.
"Ah, I see evilness in all of your eyes. I used to be a criminal as well in my adolescent days. Here is my help to those that will carry the tasty torch of crime. 'All well ends well. A rat lives where a rat lives.' I hope this helps you find the location of the gun store." Snorlax gave them a clue before dragging Palossand away.
"Any clue?" Aromatisse asked, looking puzzled.
"Maybe the restroom under the well?" Drifblim suggested.
"Probably, homie. Snorlax told me another part. Something about flushing twice after doing your dirty business." Darmanitan informed.
"Oh, I get it now. It's a secret code. Flush the toilet twice and the entrance to the hidden gun store will reveal itself. While we can all go down the well, it'll attract unnecessary attention. I believe we should send someone down to purchase guns for the three of us if possible." Drifblim advised.
"Yeah. I have no money so I'll let you two choose. You don't need to buy me a gun if you don't have enough." Aromatisse was fine with anything.
"Homie, I'm too big to go down the well. Maybe, you should do it." Darmanitan handed the money to Drifblim out of trust.
"Thank you, Darmanitan. I won't misplace your trust." Drifblim smiled reassuringly before exiting Chef Drapion Grill.
Confessional
Drifblim: "Obviously, I won't steal his money. Neither will I shoot him and Aromatisse. They're all bad moves. Right now, I need to unite everyone against Meowth."
Darmanitan: "I'm still new to this dart gun business. It isn't chill at all. The freezing gun is more of my style."
Aromatisse: "Drifblim told me that she's fine with me winning immunity today. We just need to stop Meowth from winning."
"Finally, I finish all of the Sudoku puzzles!" Duosion celebrated joyfully. She showed all of them to Abomasnow and he gave her a fake approval note.
Duosion placed the approval note down on the table for Smeargle's to inspect.
"This looks real. I guess I can show you the body of the victim." Smeargle led Duosion over to the coffin before opening it.
Inside was a 'corpse' of a female Bewear. Through the use of many make-ups, she actually looked like a murdered victim. There was a major wound on her face and multiples minor wounds around her body, especially the legs and arms.
"This Bewear got murdered by Ursaring's Hammer Arm. The victim's blood was also found on the killer's body." Smeargle stated. Duosion chuckled at this.
"Excuse me?" Smeargle raised her left eye in annoyance.
"Detective, I think you got it all wrong. This Bewear got murdered by Druddigon's Superpower. Hence, the damage was specifically on the face. Hammer Arm usually strikes the top of your head. While statistically possible to hit the face directly, it's unlikely. In addition, the other damages around the legs and arms were all due to the ability Rough Skin. The victim was probably trying to fight back. Just because the victim's blood is on someone doesn't mean that person is the killer. That's presumptuously foolish." Duosion schooled the 'detective'.
"So, Ursaring is framed?" Smeargle finally caught on. Duosion nodded.
"Bring the sheriff here, he needs to see this!" Smeargle directed. Duosion headed over to the sheriff's office as fast as possible. She needed to prevent Meowth from winning.
Confessional
Duosion: "I think I have around a ninety percent chance of winning. Meowth, you'll be eliminated today."
Nosepass reached the second floor and found a Dusclops sweeping the floor with a broom.
The ghostly sweeper found Nosepass and immediately pointed at him mockingly. "Pink shades, really dude? Are you a boy or a girl? Hahaha…"
"You're going to get it now!" Nosepass seethed, turning the vacuum cleaner on.
"Ah! Help!" Dusclops dropped the broom and tried to run away futilely. However, in the end he got sucked by the powerful vacuum.
"Gotcha, ghost. He isn't scary at all, are all ghosts like this?" Nosepass addressed Haunter, feeling confident after his first victory.
"He's just target practice. Stay on your guard or else you're going to regret it, Nosepassario." Haunter warned.
Nosepass nodded before entering the first room of the second floor. He licked his lips immediately once he saw a long dining table with white sheet and tons of delicious food including spaghetti, pasta, lasagna, meatballs and even pizzas.
"Finally, I get to eat good food!" Nosepass couldn't resist the temptation. He totally forgot about Haunter's warning and pulled the chair back before sitting on it recklessly.
Suddenly, a mysterious Pokemon used Psychic to tie a napkin to his neck.
"Thanks, Haunter." Nosepass assumed before putting a bunch of spaghetti and meatball on his plate. Again, the mysterious Pokemon used Psychic to put some salt and pepper on his meatball spaghetti.
"That's just perfect. Thank you very much, Haunter. Unlike all the other ghosts, you're nice. I'll eat now." Nosepass said gratefully before eating carelessly.
The mysterious Pokemon utilized this opportunity when Nosepass got distracted by the food to remove his pink shades and charged up a Shadow Ball behind his back.
"Haunter, why did you take my shades off?!" Nosepass turned around furiously with spaghetti sauce on his mouth. He widened his eyes in fear immediately once he saw an invisible ghost charging up Shadow Ball.
"Oh no!" Nosepass ditched the food and ran away immediately. The Shadow Ball narrowly missed him.
"Take this, ghost!" Nosepass turned the vacuum cleaner on but it was difficult to target the ghost without the pink shades as it was thrown away to the other side of the room.
The hostile ghost started throwing chairs and dishes of food at Nosepass' direction.
"Ah!" Nosepass ducked, dodging the first chair. Once he saw a plate of pizza being thrown at him. He used the vacuum to suck it into his hands.
"Haha, yummy." Nosepass took a big bite of the pizza before he started running away from all the storm of chairs, chewing at the same time.
"Ah! This isn't cool. Stop with the chairs and throw me some more food please." Nosepass pleaded.
The ghost stopped throwing chairs and charged up another Shadow Ball. Nosepass sucked toward that direction. A female Mismagius became visible. She didn't bother floating away. Instead, she shot the Shadow Ball at Nosepass to stop his vacuum attack.
"Ouch!" Nosepass got blasted away, taking some serious damage. His face planted on the lasagna. Nosepass wiped the lasagna off his face and trembled hopelessly. There was no way that he could beat her. He was too weak to fight her head on and too slow to get his shades.
Mismagius smirked once she saw his hopeless face. She charged up another Shadow Ball, preparing to finish him off. Skarmory would raise her pay if she defeated him.
Nosepass had an epiphany after seeing his messy hands. There was another way to make her visible…
The tourist activated his vacuum cleaner. However, he didn't target Mismagius. Instead, he locked his sights onto a nearby plate of meatballs.
Nosepass sucked them up before blasting them at the Mismagius, who was caught off guard by this unorthodox strategy. The sticky meatball collided with her face and Nosepass capitalized on this chance to suck her up.
"No, I'm this close to getting a pay raise!" Mismagius shouted after a frustrating defeat. An envelope popped out of the vacuum cleaner after Nosepass captured his second ghost.
"Neat, Meowth's role card." Nosepass opened the envelope to check the content. Two more to go.
"Bravo, Nosepassario. That will make an excellent scene at the theatres." Haunter clapped, turning visible once again. His camera was placed on the chandelier. "Skarmory told us that you're an easy target. He underestimated you. You're very talented and brave."
"Haunter, Skarmory is right." Nosepass looked down on the ground in distress.
"What do you mean? I don't understand." Haunter seemed confused.
"I still think that I'm weak and pathetic. It's just that… I hate myself! I don't want to be known as the coward anymore. Anything but that, even a saboteur. I want to satisfy my big brother who wasted so much of his precious time to train a hopeless weakling like me. I want to impress my girlfriend, who saw something special in me!" Nosepass released his innermost feelings.
"I'm sure you satisfy your brother and impress your girlfriend by now." Haunter smiled.
"No, Haunter, you don't understand. You haven't seen the footage. You don't know what I did. Neither will I tell you. Let's go." Nosepass put his shades back on and left the room with regretful eyes and a frowning face. Haunter lost his smile, following Nosepass out.
Confessional
Nosepass: "I regretted stealing Mr. Stalk so much. It hasn't made me stronger in the slightest. Will I be arrested as a thief if Mr. Stalk is lost forever? Will everyone hate me? Will everyone kill me?!" He soon cried quietly to himself.
In the restroom under the well…
Drifblim flushed the toilet twice. Slowly but surely, the wall started to rotate, pushing Drifblim into a secret room.
"Nice surprise, Skarmory. Although, if I were you, I would design something less risky. I can see complaints coming about privacy violation." Drifblim talked to the camera.
"Ugly kid, you can trust Alakazam on that one. He smoking monitors everything. Not like I care." Raticate told. The rat got a table full of guns and sleeping darts in front of him.
"That's much more reassuring. Although if any problems come up, I bet Skarmory will end up on the receiving end." Drifblim replied.
"Get on with the *beep* gun business. I'm tired of my smoking sucky internship. I never get paid. I'm going to quit soon, probably when the chef does." Raticate heralded with cold, infuriated eyes. The intern lost all of his flare and passion in torturing the contestants. That's why he didn't appear at all in the last few episodes.
Drifblim remained indifferent. Raticate and Chef Drapion were far from her favorite staff members. The gun had a price tag of 700 P. Each dart costed 100 P. Lastly, there was another group of identical guns. A paper note was placed next to them.
"A gun that backfires? Interesting?" Drifblim commented after reading. The backfire gun costed 1,000 P. Drifblim decided to purchase two normal guns, three darts and one backfire gun. She paid all of her money for all of the weaponry.
Drifblim held each gun with each arm. The last held the darts. She soon left, leaving Raticate all alone in his little hole of solitude.
Confessional
Drifblim: "I hope to see better replacements than those two in the next season. While Chef Drapion can be funny. At the end, he's just one horrible, grumpy chef. Raticate is just an unprofessional sewer rat that Chef Drapion hired randomly."
Speaking of Chef Drapion, he entered the sheriff's office after Farfetch'd finished his fifteen minutes jail sentence.
Meowth came and opened the jail cell. Duosion entered and whispered something into his ear. The psychic flashed a smile at Ursaring before the two left.
The patissier glared at his boss grudgingly.
"I can fire you, duck stew. You should feel fortunate." Chef Drapion felt like he had the upper hand, grinning conceitedly at Farfetch'd.
"Fire me then, chef. Why come here?" Farfetch'd questioned.
"Because you need to work. I actually get the money from the interns by selling them food. Go and do your goddamn job!" Chef Drapion ordered. Farfetch'd chuckled and left with no need for more words.
Confessional
Farfetch'd: "In the end, the chef just wants me for the money. Makes me wonder why he didn't defend me in the first place."
Chef Drapion: "That smug face of his when he knows that he's a better chef than me… *beep* him! Does it even matter if he can cook better shit than me?! I'm still the chef of this island! I got my restaurant and I got my pay! He's just one *beep* contestant that will never win! To hell with him and Mr. Stalk."
Duosion told Meowth everything and Smeargle backed her up. The sheriff smiled ambiguously at the guardian angel.
"My hard-working employee, you must be rewarded." Meowth said in a very sweet tone. Too sweet…
"Reward me by freeing Ursaring. That's all I can ask for. Wait, Meowth… What are you doing?" Duosion noticed that Meowth aimed at her with his gun.
"This is your reward. Accept it gratefully." Meowth fired her.
"Duosion, eliminated!" Skarmory made an announcement and Duosion's body got teleported away.
"Why the hell did you shoot an innocent Pokemon, sheriff?! I demand a good reason." Smeargle raged.
"Because my employee thinks she can outsmart her boss and pull a win over me." Meowth explained, pointing the gun at Smeargle's head. She looked horrified.
"Don't tell anyone this or else there will be grave consequences to your financial career." Meowth threatened before he left, taking Ursaring's files with him.
Confessional
Meowth: "I wasted one bullet. No big deal. I got my ways to win."
Duosion: "Meowth…" She said with spite.
Drifblim handed Aromatisse and Darmanitan one gun and one dart each.
"Two guns cost 1,400 P. Three darts cost 300 P. My gun is special. It backfires and costs 1,000 P. I hope you trust me." Drifblim said sincerely.
"Of course, girl. You aren't Meowth. I bet that dirty businessman is plotting an evil scheme right now." Aromatisse had no doubt.
"Yeah, homie." Darmanitan agreed even though Drifblim basically took 1,200 P off him. One gun and dart only worth 800 P after all.
"Duosion, eliminated!" Aromatisse heard this and knew Meowth did it immediately.
"That dirty businessman. I'll teach him a lesson! You two stay here. I'll take care of him by myself." Aromatisse resolved.
"Your choice, girl. Good luck." Drifblim smiled encouragingly. Darmanitan did the same.
Confessional
Aromatisse: "Meowth, you shot someone with a good role as the sheriff? Comtemptible."
Drifblim: "Bad publicity stunt, Meowth." She shook her head in disapproval.
Darmanitan: "Meowth reminds me of Lucario sometimes. They both are very competitive. Is this a good thing?"
Meowth was inside Ursaring's house. His bedroom to be exact. He saw dried tomato sauce on the bedsheets as well as the ground.
The sheriff examined a picture of Ursaring and Bewear kissing each other. Meowth immediately turned the picture on the table away with a revolted expression. Just like Lucario, Meowth hated romance. To him, it was only a distraction. If Houndour and Duosion weren't in a relationship together, he might actually save Treasure Trio. However, that was old news. Something to be forgotten.
Meowth soon left for the brothel. The peculiar smell forced him to close his nose as he entered.
Once Shiinotic saw her customer, she eyed him flirtatiously and seduced him with her long finger. She dressed up in her casino costume. This time, her skirt was a bit shorter than usual.
None of this worked on Meowth, of course. He pointed the gun at her head.
"Tell me, did Ursaring ever visit here?!" Meowth asked threateningly.
"Oh, sweetie, why would that-" Shiinotic got interrupted.
"Shut your trap, prostitute! Sex should never be a product no matter how desperate you're." Meowth slammed Ursaring's files down in front of Shiinotic. "These files here say that Ursaring killed his wife over their argument about his visit to this brothel. I'll ask you again. Did Ursaring ever visit here?!"
"No. Please don't shoot." Shiinotic shook, closing her eyes in fear. Meowth picked up his files and walked over to her.
"Stay silent and you shall live. Understood?" Meowth pressured with his gun. Shiinotic nodded profusely.
Aromatisse rushed inside after hearing noises from nearby.
"Meowth, I can't believe that you're threatening another innocent lady." Aromatisse pointed her gun at him. However, Meowth held Shiinotic as his hostage.
"Innocent? Laughable. If you dare shoot, she's going to take the hit." Meowth used Shiinotic as his meat shield.
"Please don't shoot, Aromatisse. I beg you!" Shiinotic implored. Her eyes were so sympathetic.
Aromatisse loosened the grip on her gun. Meowth utilized this opportunity to shove Shiinotic aside and fired the jailbreaker out of the game.
"Aromatisse, eliminated!" Aromatisse's body got teleported away but not her gun. Meowth took it and left.
Confessional
Shiinotic: "Don't get me wrong, I'm not actually a prostitute. I just get paid a lot performing these roles. On another note, I hate Meowth as much as Lucario now. Both are ruthless, vicious and crazily competitive sons of a-" The last word got cut off.
Aromatisse: "Meowth, you're going home tonight. I hope to the fabulous gods of beauty that you lose."
"Gotcha!" Nosepass rejoiced as he captured a Banette successfully. He got another role card. This time, it was Darmanitan's. He needed one more.
The tourist eventually reached the final floor and entered the very first room. It was a shiny, clean white bathroom. A Gengar was currently sitting on a toilet, reading his newspaper.
Nosepass trembled in fear from the sight of the monstrous, nightmarish newspaper. He was paralyzed in fear.
"Eek! Pervert, take this!" Gengar reddened as he used Psychic and blasted the toilet water at Nosepass. Luckily, it was clean toilet water.
"Ack! Arghack!" Nosepass spat out the toilet water. However, Gengar blasted more at him. Nosepass soon fainted.
"Nosepass, eliminated!" Everything got teleported away, even the vacuum cleaner.
"This ending is pretty disgusting. Do you think the viewers will like it?" Haunter cringed as he replayed the footage.
Gengar shrugged. "I got my bonus, whatever. Although, all of us ghost interns will get a bonus if we reach the sales target. What are you waiting for, pre-order the movie tickets to Nosepass' Mansion now! See exclusive scenes not shown on Total Skarmory Island!" Gengar advertised, pointing down as the number 98012-376-6433-SK appeared on the screen with the price of 400 P. The small print below said no refund.
Confessional
Nosepass: "That's just disgusting. I need to watch my mouth ten times today."
On Meowth's way back to the office, Drifblim 'accidentally' bumped into him. She knocked both of their guns off and immediately took his gun, leaving him with the backfire gun.
"Oops, clumsy me. Sorry, sheriff." Drifblim apologized, rubbing her head sheepishly.
Meowth checked to see if the gun had any ammunition. To his surprise, there was one.
"Drifblim, don't try to act innocent. You're trying to switch our guns and leave me with no ammunition, don't you? Such a shame that you messed up." Meowth clicked his tongue multiple times as he shook his head. Drifblim scratched her head in frustration and face-palmed herself before she left.
Confessional
Drifblim: "There's still a possibility that he might catch on to what I did and change to use Aromatisse's gun instead. That's fine by me. It won't be exciting for the viewers if I beat him easily."
Meowth inserted his key through Ursaring's jail cell.
"Is it time to get hung, sheriff?" Ursaring asked pessimistically.
"No, I'm letting you out. I found the true culprit that murdered your wife." Meowth freed Ursaring. (Duosion doesn't win immunity because she needs to complete her task, not Meowth.)
"Who is that *beep*?! I'll *beep* murder that little *beep*!" Ursaring swore. Druddigon sweated nervously.
"It was Druddigon. Not only did he rape three victims during the night of the incidents, he also killed your wife because she resisted." Meowth revealed.
Ursaring suddenly went berserk and broke the jail cell and beat Druddigon up. Meowth left the violent scene and the camera didn't show any footage of the brutality because nothing like that actually happened. The interns were just acting.
Confessional
Meowth: "I just feel pity for a beggar like him. That's why I throw him a piece of bread."
Meowth exited and saw Darmanitan. He fidgeted nervously with his gun as he stared at Chef Drapion Grill.
"Hey, Aura Beast fanboy! I got a message for you. Chill, not grill. Think before committing a crime, alright?" Meowth conveyed.
"Yeah, homie." Darmanitan gave him a thumb up and forced a smile.
"Good, enjoy your bakery goods." Meowth waved before walking away from him.
As Darmanitan entered Chef Drapion Grill to commit robbery, Drifblim appeared in front of Meowth.
"Sheriff, I believe we should end this now. Why don't you, me and Darmanitan face off in a truel for a final showdown? This is a social game, Meowth. Darmanitan is your roommate after all. Aren't you curious to see if he'll point his gun at you or me?" Drifblim persuaded.
"Of course, I'm curious. We will start in twenty minutes. Prepare for defeat, Drifblim." Meowth clenched his right fist in determination.
"Perfect. Show me all you got, Meowth. This might be your last chance after all." Drifblim desired a spectacle.
Confessional
Meowth: "If Darmanitan knows how to win this game, he'll shoot Drifblim."
Darmanitan barged inside the kitchen, holding his gun up at Chef Drapion.
"Where are the goods, homie?" Darmanitan asked. Chef Drapion opened one of the drawers, showing 10,000 P.
"Don't hurt me, I'm leaving." Chef Drapion quickly scrammed away. Darmanitan was about to steal the money until Farfetch'd knocked him down with a giant bread stick. The duck stole the gun and exited the restaurant.
Confessional
Farfetch'd: "In this turbulent world with an evil sheriff and many outlaws, I can't afford to live my honest life as a patissier anymore. I'll become a vigilante and serve justice to this desert town."
The duel was about to begin…
Meowth exited his office, stomping toward the well slowly but intimidatingly.
Drifblim floated toward the well, keeping her eyes on Meowth.
Farfetch'd exited out of Chef Drapion Grill instead of Darmanitan. Meowth and Drifblim both looked surprised but they didn't say anything.
Drifblim glanced toward Farfetch'd and threw Meowth a look.
Farfetch'd fixed his eyes at Meowth.
Meowth sweated as he saw the looks the two were giving him.
Farfetch'd turned to Drifblim a bit before turning back to Meowth.
Drifblim faked a look of worry. She would shoot Farfetch'd when the time comes.
Farfetch'd held a grudge against Meowth after he threw him into the jail. However, he also knew that Drifblim was targeting Meowth. Maybe, it was smarter to shoot her.
Meowth knew both of them targeted him. He looked really anxious as they kept staring at him.
Drifblim knew she gave Meowth the backfire gun but she also knew that he got Aromatisse's gun.
1…
Farfetch'd tightened his grip on the gun.
2…
Drifblim was prepared to suddenly turn toward Farfetch'd's direction and shoot him.
Fire!
Drifblim shot Farfetch'd…
Farfetch'd's gun…. backfired.
"Farfetch'd, eliminated!"
Meowth shot Drifblim, grinning jubilantly.
"Drifblim, eliminated!"
Flashback…
Hey Aura Beast fanboy! I got a message for you.
Aura Beast's message system. Only Lucario, Meowth and Darmanitan knew this.
Chill, not grill.
Meet up at Chef Drapion Grill.
Think before committing a crime, alright?
Let's plan up a scheme together before doing anything rash.
Meowth and Darmanitan sat on a table together. Meowth placed one of his gun to the left (Drifblim's) and another to the right (Aromatisse's). He showed him the dart of each gun before putting them back in.
"Drifblim gave me the gun to my left as a sample. Darmanitan, care to provide me the product specifications? Please cooperate. Not only are we roommates, but we are also Lucario's only friends." Meowth asked, clasping Darmanitan's huge hands together pleadingly. Darmanitan averted his eyes a little.
"Homie… I'll be honest with you. I'm jealous. You did something that I should. I should have stayed by Lucario's side no matter what. Only if I'm there and show him that he isn't alone, he wouldn't do any of those horrible things. Meowth… The gun to your left will backfire." Darmanitan revealed after making his mind up.
"I get it now, Darmanitan. I'll keep your trust in a bank to generate interest and we shall go to the finale together. Drifblim will certainly fire at you in the truel. You need to avoid it, Darmanitan. Give this backfire gun to Farfetch'd and let him pay the fine in your place. I'll act worried as if recession is about to begin and shoot Drifblim." Meowth invented an ingenious plan.
"That's extremely smart, homie." Darmanitan complimented.
"Indeed. Care to give me your gun, Darmanitan? I want to check it." Meowth asked with a 'harmless face'.
"No problem, homie." Darmanitan gave Meowth his gun. He checked to see if there was a dart inside. Indeed, there was. Meowth smiled, handing the gun back to Darmanitan under the table.
"Welcome to the business world, Darmanitan. You'll learn to accept money under the table." Meowth grinned sneakily.
"Yeah, homie." Darmanitan felt a bit uneasy.
End of Flashback
Darmanitan exited Chef Drapion Grill, glad to see Meowth successfully executing his plan. Meowth smiled at Darmanitan mysteriously. Darmanitan returned a knowing smile.
"Chillmen's agreement, homie. Shoot on the count of three. How does that sound?" Darmanitan suggested.
"Fine by me." Meowth accepted.
1…
Darmanitan held the gun with both of his hands, aiming at Meowth. He seemed chill.
2…
Meowth looked extremely relaxed and confident.
Fire!
Meowth didn't even bother to shoot because Darmanitan's gun got no ammunition.
"What's going on?" Darmanitan looked baffled as he pressed the trigger multiple times and nothing came out of the gun.
"Gullible customer. You should have checked your product after you purchased it. Do you seriously think a businessman of my caliber would be fooled by your simple trick? After shooting Drifblim, Aromatisse and Duosion, you knew I'm left with zero dart, especially after giving you the backfire gun with a dart inside. That's why I stole your dart under the table." Meowth made a grand reveal.
"Homie, why do you need to take this game so seriously? Is it necessary to trick and manipulate others all the time?" Darmanitan questioned.
"Affirmatively. Just like Lucario, winning and losing means life and death for me. I live in a family where everyone fights each other like savages to claim or defend the title of being an heir to a multi-billion company. My siblings, cousins, my uncles, my aunts, I can't trust any of them! Even though I'm taught to prioritize the family business above everything else, I couldn't help but prioritize myself above the rest." Meowth paused for a short breather. His words were… heavy. Darmanitan was speechless.
"The one million has little to no value to me. I only want the title and show my father that he made the right decision to name me as the heir! That includes manipulating and tricking you all. I need to tolerate such harsh living conditions and such tough competitors for three weeks! You don't understand that pain, the grief and everything I went through." Meowth paused again, his eyes turned watery. Darmanitan's eyes were sympathetic.
"I hurt my loyal customer, Ledyba. I severed the relations of my business partners, Houndour and Duosion. I can feel guilt and regret too, you know? I have connections with gigantic, immoral business owners that customers blindly throw money toward. I see how they strip everything away from their employees. Treating them like nothing but machines in sweatshops and factories. I fear that I'll turn out like them but, just because I'm the owner doesn't mean I have the rights to dictate anything. When you venture into the world of business, you learn to obey the board of directors, the shareholders and more. The only one that truly understands me is Lucario!" Meowth cried genuine tears. Darmanitan was shocked by this outburst.
"He knows how important it's for me to win this game. He knows just how much I need to tolerate everything. Not only is he willing to forgive me for turning against all of you, he turns against his beloved Feckless Flygon members for me! Darmanitan, you caused so much pain and suffering to Lucario. You indeed should be jealous of me. You admired and followed him for the wrong reasons. Time to get fired!" Meowth was about to pull the trigger.
"Homie, behind you!" Darmanitan warned. Meowth ignored his simple 'trick'.
A giant bread stick slammed the back of his head. "Get him, girls!" Shiinotic initiated the first blow.
Lurantis, Smeargle and Shiinotic started beating and whipping Meowth up with their bread sticks.
"This is my end…? Defeated by a cheap, everyday food product? How humiliating…" Meowth whimpered.
"What are you interns doing? Stop!" Darmanitan halted.
"Punishing him for being a bad sheriff. In this challenge, the interns have freedom to do certain things too. Everything isn't scripted." Smeargle explained.
"Yeah, just like when I left Chef Drapion Grill. That isn't scripted." Lurantis gave an example.
"He threatened innocent civilians with guns. Someone like him should be punished." Shiinotic said before resuming to beat Meowth up with the other girls.
"Ah!" Meowth yelled out in pain. Darmanitan covered his eyes.
"Stop! He cleared my name. That should make up for some of the things he did." Ursaring appeared with a bottle of sleeping pills. "I know you gals want to take out your anger on him but that won't do you any good just like when I punched those Lucario dummies… At least, give him a painless elimination." He convinced.
Shiinotic threw Meowth a dirty look before dropping her bread stick down. She had a personal reason for beating Meowth, getting revenge against him was like getting revenge against Lucario.
Smeargle stopped, feeling a bit guilty. She also had a personal reason for beating Meowth. She blamed him for what happened to Lucario.
Lurantis just followed the other two. It was also a great work out, beating him hard under the sun.
"Thank you, kind customer." Meowth accepted the sleeping pill gratefully. He consumed it and eliminated himself.
"Meowth, eliminated!" Darmanitan dragged himself to steal the sheriff's treasure and ended the game as the immunity winner.
Confessional
Drifblim: "I applause you, Meowth for outsmarting me. You're a good rival. However, your victory is pointless. It doesn't earn you the immunity win."
Darmanitan: "Today, so many things go through my mind. I need some time to meditate and collect my thoughts… Sorry, Meowth."
"One, two, Leppa! If you receive one, you're safe. If not, you're eliminated." Skarmory started giving them out.
"Darmanitan"
"Aromatisse"
"Duosion"
"Farfetch'd"
"Nosepass"
"Drifblim, you're the gameshow fanatic. A very big threat to win this game." Skarmory commented.
"A very big threat to your ratings too. I have a big list of criticisms. You better watch out." Drifblim said jokingly. Skarmory rolled his eyes.
"Meowth, you're the businessman. You get discounts, you're good at pitching your products to others and much more. You're a threat as well." Skarmory listed a few of many reasons.
"I accept my bankruptcy. Give the berry to Drifblim." Meowth had no illusions of hope.
"Way to kill the suspense, Meowth. You're eliminated." Skarmory revealed to no one's surprise.
Elimination Confessional
During my time here, I tend to use 'employee' and 'customer' interchangeably. As a business owner, I care about my employees more. As a normal Meowth, I care about my customers more. However, the truth is I'm neither a business owner or a normal Meowth. I'm a deranged corporate monster that cares about himself the most. I still have much to learn and grow as a Pokemon. Someday, I wish to become both a business owner and normal Pokemon that everyone can look up to.
Only Farfetch'd and Darmanitan came to see him off. Farfetch'd obviously came to ask about Mr. Stalk. The duck left dejectedly after Meowth said that he wasn't the thief.
"Homie, I'm so sorry. Sorry for everything." Darmanitan apologized, lowering his head.
"Stop apologizing, Darmanitan. It hurts Lucario. If you can only apologize, quit the game now. It'll save you the headache." Meowth advised harshly.
"Homie, I never expect to be involved in all of this mess. I just want to chill out. Unlike all of you, I have no real or solid reason to win this game other than the million is nice I guess. I want to win for Lucario but I just don't know anymore. Seeing all of you being competitive hurts me." Darmanitan expressed his discontent.
"Then don't be competitive. Run a charity if you can't run a business, Darmanitan. This is all I can say to help you. I'll root for you, not because I think you deserve to win but because of Lucario." Meowth said his parting words. He left on his Lapras, staring at the penniless sky.
Darmanitan returned to his cabin, lost in his thoughts all alone.
Skarmory landed on the dock for the closing part.
"The twist after twist in the challenge. The epic truel. This episode is insane! Hopefully, there are more like this to come. What will happen next? Will Farfetch'd ever find Mr. Stalk? Find out in another exciting episode of Total Skarmory Island!"
Votes
Duosion: Meowth
Aromatisse: Meowth
Nosepass: Meowth
Farfetch'd: Meowth
Drifblim: Meowth
Darmanitan: Meowth
Meowth: Drifblim
Drifblim: 1 (safe)
Meowth: 6 (eliminated)
I really want a crossover between Luigi's Mansion and Pokemon with Nosepass as a protagonist. Hopefully, I can pitch this idea to Nintendo.
Meowth got his comeuppance and final burst of development. Fun fact: He had seven siblings. Among all the characters, his family is the most complex. I can actually create a business story about him battling for the title of the heir if I want. Sadly, my schedule is already filled.
You can predict the finalists through this chapter. I left a secret hint.