Reply to Reviews
InfernoMaster64
It's okay. I appreciate the fact that you review nonetheless. Will Mr. Stalk ever be returned? Probably. Darmanitan got the best physical strength. He got a shot. I'll tell you that much. Yep, Nosepass can do stuff on his own now like sabotaging and sucking ghosts.
Shuckle Master
Meowth is one of my favorites as well. You can actually guess how all of this'll end. You just need to analyze.
Fallenstreet01
You should expect surprises and complexity in my stories. I don't like straightforward and simple plots. Keep hoping. Anyone can still win, including a weakling like Nosepass and a villain like Drifblim. Here is a hint, you can only predict the finalists. You can't predict the winner or runner-up or third place, fourth place. You get the idea.
Parousia45
I'm touched that you cried for Meowth. While he's sympathetic, I don't expect anyone to appreciate and love his character to this extent. You can see that he often only talks in business terms, showing how his family taught him. He was created to be a business machine. Someone who is only knowledgeable about how to manipulate customers and manage his employees. He doesn't understand the concept of love because of troublesome things like maternity leave. He sees the world only from a business standpoint.
Nosepass is just like Luigi. Cowardly, uses vacuum cleaners and got a big brother.
Episode 27: One Step Forward, Two Steps Backward
Skarmory sipped his coffee and breathed out the smell of the morning. "Welcome back viewers to another episode of coffee time with Skarmory. Just kidding but still, coffee is delicious!" He licked his lips before sipping some more. His face exaggerated the taste.
"Last time, it was revealed that the leek stalk Meowth tried to sell to Farfetch'd was a fake. Mystery still surrounded the disappearance of Mr. Stalk. Nosepass grew more and more anxious as a result. Will he be exposed as the initial thief? Moving on, in the challenge, our contestants each got a unique role. Three got evil roles, three got good roles and there there's the sheriff, Meowth. Our honorable protector of light threatened innocent civilians, and even shot the guardian angel. He clearly deserves a raise." Skarmory said sarcastically, smiling cheekily.
"In the thrilling truel, everything pointed to the outlaw winning until Meowth outsmarted her with his ingenious plan. Working with Darmanitan, the sneaky sheriff switched the backfire gun over to the patissier. In the end, it all came down to Darmanitan versus Meowth. The sheriff got beaten by bread sticks as chill injustice prevailed for another day. Meowth left the island, who will follow him? Stay tuned to find out!" Skarmory ended energetically, swiftly moving one step forward before jogging backward to the end of the dock.
Farfetch'd woke up from a horrible nightmare, breathing at a faster rate than normal. His clutched his beating chest, eyes drowning in tears. He looked completely distressed.
"Mr. Stalk, where are you?" Farfetch'd asked no one in particular, looking around with forlorn eyes. The tears cooled off his heated face.
"Farfetch'd, are you okay?" Nosepass asked worriedly, straightening his face to appear natural.
Farfetch'd wiped his tears away. "I had a nightmare, Nosepass. In my nightmare, Mr. Stalk was gone forever." He sniffled.
Nosepass looked alarmed, averting his eyes quickly with guilt. He covered a part of his face with the blanket. Farfetch'd raised his left eye in question at this.
"Sorry, I usually have nightmares." Nosepass disguised his guilt with empathetic sadness. "I really hate them. I don't even want to think about them. It's not like I stole Mr. Stalk or a-anything. P-please understand." His eyeballs trembled as he faced Farfetch'd fearfully.
"I trust you, Nosepass." Farfetch'd assured with a weak smile. "You wouldn't sleep with me all these nights if you stole him." He said reasonably.
Nosepass grinned in relief. "That's true."
"Anyways, since you're the professional of nightmares. I don't mean that in a bad way, don't get me wrong." Farfetch'd lifted his wings up in front of him defensively. Nosepass' unoffended demeanor quickly dissolved it.
"I want to ask if you know how to prevent or lessen them." Farfetch'd asked with an inquisitive look.
Nosepass blushed. "If I know then, I'll probably have no nightmares. Sorry but, no." He swallowed the few embarrassing tips and tricks he got to speed up the conversation. It was for the best of his interest to quickly get away from Farfetch'd.
"Oh, that's a shame." Farfetch'd watched as Nosepass dropped down from his bed. "Leaving for breakfast?"
"Yeah, bye." Nosepass quickly left.
"Why is he in such a hurry?" Farfetch'd asked himself. Although, the thought of Nosepass being the thief never crossed his mind. Suddenly, his expression turned dark.
"I know who stole Mr. Stalk now…" Farfetch'd clenched his fists and jaw.
Confessional
Farfetch'd: "It's Duosion! I knew it. After all the insensitive things she said to us, I'm absolutely sure it was her!"
Nosepass: "This is getting worse and worse. How long do I need to keep up this horrible act? I c-can't handle it anymore."
Aromatisse, Drifblim and Duosion woke up for a while now. Currently, the three were having a conversation about their next move in this game.
"Personally, I think we should target Farfetch'd next." Duosion suggested, immediately following up with some reasoning after Aromatisse stared disapprovingly at her. "He's in a very volatile state of mind right now. He might accuse any of us for stealing Mr. Stalk. I don't want to risk getting eliminated for a stupid reason like that."
"Duosion, I beg to differ. We should show him some sympathy instead of voting him out. I told you two girls his backstory, didn't I?" Aromatisse asked rhetorically. Drifblim nodded while Duosion frowned.
"If you're worried about getting accused, you shouldn't." Aromatisse addressed Duosion. "You didn't steal Mr. Stalk so Farfetch'd won't just suddenly barge inside here."
"Duosion, you dirty thief!" Farfetch'd suddenly barged inside and shook Duosion. "Give him back to me!"
Aromatisse covered her mouth, astounded. Drifblim seemed amused.
Duosion used Psychic and threw Farfetch'd out of the cabin before locking the door.
"Hey, face me bravely, you cowardly thief!" Farfetch'd banged the door futilely.
"Aromatisse, this is why. You get it now?" Duosion indicated.
Aromatisse sighed. "Farfetch'd, can you please calm down? I'm trying to defend you here." She pleaded.
"No, not until you give Mr. Stalk back!" Farfetch'd refused angrily.
"Girls, the elimination isn't starting anytime soon. No need to worry. With the three of us, the boys can only tie the votes. We can suspend the discussion for later." Drifblim pointed out.
"You make a good point, Drifblim. Aromatisse, there are only six of us left. You can't be choosy. Just go along with it and eliminate Farfetch'd." Duosion reproofed, showing concern in her eyes.
"I guess we'll eliminate him." Aromatisse looked outside at Farfetch'd pitifully.
"You will be the one that is eliminated, Duosion. I stick to my word. You will be eliminated! Eliminated!" Farfetch'd yelled, attracting Nosepass' attention. The cowardly saboteur came to check, making the situation more awkward. He exchanged a glance with Drifblim, signaling that they need to meet.
Confessional
Aromatisse: "Come to think of it again, Duosion is right. We're competing for a million here. I can't show sympathy. Farfetch'd, sorry but you will be eliminated. I prefer Duosion to stay over you."
Duosion: "Farfetch'd is incredibly pathetic. Honestly, I'm starting to think that he pretended to lose Mr. Stalk to gain sympathy. Maybe even worse, he might try to frame someone for it like me."
Drifblim: "Since Meowth is eliminated, there aren't any villains left for me to hide behind. I don't think I can pull any more stunts if I want to win this game. I'll play strategic from now on. First, I need to make sure I position myself well enough to enter the finale. If us girls are in the final three together, there is no doubt that Aromatisse will keep Duosion over me and vice versa. They're too close." She pondered for a moment.
"However, if Duosion is eliminated tonight without a tiebreaker then Aromatisse will definitely know I betray her. I can't do that either. There is only one option. I need to force a tie and make all the boys vote for Duosion while us girls vote for Farfetch'd. If Duosion stays then that's fine. The two boys will realize that the girls are coming for them. I just need to flip and get rid of either Aromatisse or Duosion next time."
Farfetch'd: "Duosion, I'll show you why you should never mess with Mr. Stalk."
Nosepass and Drifblim met each other privately in the forest area.
"Drifblim, I really can't do this anymore. I'm scared to confess but I'm even more scared if Farfetch'd finds out on his own." Nosepass expressed his concerns.
"Nosepass, we talked about this already. Confessing won't do you any good right now. At the very least, find Mr. Stalk first. Don't act impulsively." Drifblim stressed, seemingly worried.
"Drifblim, will you be there to protect me if Farfetch'd finds out?" Nosepass asked. "This is very important. Please answer honestly." He added.
"Nosepass, if Farfetch'd finds out that I'm the culprit, I'll take all the blame to myself until the show gets aired. However, if he finds out that you're the culprit, I expect you to do the same. If one of us goes down, don't bring the other down with you." Drifblim replied. "I'm being honest." She nodded sincerely.
"I see… Thank you for your honesty." Nosepass left, thoughts swirling in his mind. Drifblim stared at his back as he left, frowning a little.
Confessional
Nosepass: "Just like the nightmare, I see. She probably won't be there to protect me."
Drifblim: "This is bad. Hopefully, I can stall him from confessing for a few more days. Maybe, I should eliminate Farfetch'd now. However, that is just not right… The viewers won't like that kind of ending. If he leaves, at least let him leave after settling everything with Duosion. They seem to really hate each other. They should compete in a tiebreaker."
The five contestants were surprised to see Darmanitan setting up a 'charity' inside the mess hall. The homie boy basically spent all of his Skarmory tokens to provide them a scrumptious meal during lunch. A poster was attached to the door. It described the event as a chill charity where everyone gets to chill out.
"Welcome, homies." Darmanitan opened the door, smiling invitingly. "Head inside." He gestured. The smell lured their noses.
"Wahoo! More spaghetti and pasta for me." Nosepass rushed inside.
"How nice of you, Darmanitan." Aromatisse said gratefully before walking inside.
"I agree, Aromatisse. You have outdone yourself, Darmanitan." Drifblim complimented.
"No problem, homie." Darmanitan beamed, enjoying the looks of joy on their faces.
As Duosion was about to enter the charity event, Farfetch'd blocked her with Ms. Stick.
"No thieves allowed." Farfetch'd denied entry.
"Farfetch'd, I'm not a thief." Duosion looked annoyed.
"Homie, chill out. This is my event, just let her inside." Darmanitan allowed, trying to prevent a fight.
"Fine. You can enter." Farfetch'd growled. Duosion glared at him as she floated inside.
Confessional
Farfetch'd: "Thief, your punishment doesn't end here. I'll make you suffer until you give Mr. Stalk back to me."
Duosion: "Farfetch'd is taking this too far. I no longer feel comfortable staying in this island as long as he's here."
Darmanitan: "Those homies all need to chill out like me. Even though they only know me as Lucario's fanboy, I'm not mad. I think I'm still his fanboy after all. He broke my heart, true. However, Lucario had a good reason for it. After a long session of meditation, I'm now enlightened. I know how to be competitive while remaining chill. By setting up these charity events, everyone will like me and keep me until the finale. Thanks for the advice, Meowth."
Drifblim: "Good social move, Darmanitan. However, that makes you more of a threat."
Aromatisse: "I think I need to get rid of Darmanitan sometime soon. While I like him, he's too strong and likable."
Nosepass: "I don't feel comfortable staying around Lucario's fanboys. I should get rid of Darmanitan in the near future."
Skarmory instructed the contestants to gather in front of the gym area for the next challenge. They all were surprised to see it turning into a carnival fair. There were several attractions and food stalls altogether.
"Contestants, this challenge is a very easy and simple challenge. Short as well. Take it as a break from all the complicated challenges with all the mind games and harsh physical activity. If you run one lap around the field, you get one point. Get the most points before the time's up and you win. Here is the twist…" Skarmory paused, creating suspense.
"So much for short, easy and simple." Drifblim rolled her eyes.
"Nothing complicated, of course. There are many basketballs hidden around the entire gym area. In the basketball court, there are six baskets. Each has a picture of one contestant. Shoot the ball inside and you reduce their points by two. Each ball can be used once. However, you can't give someone a negative score. Choose whether you want to take one step forward or push someone back two steps. Any questions?" Skarmory asked after finishing his explanation, looking around at each contestant.
There were no questions so Skarmory declared the start of the challenge officially.
Confessional
Duosion: "I find this challenge to be a representation of life. You can focus on improving yourself and dealing with your own problems. It might be hard and difficult to endeavor sometimes. However, at the very least you're taking a step forward. On the other hand, you can cause problems and make life worse for others like Farfetch'd. If you're like him, you won't progress anywhere in this world."
Darmanitan: "The fair will be awesome, homie. Tons of chill stuff to do and eat." He looked excited like a kid about to enter an amusement park. That big and innocent smile and the way he positioned his fists together in front of his neck made you wonder if he was a cute, little kid in disguise.
All the contestants rushed over to the track field section except for Farfetch'd. There was no point finding any balls early since negative score wouldn't count.
Darmanitan reached the track first and started jogging on all fours (with his arms and legs) at a moderate speed right away. As a casual Pokeathlon player, he knew to never overexert himself early on.
Drifblim and Duosion floated around each other, neck and neck. They didn't go too fast either.
Nosepass and Aromatisse trailed behind everyone else.
Confessional
Nosepass: "Darmanitan overlapped me several times. We need to target his basket or else we won't win."
Duosion: "I'm pretty sure that Farfetch'd is finding the balls to attack me. No pun intended."
Darmanitan: "What a good exercise. I visit the gym area the most out of us six. I think I can win without getting all serious and competitive. I'm still going to give it my all though."
Farfetch'd found a basketball inside a box of dodgeball balls. He sprinted over to the basketball court and shot it inside Duosion's basket. The ball got teleported away.
"Yes! Take that, thief." Farfetch'd celebrated, raising his fists into the air simultaneously. He was unaware of the fact that Duosion didn't complete her first lap yet.
Confessional
Farfetch'd: "Duosion is the thief for sure. Right, Ms. Stick?" He shook her a little. "See? She agrees."
Duosion: "I don't think I'll win with Farfetch'd singling me out. Maybe, I should start singling him out as well. He's the last Pokemon I want to win immunity today."
"Girls, I'll go out to find the balls. Giving Farfetch'd the taste of his own medicine." Duosion told, completing her first lap.
"I'll probably follow you after I complete at least three laps." Aromatisse panted. Duosion nodded before leaving.
Drifblim slowed down until Nosepass and Aromatisse caught up to her.
"We should start targeting Darmanitan soon if we want to win." Drifblim whispered, smirking.
"Good idea, girl. We should probably complete a few laps first though. Nosepass, are you with us?" Aromatisse questioned. Nosepass nodded, sweating rapidly. He saved his breath.
"We're all in agreement, then." Drifblim said before speeding up again as Darmanitan overlapped the three. The homie boy already completed three laps while the rest completed one with the exception of Farfetch'd.
Confessional
Darmanitan: "I don't really care too much about reducing the others' score. I'll just run, chill out and try my best."
Aromatisse: "I want to find those balls not only because Darmanitan is the biggest physical threat but I also want to take a break. Too much running isn't good for my complexion."
Duosion gazed at the stalls of the fair. She imagined herself with Houndour, playing together. They could be eating cotton candy right now or trying the lottery, testing out their luck while collecting statistical data at the same time…
Speaking of statistics, it was her main core of thinking process. She was hesitant to ask Houndour out at first because of statistics. She also very well disliked Farfetch'd because of statistics. Crazy, delusional Pokemon like him had many correlations and links to crime, thievery and violence. At the same time, she knew very well that her hate was also personal. Being outsmarted by him damaged her self-esteem a lot.
How was she introduced to statistics? Well… Duosion never planned to be a statistician. For one, her father was an archaeologist. The old artifacts he brought back home fascinated her. Second, she loved historical dramas. She was always a huge fan of them. Her love for statistics was just mere coincidence, originating from her stronger and more prioritized love for history and archaeology.
Unlike the mainstream audience, Duosion analyzed the dramas passionately since childhood. She accumulated a huge compilation of data over the years. They allowed her to make accurate predictions about future episodes. To her, statistics combined with history was a way to determine the best move forward even in daily life.
She came to Total Skarmory Island not only to win the million and explore interesting places like Skarmory Cave but also to collect statistics. Not just the number of immunity wins and the placement of each contestant, much more complex than that. A different sort of fanaticism compared to Drifblim. While the superfan was more about the personality analysis, strategy and psychology of this game, Duosion was much more mathematical. Perhaps, this shared interest was what strengthened the bond of the two.
Duosion could come off as geeky at times. However, she was far from being anti-social. She was well aware that her interests were uncommon. Therefore, she tended to be selective…
Houndour's attitude greatly shocked her. She never expected love from someone like him. If she was to imagine marrying someone, it would be a secluded statistician or a hermit historian.
Having Houndour with her made the historical drama fan feel like a royal princess in ancient times with a kind and loving knight by her side. When Lucario eliminated Houndour, it was as if an enemy general killed him. After he was gone, she felt like a cantankerous and cold widow. At one point, she considered herself to be no different than Skrelp.
(Alright, alright… I'll stop giving insight on Duosion to you and return to the challenge.)
Duosion approached a whack-a-mole machine. A game that was extremely popular in the Desire Era. A sign next to it said the following: "Hit all of the Diglett to get a ball."
"Challenge accepted." Duosion lifted the toy hammer up and pressed start with Psychic. Imagining herself hitting Lucario and Farfetch'd, she destroyed all the Diglett with an insane reaction time.
"Die, General Lucario and Psycho Stalker Farfetch'd!" Duosion rampaged, engrossed by the destruction. The interns gave her weird looks as she took the game too seriously.
"Obliterated by the royal army, executed and died a humiliating death!" Duosion smashed the last Diglett into oblivion. She smiled in gratification after releasing all of her rage.
"Here's your prize. D-don't hurt me, please." Drilbur begged for mercy. "Eek!" He let out a squeak as Duosion took the ball from his hands with Psychic.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I just went through a lot, okay?" Duosion looked ashamed.
Suddenly, Farfetch'd snatched the ball away.
"Hah, thief. Taste your own medicine." Farfetch'd pointed at Duosion with Ms. Stick vindictively.
Duosion simply used Psychic to retrieve the ball back from Farfetch'd's grasp. The duck snarled at her.
"Statistically, you have a 95% chance of getting eliminated. If I'm you, I would run laps instead of wasting time to catch an imaginary thief." Duosion offered advice in a cold tone.
"Imaginary? We'll turn you into an imaginary contestant. Watch your back…" Farfetch'd warned, showing malice in his eyes before he left. Duosion scowled.
Confessional
Duosion: "Pitiful and pathetic. The pervert will be beheaded for good." She used hyperbole.
Farfetch'd: "Thief acting as if she's the good gal, huh? We'll show her what me and Ms. Stick are made of."
Aromatisse, Drifblim and Nosepass all finished three laps. This paled in comparison to Darmanitan's ten laps. Drifblim slowed down a lot, conserving most of her energy while Nosepass and Aromatisse slumped down in exhaustion.
"Nosepass and Aromatisse, we better hurry. Darmanitan is about to complete whatever lap he's on now." Drifblim lost count. She gestured for them to get up.
"I'm so… tired. I need more… rest. Running sucks." Nosepass whined.
"Yeah." Aromatisse agreed.
"Fine, fine. Take your time and rest." Drifblim shook her head in disappointment as she left.
Confessional
Darmanitan: "I'll take a break after a few more laps, homie."
Drifblim: "Those two need to hit the gym, seriously."
Drifblim left the gym, glancing around at the entire fair. It was very small. Understandable, since it was built early morning today. There were four food stalls and four attraction stalls, alongside the mole machine. The games located near each other. The same applied to the food. Balloons were attached here and there. Drifblim shivered slightly once she remembered what happened to her in the twelfth challenge.
The four food stalls were: chili dogs, frozen yogurt, cotton candy and soft drinks. Besides the chili dog stall, the three other stall owners were not interns. They were Toucannon Island stall owners looking to make a quick P or two.
The four attraction stalls were: dart throw, gun booth, karaoke machine and lottery. Drifblim headed for the dart stall first since she was an expert at the game.
The dart stall was decorated in purple. Chef Drapion stood inside with a table full of darts in front of him and a target behind him.
Upon seeing Drifblim, Chef Drapion lifted his eyes lazily at her. "Chef Drapion Games Twist 2, beat me at a game of dart to win a basketball. You can only challenge me once." He explained unenthusiastically, supporting his chin from dropping with both claws.
"Chef, you look so tired and lifeless. Did Skarmory cut your pay or is it because you're hopeless after I beat you in the prison? Think you will never win against me?" Drifblim provoked with an irritating smile.
"Screw you, stupid blimp! I'll pop your face with my darts and smother you with my putrid pop tarts!" Chef Drapion fumed.
"Now, that's the spirit. Show me what you got, chef." Drifblim eyed him challengingly with a defiant smile.
Chef Drapion didn't hesitate to cheat. He grabbed the dart and stabbed the bullseye immediately. He smirked. Since he didn't state that he couldn't cheat, it was allowed.
However, he immediately dropped his jaw once Drifblim knocked his dart down and hit the bullseye without cheating.
"Chef, you might not know this but back at home, I'm the immunity winner of this challenge." Drifblim grinned smugly.
Chef Drapion threw the ball at Drifblim's face forcefully. She caught it easily.
"Get the *beep* out of here! I don't want to see you again!" Chef Drapion swore, face reddening. Drifblim left, deciding to not bother him recklessly.
Confessional
Drifblim: "Chef will see me again in the mess hall. Poor him. Not really, he deserves it. Anyways, I'm wondering if I should target someone else instead of Darmanitan because the other two are going for him. Farfetch'd worries me quite a bit. The immunity will make me feel a lot more relieved and safe."
Nosepass and Aromatisse finally met up with Drifblim near the lottery counter. The three picked three random lottery tickets with the following numbers:
Drifblim: 2181514
Aromatisse: 2651814
Nosepass: 1315125 (You got the hidden message, right?)
"The winning number is…" Lurantis paused to build suspense. The three anticipated the result. Winning meant one of them would get three balls. The odds were one in six, considering there were six tickets to choose from.
"…26512814! Congratulations, Aromatisse!" Lurantis clapped with a sunlight smile. Nosepass crumbled his ticket quietly.
"Yes! The saying 'With beauty comes luck' is really true." Aromatisse was overjoyed.
Lurantis handed her three balls with the number 19, 21 and 14 written on each respectively. Aromatisse seemed amused by the neat, little touch.
"I think we should go and throw these balls inside Darmanitan's basket." Drifblim suggested. "We already got four. Minus eight points for him." She calculated. The other two agreed.
Confessional
Nosepass: "I wish that I can be lucky too. Maybe if I win a lottery ticket for real, I'll never need to work a day in my life anymore. That will be nice." A sudden thought intruded Nosepass' mind. He sighed. "But if I don't work then what is the purpose of my life? Do I just eat and sleep all day? Hickery-o and my parents will be really disappointed in me if that's the case."
Drifblim: "Right now, I won't target the two. We need to focus our efforts on Darmanitan first."
Darmanitan entered the fair after finishing thirteen laps. Duosion passed him as she returned to the track field, still keeping the ball with her.
Darmanitan saw a familiar face and rushed over to the frozen yogurt stall. It was the Infernape stall owner.
"Homie, how ya doin'? Still chill?" Darmanitan asked, opening his arms widely.
"Sure, brotha. Chill like frozen yogurt." Infernape hugged Darmanitan, patting each other's back.
The two chatted about chill topics and enjoyed frozen yogurt treats for a while. Infernape's stall got no basketballs but that didn't matter for the homie boy.
Confessional
Darmanitan: "Us fire types are the chilliest. Like have you ever seen the flower fields in Mt. Scorch before? Chill and beautiful, homie. The fire type gardeners there are so nice. They give free berries out to visitors."
Duosion: "I'm taking the advice I gave to Farfetch'd into consideration myself. If all the boys vote against me and Drifblim betrays us—which I doubt she will—I'm in a huge risk of elimination. I need to win this immunity."
Farfetch'd saw a basketball shaped balloon. He took it to the basketball court.
"Mr. Basket Balloon, time to float toward your goal. Say hi to Ms. Hoops for me." Farfetch'd talked to a 'non-living' object. He released the balloon just below Duosion's basketball net. The balloon got teleported away. At the moment, Duosion got two points. Now, she got zero.
Confessional
Farfetch'd: "Duosion saying that she isn't the thief is such ballooney, right Mr. Balloon?" He made a pun for a green balloon he took with him. "Hah, baloney."
Current Standings
Darmanitan: 5
Drifblim: 3
Nosepass: 3
Aromatisse: 3
Duosion: 0
Farfetch'd: 0
Drifblim played inside the gun booth. Pretty much, she needed to shoot Pokemon plushes down with a pop gun. She got six tries with three plushes as the minimum target to get one ball. If she managed to shoot down six, she would receive an extra ball.
Drifblim aimed at the Bisharp plush and shot him down. "Bye, cardboard strategist with sucky sharpshooting skills." She insulted jokingly.
Drifblim then aimed at Grovyle next. "Farewell, egotistical leader with batteries for brains." She smiled victoriously as the plush fell in defeat.
Drifblim eyed her final target. It was Meowth. She missed the next three shots. Frustration started forming on her face.
Drifblim became more patient than usual with her last shot. Because of that, she successfully knocked Meowth down. "Bankrupt proudly, Meowth. You're a worthy competitor. However, my business reigns supreme." She acknowledged him as a challenging adversary.
The superfan took the basketball and headed back inside the basketball court.
Confessional
Drifblim: "I think I know who I should bring to the finale now. I believe this Pokemon to be the worthiest opponent. Someone who can fight me on equal footing. I just need to survive for a few more episodes. I'm this close to the million and fulfilling my life-long dream. I can't afford to lose now." She looked really determined.
Darmanitan moved to another food stall after spending quality chill time with Infernape. The fire type headed to the chili dog stand. Apparently, an eating contest against Snorlax was being held there. Any contestant could challenge him once. Win and they would receive two basketballs.
"Big guy, I want to compete." Darmanitan challenged courageously. "I love chilly dogs." He misunderstood the name.
"Oh, it's on." Snorlax tightened the bib around his neck and licked his lips. The two eaters sat on the table and waited for the food to be served by Shiinotic.
Darmanitan widened his eyes in shock once he realized that he must eat chili dogs instead of chilly dogs.
"What?! We aren't eating chilly dogs? The cold ones." Darmanitan asked, struck with disbelief.
"No, we're eating the hot, spicy ones." Snorlax corrected.
"Homie, I hate chili dogs. They aren't chill. I gotta make them chill." Darmanitan left the table and brought back a bucket of ice.
Snorlax had a horrified expression on his face. "Don't do it. Don't ruin them!" He pushed his hands forward, trying to stop the chill guy.
"Sorry, homie. I need to chill them out." Darmanitan tilted the bucket, pouring ice into all the chili dogs. There was no rule against this so it was allowed.
"No!" Snorlax screamed into the sky, prolonging his voice. "I forfeit. You ruin the chili dogs." He sobbed quietly as he left.
"Well, I guess you win." Shiinotic served two basketballs to him after checking the rule book.
"Thanks, shroom homie." Darmanitan held one ball with each hand. Suddenly, he heard sounds of ice cream cart bells.
"Ooh, ice cream. I love chill food." Darmanitan ran eagerly to the Greninja ice cream man.
"Homie, I want a chill cone." Darmanitan ordered.
"Chill cone? Fella, that's my favorite flavor! You have a great taste." Greninja complimented.
"You have great taste too, homie." Darmanitan returned. Once the ice cream got scooped into the cone, Darmanitan put the balls on his armpits and grabbed the cone. He started licking it right away. The icy blue cream was a mix between mint and bitter Rawst Berries. (Remember kids, bitter is good for your health.)
Confessional
Darmanitan: "That chill cone is chillin' tasty, homie. I don't even need to pay for it. That ice cream homie is nice."
Drifblim noticed Nosepass inside the basketball court. He struggled to shoot his ball inside Darmanitan's basket.
"Ouch." Nosepass yelped as the ball bounced back to hit his head. He got knocked down. Drifblim came to his rescue, lifting him up.
"Thank you." Nosepass said gratefully.
"No problem. I'll shoot the ball for you." Drifblim picked the ball up and threw it accurately inside.
"You're good at this." Nosepass praised. "Unlike me." He looked down on the ground.
"Nosepass, if you practice enough, you can be good at anything. Cheer up." Drifblim tried to make him feel better.
"I guess…" Nosepass took her words lightly. "If I confess, will I also be good at confessing?" He asked a question that shocked Drifblim.
"If you don't, you will be good at hiding secrets, Nosepass. The same works in the exact opposite way. Please, don't throw both of our chances at the million away, Nosepass. Let's just focus on the immunity for now. I'll target Aromatisse since we have decreased enough of Darmanitan's points. I'm telling this because I trust you, Nosepass. We're allies. We stick together." Drifblim stared at him pleadingly.
"I guess…" Nosepass' answer wasn't reassuring to Drifblim in the slightest.
Confessional
Drifblim: "This is a crisis. I need to come up with a plan to deal with this fast." She looked anxious.
Nosepass: "I don't know how much I can trust Drifblim anymore. She might be nice to me but she also put me in this whole mess. It's all her fault."
Duosion decided to stop after her sixth lap (points deduction excluded) and went over to the basketball court. Seeing Aromatisse there with the ball she found, Duosion stopped her.
"Don't shoot yet, Aromatisse. I have a bad feeling about this elimination. I want immunity. You're with the others so you have information. How is the scoreboard looking? I estimate that I have four points." Duosion deliberated her next move, inquiring for information.
"Well, Darmanitan probably won't win. We have all targeted him. He lost at the very least eight points. I think I have three. I'm not sure about the other three though. I don't think Farfetch'd run any laps." Aromatisse informed.
"Then, we should each throw a ball into Drifblim's and Nosepass' baskets. I'm sure Drifblim will understand." Duosion proposed a smart move. This would win her immunity.
"Smart idea, Duosion." Aromatisse looked impressed.
Duosion used Psychic to lift her ball above Drifblim's basket and dropped it down. She then took Aromatisse's ball and did the same for Nosepass' basket.
Unexpectedly, Farfetch'd speeded inside with a ball of his own…
The screen transitioned to an outside shot of the gym.
"Challenge is over!" Skarmory ended. Uncertainty filled the air as either Darmanitan or Duosion won immunity.
Confessional
Aromatisse: "If I need to choose between Duosion or Drifblim, I'll choose Duosion without any hesitation. I'm closer to her. We went through a lot of things together."
While everyone else competed and strategized, one contestant remained chill near the end of the challenge. Darmanitan was inside the karaoke room with Infernape and Greninja. The three sang 'The Chill Song'. Sometimes, they followed the lyrics. Sometimes, they improvised new lines for the song.
"Chill, chill, chill. Chill out, homies." Darmanitan started.
"Chill like yogurt. Yo, yo, brotha." Infernape continued.
"Chill cone, chill cone. Freeze up, fella." Greninja followed up.
"Here's a lesson on how to be chill like a snowy hill." Darmanitan sang again.
"Chill out brotha, we'll show you how to get grills." Infernape pointed with his right forefinger, moving it slowly across the room.
"All the other guys are hot-headed. They burn their brownie points." Greninja got a beautiful voice. "Us three are chill. We score those girls a free cone."
"Chill, chill, chill. Chill out, homies." Darmanitan repeated.
"Chill like yogurt. Yo, yo, brotha." Infernape repeated.
"Chill cone, chill cone. Freeze up, fella." Greninja repeated.
"We're the chilliest. The calmest. The most composed." All three sang.
"Forget about all those melting men. Come with us and we'll show you zen." Darmanitan got up and spun around before sitting in a meditative pose, microphone still in hand.
"Never going to be frustrated. Won't ever be agitated." Infernape bent his knees down, crossing his legs together. He raised both hands up before slowly dropping down into a meditative pose.
"We'll captivate you with chocolate flavor. Fill your heart with vanilla flavor." Greninja kicked the wall and landed in a meditative pose.
The three all suddenly jumped up. From this point of out, they all sang.
"We're the chilliest. The calmest. The most composed."
"Chill out, chill bout, chill rout."
"We're the chilliest. The calmest. The most composed."
"Freeze friend-zone like frozen yogurt. Chill cone love you girl!"
They raised their microphones for the final part. "Chill out, homies. Yo, yo, brotha. Freeze up, fella. This is true chill! No quill, no frill, only chill!"
The karaoke machine gave them a 70 out of 100.
Confessional
Darmanitan: "Man, this challenge is great. It is so chill."
Skarmory instructed everyone to gather around the basketball court to hear the results. The contestants were surprised to see Darmanitan arriving with basketballs. He didn't use any of them.
"It came down to the very last moment. The winner of this challenge is… Darmanitan!" Skarmory revealed after a short pause.
A short flashback clip showed Farfetch'd slam dunking the ball into Duosion's basket.
Confessional
Farfetch'd: "Haha, the thief doesn't win. Perfect. Time to rally up our troops, Ms. Stick. I'll talk to the boys."
Darmanitan: "I chill and I still win. Those homies need to follow my example. Tomorrow, I'll set up another charity. Today, I'll vote for Duosion because I think she might actually be the thief and she can be pretty mean to me as well."
Drifblim: "Darmanitan is the least deserving winner ever. He doesn't even take the challenge seriously. At least, he didn't win because Lucario or Meowth piggybacked him this time. The viewers might like to see a non-competitive winner once in a while but still… not the biggest fan of Darmanitan's gameplay."
Aromatisse: "Darmanitan is a big physical threat. I feel like he's the new Lucario in a sense."
Nosepass: "Drifblim wanted me to tie the votes. I…" His loyalty and trust wavered. "…will vote for Duosion so that Farfetch'd gets to stay. I wronged him. This is the very least I can do to tone down his wrath."
Duosion: "It is highly likely that the boys are going to vote for me. Us girls will vote for Farfetch'd. It'll end in a tie if no one betrays each other."
Once Duosion exited her cabin, Farfetch'd immediately followed her like a psycho stalker. Ms. Stick was nowhere to be found. He started singing and dancing.
"I see you, thief." Farfetch'd placed both wings eye-level before pushing his right wing forward first, twisting his hips a little. He then pulled the right wing back and pushed the left wing forward.
Duosion made a sharp turn, trying to get away from him.
"I give you, grief." Farfetch'd slapped thin air with his right wing, kicking with his right leg at the same time. He then did the same for the left wing and left leg.
"I see you, thief. I give you, grief." Farfetch'd repeated the line and the dancing moves involved.
Duosion floated away faster, glaring back at him briefly.
"There will be no relief for I got my sights on you." Farfetch'd pointed both wings inwardly at his eyes before pushing them both forward.
"You better believe it, I'm watching you." Farfetch'd pulled both wings back to pointing inwardly at his eyes.
Duosion entered the girls' restroom to hide. Farfetch'd still sang and danced outside, waiting for her to come out.
"Stalking you 24/7, no breaks, no snacks." Farfetch'd made an X shape with his wings twice during the 'no' parts.
"I see you, thief. I give you, grief. I see you, thief. I give you, grief." Farfetch'd repeated.
Suddenly, Darmanitan came out of nowhere, wearing black shades, a bling-bling necklace and a black knit cap.
"Yo, homies. Your boy Darmanitan is here, chillin' like a snowy hill." Darmanitan made a mountain shape with both arms.
"Coming through like a snowball, rolling at the grill." Darmanitan rolled on the ground.
"No need to point wings, chill like a king. Chill out, homie. Cool down. Chill out, homie. Cool down." Darmanitan shook his waist, alternating both arms forward. His shoulders moved up and down.
"This is my song, Darmanitan. It is rude to interrupt others like this." Farfetch'd scolded.
"Sorry, homie. I'm leavin'." Darmanitan apologized and left with sagging shoulders. Duosion exited the restroom and tried to float away as fast as possible during this time. She headed for the mountain area.
"I see you, thief. I give you, grief." Farfetch'd repeated as he followed her.
"I see you, thief. I give you, grief." Farfetch'd dodged a rock that Duosion threw at him and continued.
"There will be no relief for I got my sights on you." The two reached the intersection.
"You better believe it, I'm watching you." The mountain area was just a bit further away.
"Stalking you 24/7, no breaks, no snacks." Farfetch'd annoyed and pestered Duosion to no end.
"Shut the hell up!" Duosion shouted furiously.
"I'm not shutting up until you give me Mr. Stalk back!" Farfetch'd placed his right wing near his heart as he stretched his left wing forward.
"I warn you…" Duosion said in a threatening tone. She looked deadly serious.
"You can't stop me and my track!" Farfetch'd jumped up and slashed thin air in an X motion.
Duosion threw him against a rock with Psychic.
"I see you, thief. I give you- Argh!" Farfetch'd yelled in pain as Duosion slammed a rock against him.
Confessional
Farfetch'd: "Ms. Stick, why did your suggestions never work out for my well-being? You said that Duosion would give Mr. Stalk back to me if I sing to annoy her." He questioned. His body was bruised black and blue.
Duosion: "I don't want to resort to violence. He forced me."
After Farfetch'd got healed up, the elimination ceremony started.
"Well, five of you will take one step forward while one of you will take two steps backward and get eliminated. Let's see who that Pokemon will be." Skarmory started giving out the Leppa Berries.
"Darmanitan" He looked as chill as ever.
"Drifblim" She had a neutral expression.
"Nosepass" Even though he voted with Farfetch'd, it didn't appease his guilt one bit.
"Aromatisse" She looked worried for Duosion.
"Farfetch'd and Duosion, the result is a tie. Prove your strength in the colosseum in a classic one on one Pokemon battle with no twist. Moves are allowed. Faint the other to stay in this game." Skarmory revealed.
Confessional
Duosion: "Statistically, I have a 99% percent chance of winning. Without Mr. Stalk, Farfetch'd stand no chance against me."
Farfetch'd: "Ms. Stick, we need to pull out the secret weapon." He smirked.
The full moon shined on the colosseum…
Duosion and Farfetch'd faced each other from opposite sides. The mud in the middle was gone. Farfetch'd hid something behind his back with a sneaky grin. Duosion raised her right eye at this.
"Duosion, go girl!" Aromatisse cheered.
"Farfetch'd's victory is farfetched. You got this!" Drifblim made a pun.
"Homie, give her chilly grief!" Darmanitan supported Farfetch'd.
"Win." Nosepass didn't feel like cheering.
Farfetch'd revealed his secret weapon…
It was a leek stalk. The spectators were stupefied. What was going on?
"See? There's no thief. You have Mr. Stalk all along." Duosion assumed overconfidently.
"No, this is the leek stalk Meowth gave me!" Farfetch'd clarified loudly, readying an offensive stance.
The spectators looked relieved, especially Nosepass and Drifblim.
"Good. This makes me want to take you down even more." Duosion prepared herself mentally.
Farfetch'd made the first move. "Yah!" He cried as he rushed forward.
Duosion activated Trick Room immediately, gaining the speed advantage.
Farfetch'd whipped Air Slash at her with his leek stalk. Duosion floated away extremely fast, avoiding the attack easily.
Farfetch'd felt a telekinetic control taking over his body. Suddenly, he was pinned against the wall by Psychic.
"You're like a pitiful perverted psycho about to be executed by the royal princess. Just give up now and make this easy for the both of us." Duosion used her historical analogy.
"Never!" Farfetch'd refused. He broke through the control with Night Slash. Duosion quickly dodged another incoming wave of Air Slash. Farfetch'd slashed thin air repeatedly and vigorously to create a deadly volley of wind blades.
Duosion floated up, down, left, right to avoid his consecutive and relentless attack.
Farfetch'd charged up Slash and jumped up into the sky. He aimed to chop Duosion's head. Instead of dodging, Duosion tried to counter the attack with Psychic. However, this failed as Farfetch'd's Slash overwhelmed her telekinetic control.
"Suffer for what you did to Mr. Stalk!" Farfetch'd shouted with vengeful eyes. He sliced Duosion with Slash. The Psychic gave off a quick yelp before retreating far away from Farfetch'd.
"You're the one that shall suffer!" Duosion blasted Energy Ball at Farfetch'd. The duck sidestepped. However, Duosion used an advance technique. She manipulated the Energy Ball with Psychic, redirecting it at Farfetch'd's back. It connected, dealing minor damage. A weird weakening green aura surrounded him.
"Oh no…" Farfetch'd dreaded. His mind felt as shaky and wobbly.
"Your Sp. Def drops. Now, you have no chance of beating me." Duosion utilized this lucky chance to control him with Psychic and repeatedly slammed Farfetch'd against the wall.
"Ah!" Farfetch'd agonized. He was about to lose his consciousness. "I just want Mr. Stalk back…" Tears fell from his eyes.
Nosepass looked overwhelmed by guilt. Aromatisse couldn't watch. Darmanitan felt uncomfortable. Drifblim frowned, brooding.
"You think I don't want him to come back to you? You think I hate you with no reason? No! I'm tired of your delusions. Keep them to yourself. You have no right to enforce the existence of your so called 'father' on anyone. A leek stalk can't be your father!" Duosion yelled inconsiderately and insensitively.
"Shut the hell up! He's *beep* alive!" Farfetch'd broke through the telekinetic control with rage. His eyes were exasperated. Trick Room ended. Farfetch'd utilized this opportunity to blast Air Slash at Duosion. She flinched from the attack.
Farfetch'd jumped up high into the sky and raised the leek stalk under the moonlight. It charged up Night Slash to be even more powerful.
Duosion widened her eyes, terrified as Farfetch'd dived down for the finishing blow.
"I see you, thief. I give you, grief!" Farfetch'd finished off Duosion. There was a huge explosion of dark energy.
Skarmory flew down to check. "Farfetch'd survives. Duosion is eliminated." He made the official announcement.
Elimination Confessional
Is what I said so wrong? It is the truth. He's living in delusion. He should seek help from a therapist. I really hate the fact that I lost to him. I don't want Farfetch'd to win. If Aromatisse or Drifblim wins then I'll be pleased. Even though I'm eliminated, I'll get to see Houndour now and I can't wait.
Aromatisse and Drifblim came to see Duosion off.
"Girl, I'll really miss you. Without you, this island got a lot less fabulous." Aromatisse said unhappily.
"Yeah, who is going to talk about sophisticated topics with me now? Is there anyone?" Drifblim looked around, intentionally ignoring Aromatisse. The fairy type rolled her eyes.
"Just joking, talking with you is fabulous, girl." Drifblim's joke got a chuckle out of the three.
After the two left and Duosion was about to depart, Farfetch'd came.
"Give me Mr. Stalk back, thief." Farfetch'd demanded, still assuming that Duosion was the thief.
"When will you fricking get the message through that stubborn skull of yours? I'm done with your pathetic, baseless accusation. Quickly leave, Lapras." Duosion had enough with Farfetch'd's persistency.
"If you didn't steal Mr. Stalk then… I used a different leek stalk… I threw away my code of honor and integrity to rally up votes… I did all of that for… nothing? Hahahaha…." Farfetch'd laughed like a crazy mental asylum patient, crying. He looked completely broken.
Confessional
Farfetch'd: "Mr. Stalk, I'm so sorry. I accepted help left and right. I… Who am I? What am I? An immoral monster?" He sniffled.
Instead of the conventional closing scene… we got something special this time around. Farfetch'd would sing and dance another song for us.
"Who am I? Holding a stick, swinging like a fool." Farfetch'd swung Ms. Stick around while dazing from side to side unsteadily.
"Who am I? A nobody without a tool." Farfetch'd dropped Ms. Stick down, shrugging.
"Who am I? Who am I? Who am… I?" Farfetch'd picked Ms. Stick up and covered his face.
Gradually, he removed his wings from his face. His eyes were deranged.
"I must be a perverted freak! Creepily stalking Pokemon at night." Farfetch'd suddenly dashed across the sand in randomly directions, kicking the sand around before twisting his wings around madly.
"I'm definitely not a revered professional! Dancing under the moonlight…" Farfetch'd spun around, sweeping the sand with his legs. He then stared at the mesmerizing full moon.
"Who stole him? Who stole him? Who stole him?" Farfetch'd asked the moon, tilting his head sideways.
"Give him back! Give him back! Hahaha…" Farfetch'd laughed to himself as he started kicking sand around again.
"I'm going crazy. My vision is getting hazy… Help me." Farfetch'd clutched his heart with his left wing and pointed at the moon desperately with Ms. Stick. He nearly tumbled as he moved around with no semblance of balance.
"My mentality is razed! There is no stopping this rage!" Farfetch'd fell down to the sand, kicking and rolling.
"Hahaha… Who am I? Screw it! Escalate the carnage." Farfetch'd started flinging sand around with Ms. Stick.
"Who am I? Lost in the dark, confused and scared." He covered his eyes as he rolled around the beach.
"Who am I? Dancing in madness, broken and destroyed." Farfetch'd slowly got up and examined his body. It was a sandy mess.
"Who am I? Who am I? Who am… I?" Farfetch'd looked at his wings before quickly putting them behind his back. He jumped up and kicked both of his feet, looking downwards.
"Hopeless and defenseless, pitching an unlucky streak." Farfetch'd picked up and batted a pebble across the surface of the sea.
"Friendless and feckless, catching no break." Farfetch'd dropped Ms. Stick down and turned away.
"Darmanitan stole him! Drifblim stole him! Nosepass stole him! Aromatisse stole him!" Farfetch'd scratched his head furiously.
"Please give Mr. Stalk back to me." Farfetch'd smiled sympathetically as he held both wings out.
"Skating down a vicious spiral of darkness." Farfetch'd spun around twice.
"Boiling my tears to serve them all saltiness." Farfetch'd cried harder onto his wings and knelt down in reverence, offering his tears to the moon respectfully.
"Who am I? Wah! Wailing loudly and crying a river. I must be a hatchling without any parents or bliss." Farfetch'd curled into a fetal position.
"Who am I? Why am I swinging a miss?" Farfetch'd got up, swinging an imaginary bat around.
"I only remember that I was born without a father. Traumatizing…" Farfetch'd walked around with his wings behind his back, kicking the sand lightly.
"I only wish that I have something everyone else has. Fantasizing…" Farfetch'd gazed at the moon, tilting his head to the left as he crossed his legs.
"Then one day… he talked to me! But… where is he now?!" Farfetch'd started running around like a madman, kicking sand around once again. He held his head with both wings as he did so this time.
"Who stole him? Who stole him? Who has stolen him?! Hahahaha…" Farfetch'd collapsed on the beach, laughing and crying himself to sleep.
Votes
Farfetch'd: Duosion
Duosion: Farfetch'd
Nosepass: Duosion
Darmanitan: Duosion
Drifblim: Farfetch'd
Aromatisse: Farfetch'd
Duosion: 3 (tied-eliminated)
Farfetch'd: 3 (tied-safe)
I hope you enjoy the three songs. Tell me your favorite. Mine is "I see you, thief. I give you, grief." The easiest and most enjoyable to dance. If you can dance "Who am I?", tell me.
In Season 2, Meowstic will return. With her out of the way, there are only two spots for veterans left. One for pre-merge. The other for merge. One for male and the other for female.
If you like my songs, Season 2 will have tons of them. Next chapter should come in August. I'll also fix Chap 18-27 mistakes when I release it. This is all I can say. I got games to play and economic books to study.