Reply to Reviews
Fallenstreet01
Well, your prediction is accurate so far. But will it continue to be accurate? 'Almost thought', huh? It's good that you're paying attention. It'll be very out-of-character for Skarmory to eliminate Drifblim with a bad reason.
Parousia45
Drifblim is probably the best villain I've created so far. It'll be hard to top her in Season 2 or any of my other stories. Deaths? Well, I wrote Desire Tunnel after all so anything's possible. We're similar. When I submit reviews, I tend to be positive and a bit nervous as well.
Episode 30: Poisonous Pilferers
The camera turned on with low resolution and terrible sound quality. A red dot flickered on the top left corner of the screen. The panicked host was seen setting up the camera in a hurry, anxiety predominant on his face.
"Viewers, this is an emergency! Chef Drapion and Raticate have kidnapped Alakazam! Those rebels-" Skarmory got cut off by a loud explosion in the distance.
"Oh no… What should I do? What should I do?" Skarmory darted back and forth between the camera and the rising smoke.
"I need to caution the contestants!" Skarmory ditched the camera in a hurry, flying fast to the camp.
A storm of black clouds was brewing above the mountainous pinnacle. Green electricity flashed across the firmament as those mere mortals that called themselves 'interns' assailed their puny projectiles (Moonblast, Shadow Ball, Ice Shard and etc.) at the airship of atrocity.
The machine of terror swerved around the attacks elusively. The powerful propellers on top of the three masts kept the airship airborne and mobile.
Standing on the bowsprit cockily was Raticate, who snorted at their pathetic attempts. He looked down the bowsprit, staring at the Raticate head shaped cannon with tempted eyes and a hand on his lips.
The airship was given to him by Skarmory for use in the finale against the contestants. It looked ordinary, but came fully equipped with weapons. In addition to the main cannon, three mini cannons were installed to each side of the ship.
One intern had enough. He stopped spamming Focus Blast.
"Release Alakazam, you *beep*! You ain't getting a damn P off Skarmory!" Druddigon despised with fervor. He scaled the mountain with Rock Climb, rising toward the airship's altitude.
Raticate yawned. Enough toying around…
"Smokerich, blast those ugly kids into hell!" Raticate 'voice-commanded' his airship. In reality, Chef Drapion controlled the entire thing in the captain's control room.
The main cannon charged up a gigantic electric orb. It was very reminiscent of Godly Guy Grovyle's meteors. The ball of divine punishment began its holy descent, shocking all of the interns with electrifying fear.
"Run, *beep* run!" Ursaring urged, amplifying his loud voice to reinforce the urgency.
The interns all scrambled, screamed and scrammed. However, it was too late. The meteor moved like a flash of lightning. Unavoidable, unstoppable and unquenchable. Only Druddigon was lucky enough to not be in the vicinity of the attack. The lucky brute gritted his teeth as he heard his friends' cries and shrieks.
"You'll *beep* pay! Is this how you express gratitude after all Skarmory has done for you?!" Druddigon yelled questioningly. He soon reached the summit.
"Gratitude for what? I got no smoking debt to pay." Raticate had an irritating look of ingratitude.
"*beep* rat! I should never expect any more than backstabbing from a sewage savage like you." Druddigon spat. He leaped onto the airship and prepared an offensive stance.
Raticate hopped to the forecastle deck and lifted up a bucket, hiding a grin.
"Bucket boy, bring it." Druddigon taunted.
"Dumb dragon, you ask for it." Raticate retorted, tilting the bucket slightly. One hand on the handle, the other at the bottom.
Druddigon fumed and rushed toward the rat ragingly with Superpower senselessly. Raticate sloshed the ground before Druddigon with Chef Drapion's delicacy and he slipped.
"Ow." Druddigon tried to recover only to slip and fall again. "What the *beep* is wrong with my balance today?" He seemed flustered.
"Ha, this is all you got? I met stronger opponents in the black market. Chef, smoke this ugly kid." Raticate held the mast securely as the ship rotated 90 degrees. The rat cackled as Druddigon desperately clawed the boat to hang on like a pitiful cat. In the end, he slid off, screaming in the process. The ship quickly rotated back immediately after. Raticate smiled smugly as he headed to the captain's control room.
The control room was designed to suit Raticate. Therefore, it had a low ceiling despite being a sizable room. Chef Drapion bent his back down a little as he overlooked the operating panel and the wooden steering wheel. The window in front curved off to the sides a little, allowing the captain to look left and right a bit more freely.
Peculiarly, there was a rug made out of Houndour fur, an ashcan, a large container of Chef Drapion's special delicacy, a frying pan and a picture of Raticate pointing with the quote 'You're an ugly kid' inside.
Once Raticate entered, he was greeted with a scary surprise. Chef Drapion rotated his head 180 degrees to look at him.
"Ah, what the hell, chef?!" Raticate got a jump scare.
"Just a Drapion thing. I'm checking to see if you'll stab me in the back." Chef Drapion told before rotating his head back.
"I won't betray you, chef. If I owe any one in this smoking island, It's you." Raticate assured, sounding slightly sincere.
"Good, you better not. Otherwise, I'll make a skewer rat out of you." Chef Drapion threatened, turning on autopilot temporarily to check on his delicacy container.
Raticate nodded neutrally. "Is that your new recipe, chef?" He asked.
"Indeed, Chef Drapion's Deadly Delicacy, this will burn holes through their stomachs… literally." Chef Drapion replied proudly, opening the lid. The container released a puff of smoke in a form of a purple skull.
"Time to get our pay." Chef Drapion grinned and Raticate shared the sentiment.
Skarmory and the contestants arrived at the mountain area, witnessing the mass number of fainted interns. They decided to come here as reinforcements. However, judging from their looks, their courage vanished completely.
The interns sprawled in sufferable shapes around the giant crater of godly destruction. Fortunately, none of them took the direct impact of the meteor or else…
Druddigon looked the least injured. Still, he took massive fall damage and lay motionlessly on the ground.
"How is this… possible? The airship alone shouldn't be able to cause this much damage." Skarmory stared in disbelief and despair.
Drifblim noticed green sparks flying off from the crater. "Skarmory?" She nudged. "Could they possibly use the battery?" Everyone shared a petrified moment of silence upon the realization.
Chef Drapion and Raticate laughed at the four, taking joy and delight in seeing their miserable and hopeless faces. The chef soon worked on setting up an auto-pilot route for their escape.
"Wait!" Skarmory widened his eyes. "If they've used the battery then how did ground types like Drilbur and Palossand faint?" He raised a baffling question. Everyone seemed perplexed except for Ms. Stick.
Farfetch'd listened to her explanation and nodded. "I got it, everyone! Ms. Stick said that the cannonball fused with the electric meteor to deal dual type damage of steel and electric." He cleared up the confusion.
"This means we all take super-effective damage." Aromatisse indicated. "We should run away as far as possible! I've a feeling that things are about to get really dirty."
"Great use of common sense, Aromatisse. However, I'm afraid we can't outmaneuver the airship." Skarmory said pessimistically. "This is all my fault." Regret filled his voice.
"Skarmory, this isn't the time to give up yet. Call the police or something!" Drifblim shook him infuriatingly.
Suddenly, Chef Drapion made an announcement using the microphone from the operating panel. "Attention, losers! Here is the deal. Skarmory, pay us 10,000,000 P in cash and we'll free Alakazam. Don't think of calling the police unless you want to cut his life short. Alright?!"
"Cash? Who the hell holds that much? I might be rich but most of my money is in the bank. Release Alakazam first and we'll talk." Skarmory refused.
"Are you sure?" Chef Drapion asked again. This time, the airship turned to face them. The cannon charged up another ground-breaking blast of electricity.
"Skarmory, I know it's a lot but I'm sure your fabulous life worth more than that. Please save yourself and us." Aromatisse pleaded.
"Think about your show, your fans and your viewers. Skarmory, please save this show and all of us. I beg you!" Drifblim held his right wing desperately, bowing.
Skarmory was caught between a rock and a hard place here. Paying first meant that Skarmory had to rely on those two filthy traitors to honor their end of the deal. The other way would be fighting them. However, they stood barely any chance if any at all.
Skarmory appeared extremely stressed out. "I don't know. If we do this, if we do that… Gah! We might be screwed either way! This is all my fault!" Skarmory felt remorse.
"Skarmory, what's wrong with you? This isn't the time to…" Drifblim expressed her disapproval. Her voice turned into inaudible murmurs as the camera shifted its focus to the war minister.
Farfetch'd clenched a rock in his right wing and lifted his half-determined, half-unconfident eyes at the atrocious airship. He wanted to believe in himself. However, he was nothing but a disappointment to himself and others. His mother couldn't accept the fact that she gave birth to an abnormal son like him.
Farfetch'd never had any self-esteem to begin with. No matter how hard he tried, the society had no place for the delusional anti-social freak with an imaginary friend. Because no one loved him genuinely until he met Swanna, he had to always imagine that he was loved.
By deluding himself, Farfetch'd grew strong, confident and honorable. He followed his father footsteps, successfully becoming a multi-talented professional. However, there was a price to be paid for his extraordinary talents.
Eventually, Farfetch'd had fallen to insanity. He started hearing voices, unaware that his brain created them as a defensive mechanism. He didn't want to admit that he was insane, no one would.
Without Mr. Stalk by his side, Farfetch'd questioned the spiritual existence of his father in the first place. Even worse, he suffered from an identity crisis. Was he still the same multi-talented professional with a strict code of honor or was he a pitiful pervert now? Luckily, all hope wasn't lost.
Insightfully, Swanna had the foresight to plan ahead and left a cure with Farfetch'd all this time.
Ms. Stick was that cure.
Back to the airship…
"Chef, why didn't you fire yet?" Raticate questioned, frowning.
"Do I look like a murderer to you? I just throw an empty threat to scare them. Our objective is to steal the money, not to kill. If we put our dirty hands on even the tip of Skarmory's tail, we won't get a single P, trust me." Chef Drapion answered. His tone was strangely melancholic.
"I'm a thief, not a murderer. I'm a thief, not a murderer…" Chef Drapion repeated inaudibly with sorrowful eyes.
"Chef? Something smokes your eyes?" Raticate cocked his head.
"No, nothing. Just forget it. Once we get the money, we escape." Chef Drapion avoided the question. Raticate looked really concerned.
The rat intern stared at the red firing button. It was so hypnotizing to his greedy and destructive eyes. His hungry hands naturally moved toward it until Chef Drapion slapped them away.
"What did I say?!" Chef Drapion scolded in an annoyed tone.
"Sorry, chef." Raticate averted his eyes. The waiting game continued and Raticate folded his arms.
"Ms. Stick, your brother has taught me how to play baseball professionally. I might not be as good as him but… I'll prove it to you that he's a great teacher. Let's do this!" Farfetch'd resolved, hurling the rock up. Farfetch'd locked his sights on the main cannon and swung with all his might.
Ms. Stick connected with the rock, begging it to help them.
Drifblim, Skarmory and Aromatisse all prayed, anticipating with hope.
The rock fixed its direction toward the cannon since Ms. Stick asked nicely.
Chef Drapion gawked while Raticate scowled.
The rock jammed the main cannon, rendering it useless for the time being.
"Tactical retreat, tactical retreat!" Chef Drapion panicked and fled. Raticate shook his head in disapproval before heading out to remove the rock.
"You did it, Farfetch'd!" Skarmory felt elated.
"Nice shot, Farfetch'd!" Drifblim praised.
You save our lives!" Aromatisse was overjoyed.
"We, not me." Farfetch'd sounded annoyed. "Right, Ms. Stick?" He shook her a little. "See?" The three glanced at each other before they all nodded, going along with it. Farfetch'd smiled.
A shadow departed, another arrived.
The four looked up with fear initially. However, they all shared a sigh of relief when an old friend returned. Trumbeak parked his airship on the crater and soared into the sky before diving down. He landed coolly with both wings touching the ground with the pirate costume on.
"Yarr! Ye all board me timbers and we be rescuin' our ol' psychic." Trumbeak maintained his pirate accent.
"Glad to see you again, Trumbeak. Feel free to talk normally. Did my wife request for your help?" Skarmory assumed, smiling brightly.
"Indeed, old boss. She has reported everything to the police as well. They'll be here soon, hopefully." Trumbeak informed. Skarmory nodded, before turning to the three contestants. Their ears perked attentively.
"This is today's challenge. Save Alakazam at all costs even if it means letting Raticate and Chef Drapion escape. Do not sabotage or fight each other. We're all in the same boat. Understood?" Skarmory emphasized collectivism. The three all nodded and held each other limbs, eventually forming a circle. Today, they would push immunity back deep into their minds and focus on saving the show.
Farfetch'd held Aromatisse's hand securely, who shook a little. Drifblim eyed both of them emotionally, pleading them to prioritize saving the show before anything else. Aromatisse gave both of them encouraging smiles.
Skarmory smiled, touched. "I'll take care of the injured interns. Trumbeak, please protect them in my place. Take care of yourself too."
"Worry not, Captain Big Beak never abandons his crew to die." Trumbeak assured with confidence.
The four climbed up the airship and it soon set sailed. Skarmory watched them proudly, waving with faith as they left.
Confessional
Farfetch'd: "We'll make Mr. Stalk proud, Ms. Stick. When those thieves see us, we'll give them grief." He hit his right wing with Ms. Stick lightly.
Drifblim: "There's no point getting the immunity if they show gets cancelled. Imagine the public uproar if a murder occurs. I don't think Skarmory can handle the responsibility."
Aromatisse: "I'll admit that I'm scared to fight those dirty thieves. However, I won't run away like a coward. Even though Alakazam is an intern, he's still one of us. I need to do anything I can to help."
Raticate finally managed to remove the rock from the main cannon as the Smorkerich was making its way to the Outcast Islands.
"Who is the owner of this airship? Smoking me or chef? I deserve better." Raticate complained, crossing his arms. In the distance…
Hearing sounds of a fiery engine, Raticate became alert. He looked around, shocked to see Trumbeak tailing behind them.
"Chef, activate our smoking defense! Quickly, Trumbeak is catching up!" Raticate shouted urgently.
All six mini cannons blasted the Kamikaze Rats at Trumbeak's airship. Pretty much, they were a group of Rattata toys driving black bullet-like vehicles with eyes and teeth drawn. The rats wore red scarves and black shades.
"Enemy crew approaches. Fire, crew, fire!" Trumbeak ordered, positioning the ship slightly above the rats to match the trajectory of the cannons.
The three contestants hurriedly lighted up their cannons and fired. They might not be experts at aiming but the blast radius of each explosion eased up the difficulty. Moreover, the rats traveled in a linear manner. They weren't programmed to dodge.
"Anyone who designs these rats has no taste in fashion. Black shades and red scarves are so last generation. The bullets look ugly as well. Ew." Aromatisse criticized before firing off another cannonball.
"Looks pretty cool to me but that's not the point. Keep up the pressure!" Trumbeak maneuvered the airship closer and closer to the Smokerich every time a rat bullet got destroyed. Sometimes, the captain would make sharp turns to avoid unnecessary engagement with the enemy. Their goal was to rescue Alakazam, not blowing those rats up for fun.
"More rats, chef! Cook up smoking more for them!" Raticate asked for reinforcements, watching worriedly from the crow's nest. The Smokerich popped out rats like a vending machine, swarming our heroes with an army of them.
"Quality over quantity, everyone. They're no match for us." Drifblim rallied up another wave of fire. Since the rats were so crowded together, a few shots took down several of them out of twenty or so. The rest remained, rocketing at them for revenge.
"They're getting dangerously close!" Aromatisse braced for impact, closing her eyes.
"Ms. Stick, time to show Mr. Stalk our cooking skills. We'll start off by making rat kebabs." Farfetch'd declared, mincing the air into small slices with countless Air Slashes. Then, the wooden chef chopped some unions to make the Kamikaze Rats cried. Afterwards, they were forced to rub their eyes with their scarves. Next…
Short version, they all exploded a long time ago from the blades of air.
"Great job, Farfetch'd. Your aiming skills doesn't suck like a certain whiteboard strategist." Drifblim complimented and threw shade at the same time.
"Yeah. Thank god, you save our lives again." Aromatisse sounded grateful and indebted.
"No problem, we all did it." Farfetch'd hi-fived both girls with two wings. Morale was very high for our heroes.
"You know what I'm both surprised and relieved about? Why didn't they just finish this battle already with the battery meteors?" Aromatisse brought up a good question.
"Ms. Stick said that they didn't want to murder us. They're just thieves. Don't worry about dying." Farfetch'd assured.
"Farfetch'd is right. From my analysis of them, I don't think they'll kill us. They must know that this is a losing battle for them, considering the police are coming. As long as we don't push them too far into the corner, they'll eventually submit to their defeat." Drifblim agreed, adding to the discussion.
"Watch out, crew!" Trumbeak alerted, pointing at the D-Type Raticate Bullet, the boss of the Kamikaze Rats. The smoking boss smoked a cigarette and wore a blue scarf. He was already edgy enough so he didn't need the black shades, replacing it with cinema glasses.
"Blast this cinema complex owner wannabe back to the circus, everyone! We need to protect the fashion industry and Total Skarmory Island." Aromatisse aroused. The other two listened to her cause and fired their cannons. Unfortunately, the boss was immune to their pathetic firepower.
"Haha… Ugly kids, you'll get smoked by my dark cousin for sure! He got grilling style and fashionable clothes unlike you naked bums." Raticate mocked hypocritically.
The contestants couldn't figure out how to penetrate through the boss three-dimensional defense. However, Captain Big Beak never disappoints!
"Takin' care of the wheel for me, mateys! I be slaughterin' a scallywag!" Trumbeak embraced his inner pirate and flew off the boat, leaving Farfetch'd to pilot the ship. The contestants cheered for their captain as he darted at the rat boss and gripped his scarf firmly with both wings, redirecting it toward the Smokerich.
"*beep*! Cousin, why did you betray your own blood?!" Raticate cried out loudly before the bullet blasted him off the crow's nest. The contestants all celebrated and exalted Trumbeak for his fantastic feat.
"Chef!" Raticate banged the door opened. "We have run out of rats. All of them got smoked!" He delivered the grim news. Chef Drapion's eye twitched and he kicked the wall out of frustration.
"What are we going to do, chef?" Raticate asked but there was no reply. Chef Drapion reached for the microphone.
"Since all of you're so persistent, I'll reduce the ransom fee to 5,000,000 P. How does that sound?" Chef Drapion negotiated. Raticate widened his eyes and glowered.
As an act of rebellion, Raticate dashed for the red button and pressed it. Chef Drapion gaped before gripping the rat by the neck.
"What the *beep* have you done? Do you want to spend the rest of your life in prison?!" Chef Drapion panned furiously.
"Chef, if there's one thing I've learned from working for Skarmory is that you either go big or go to the sewers. Finish your job and get paid or fail and live with nothing." Raticate resisted disobediently.
"You fool! That attitude will get you jailtime. Mark my words." Chef Drapion angrily threw Raticate against the wall. "Clean up your mess and fight." The chef pointed toward the door. Raticate recovered and hissed at the chef before he exited the control room with a filled-to-the-brim poisonous bucket. The door was slammed shut.
Chef Drapion pinched the bridge of his noise before sighing. A rainstorm was cooking outside, accompanied by the thunderous orchestra.
Trumbeak and company witnessed true terror as Godly Guy Grovyle appeared before them. Something was off about the gecko god this time around. His halo was red and he got this devilish smirk of his. Seemingly, he was mind-controlled.
Drifblim and Farfetch'd were especially astonished and speechless once Godly Guy Grovyle activated his electrifying meteor cannon.
It was a near death experience as Trumbeak plummeted the airship down in an instant. The meteor of destruction barely missed, nearly giving everyone a heart attack.
The gecko god summoned rain and covered the clear blue sky with black, thunderous clouds to demoralize them.
Aromatisse held her heart before collapsing down. She hyperventilated.
Farfetch'd slumped down, leaning on the mast. He held Ms. Stick close.
Drifblim was frightened out of her mind. However, she felt fortunate more than anything.
Trumbeak wiped the nervous sweat off his face and turned to his crew. Autopilot was also turned on.
"Staying here is dangerous. We need to get out! I don't want to leave Alakazam but, we have no choice." Trumbeak said hopelessly, looking down in shame.
"Yeah, I'm sure the psychic will l-live. Skarmory will pay the ransom and we'll all forget about this." Aromatisse agreed, traumatized.
Drifblim frowned but she said nothing.
Farfetch'd sighed. After that life-threatening experience, he could understand and empathize with the two. He wasn't mad at them. However, he felt a burning ambition inside his heart.
Farfetch'd couldn't tolerate the injustice. Alakazam might just be a stranger to most of them. However, that didn't mean there weren't those that truly care about him like his friends and family. He would rescue the psychic like he would rescue Mr. Stalk.
"Everyone, you can all escape but we won't. We'll take those thieves down, in the name of Mr. Stalk!" Farfetch'd emitted a powerful sense of determination.
"Don't be reckless! You think you can take both of them by yourself? You're outnumbered. Reconsider now before it's too late!" Trumbeak objected strongly.
"Consider it a group of three. Me, Farfetch'd and Ms. Stick. We now outnumber them." Drifblim joined unwaveringly. Farfetch'd smiled.
"Aromatisse, will you go as well?" Trumbeak hid his disapproval with an inquisitive look.
Aromatisse glanced around to check everyone's reaction.
"Your choice, girl. No pressure." Drifblim gazed at her reassuringly.
Aromatisse took a few deep breaths. "I'll probably regret this and this is probably the dumbest thing I'll ever do in my life but… I'll go as well. I don't want to be a hindrance. Either we all live or we all die I guess. Hopefully, Decidueye will see this." She blushed a deeper shade of pink.
Trumbeak inhaled, closing his eyes. "All in agreement then." He opened his adventurous and bold eyes. "Skarmory entrusts me to protect you all. Even though I don't want to die since I just recently reconciled with my family, a captain never abandons his crew. Although, do you have a plan?" He mainly addressed Farfetch'd.
Farfetch'd took charge as the war minister. "Yes, a good one devised by Ms. Stick herself. Drifblim, since you're a ghost, you should be the one to rescue Alakazam. Trumbeak, you stay here and watch out for our safety. Once Drifblim got Alakazam out, collect every crew member and escape. Aromatisse, you should take on Raticate since he isn't a poison type. Lastly, we'll take on the chef. Clear?"
Everyone seemed to understand the plan very well. Trumbeak even provided helpful equipment to Aromatisse with rain resistant boots and the Inkbrella he got as a support item from one of his pirate fights.
The rain-resistant boots were self-explanatory enough. However, the Inkbrella was kind of a novelty. It could shoot out Octillery's ink and act like a shield at the same time. Press the trigger normally to shoot out ink. Press and hold to activate the shield. Press and hold for a very long time to launch the umbrella shield out. Apparently, lightweight users could also glide if used properly. Aromatisse read the wet instruction manual and understood the general idea of it.
The war preparation phase was over. Trumbeak drove his airship above the Smokerich and dropped the three contestants down.
Farfetch'd landed in front of the control room. Drifblim vanished for the time being. Aromatisse jumped off with the umbrella shield activated to glide and land in front of Raticate gracefully.
"Ugly kid, ready for your smoking spa?" Raticate insulted, lifting his bucket up.
"Ugly? Oh, you're going to regret calling me that." Aromatisse seethed.
The battle began and Raticate made the first move. He sloshed the deadly delicacy straight at her. Aromatisse opened the umbrella shield and positioned it around 45 degrees to block the attack.
Aromatisse attacked back by squirting out Octillery's blinding ink at Raticate's eyes. The sewer rat turned his head sideways and closed his eyes before jumping back into the offense with a mid-air slosh. Aromatisse blocked the attack again with the Inkbrella before blasting Fairy Wind in the direction of the traitorous intern.
Raticate took the weak blow and slid to the side, flanking Aromatisse with the sloshing bucket.
"Ouch!" Aromatisse took heavy splash damage on her flank. The deadly delicacy burned through her skin painfully. Fortunately, the rain alleviated the pain a little. She covered her flank with her right hand, positioning the umbrella awkwardly with her left hand. She was left vulnerable.
Raticate ran with great balance, soaking her entire back with poison. Aromatisse cried out in agony, dropping to the ground as Raticate smiled with triumph.
"Any last words?" Raticate asked carelessly, feeling superior.
"Fight, don't talk." Drifblim spoke in Aromatisse's stead. She suddenly turned visible and wrapped Raticate with Constrict before throwing him against the mast, hard. Raticate winced, rubbing the back of his head.
"Drifblim, I thought you're supposed to rescue Akakazam." Aromatisse accepted Drifblim's hand, getting up from the ground.
"Well, you're clearly in need of help. No point saving Alakazam if we need to save you afterwards. Anyways, enough talking. I've heard that Raticate called Decidueye ugly, you know?" Drifblim made it up. Upon hearing this, Aromatisse reddened with rage.
"Liar! When did I say that?" Raticate denied, slowly moving his eyes to the enraged Aromatisse. He gulped.
Aromatisse propelled to the sky through the combination of the Inkbrella and Fairy Wind. She sniped Raticate's eyes with one precise shot and dropped down. Upon landing next to him, she smashed his face with the umbrella, knocking him away. As a fabulous finish, Aromatisse blasted the umbrella shield out, pushing Raticate off the Smokerich to his drowning demise.
"That's awesome, girl! Skarmory should replay that in the Best of Aromatisse Moments." Drifblim was impressed.
"That's why you never call us ugly." Aromatisse seemed proud of herself.
The two soon made their way into the control room, hoping that Farfetch'd would still be fine.
Did Raticate actually drown and die? Of course, not. Let's say a certain dragon with a jetpack just happened to 'rescue' him.
Farfetch'd marched inside the control room bravely. His eyes were unyielding. His body language showed a strong sense of seriousness. This wasn't a challenge, a game or a battle to the death. Rather, it was the confrontation of two clashing ideals. The culinary conflict of chefs. The showdown between the thief and the grief-giver.
Chef Drapion stared at Farfetch'd with empty eyes. Behind him was a trash bag. The war minister could sense Alakazam's presence inside.
"I look so pitiful to you, huh? A low-ranking chef, a short-tempered scorpion and a poisonous pilferer. What's else to add? Probably many more but, do you even know why I hate you so much? Why I despise Skarmory, his damn show and everything that lies in it?" Chef Drapion questioned with a lifeless tone.
"I figure that you just envy his success and ours." Farfetch'd assumed, looking indifferent. Chef Drapion chuckled in amusement.
"Why should I envy a delusional freak like you and an unprofessional, incompetent, crybaby of a host?" Chef Drapion defended. "I know we aren't here to talk so why don't you try to get past me and rescue Alakazam?" He challenged with cold confidence.
"Oh, we will!" Farfetch'd whipped up Air Slash. The chef used his frying pan to block the attack effortlessly.
Farfetch'd charged straight at Chef Drapion and struck rapidly with Ms. Stick. Chef Drapion parried all of the blows and grabbed Farfetch'd with his stinger before throwing the duck against the wall.
Farfetch'd bounced off the wall and charged up Ms. Stick with normal type energy, using Slash.
Chef Drapion smacked Farfetch'd's face powerfully with the frying pan before slapping him away with Knock Off, disarming Ms. Stick. Immediately, Farfetch'd reached out to retrieve Ms. Stick before preparing a defensive stance.
Farfetch'd panted and huffed heavily as he was clearly outmatched.
"Not so strong without your stalk, huh? You're clearly worthless and pathetic. If I'm you, I'll put your skills into good use rather than wasting it all on some imaginary friend." Chef Drapion degraded.
"Mr. Stalk is real! Rahhh!" Farfetch'd shouted furiously, roaring as he struck back with Revenge. Chef Drapion merely responded with a mighty Cross Poison. Trading blows, Farfetch'd took a lot more damage than Chef Drapion. He had fallen down, just a few steps away from the trash bag.
Chef Drapion kicked him back to the door, erasing his progress.
"I won't give up just yet. For Mr… Stalk." Farfetch'd tried to get up with the support of Ms. Stick but he failed.
"Take awe and inspiration from my power for I gain it through effort alone, not delusion or birth." Chef Drapion opened his arms wide, voicing with influence.
"What the hell is wrong with you? Why would you try to kill us for money?!" Farfetch'd asked accusingly.
"Murder? Sure, I'm a thief but I'm not a *beep* murder! Don't associate me with them." Chef Drapion's eyes suddenly lit up with years of suffering. He speeded at Farfetch'd and throttled him.
"I'm only taking what rightfully belongs to me. What this world owes me. You've no right to judge!" Chef Drapion was triggered.
Suddenly, the door opened and Drifblim rode the Fairy Wind, colliding against Chef Drapion with Fly. Even though Drifblim took some damage, this move combination was very effective.
"Gah!" Chef Drapion got knocked away and Farfetch'd was freed. Aromatisse quickly helped him back to his feet.
"It's three against one, chef. Surrender now." Drifblim advised.
"Heh, no way. I'll take you all down!" Chef Drapion refused stubbornly. He hastily grabbed Aromatisse and Farfetch'd with his pincers and stabbed Drifblim with Fell Stinger. The chef threw the weak Farfetch'd at Drifblim, knocking them both out of the room.
Chef Drapion got an easy opportunity to power himself up now. He singled out Aromatisse with Cross Poison before draining her strength with Fell Stinger.
"I'm s-so sorry, every… one." Aromatisse said before she lost her consciousness. Chef Drapion tossed her body out and confronted the other two in the rain.
Godly Guy Grovyle started playing the piano, pouring his sweat and tears into the music. It conveyed the feeling of an adventure's end.
Farfetch'd moaned in pain but he still had the strength to fight. Drifblim looked much better than him. However, she looked quite unconfident.
"Farfetch'd, keep your distance. Don't let Chef Drapion suck your energy with Fell Stinger or else we're done for." Drifblim warned and Farfetch'd nodded.
Farfetch'd walked backwards as the chef slowly stepped toward him intimidatingly. He whipped up another Air Slash. Sadly, it barely dealt any damage at all.
Drifblim charged at Chef Drapion with Fly. Seemingly, she headed straight for him. However, she changed her direction sharply at the end to strike him from the side. Chef Drapion was prepared for this and struck her down with Night Slash.
"Aurgh!" Drifblim clutched her wound. She was now in the same condition as Farfetch'd.
Trumbeak watched from above, contemplating if he should take measures into his own wings. He waited for a right opportunity if there was any to begin with. Worse case scenario, he would quickly swoop down and rescue the contestants, escaping without Alakazam.
"Hah, this is all you got? I'm sorely disappointed. It seems only Lucario can be my match." Chef Drapion looked bored until a sneaky smirk appeared abruptly on his face.
"Farfetch'd, you know what? It's time to tell you the truth. It was no one other than me. I stole Mr. Stalk from you the entire time. Bad news for you, I cooked him up good. He's now no longer with us." Chef Drapion made a grand reveal. "Show me your rage, show me, grief."
Drifblim gasped, astounded. She eyed Farfetch'd with sympathy and anxiety. There was a hint of guilt.
Godly Guy Grovyle slammed his fingers on the piano and thunders wailed deafeningly.
Farfetch'd's eyes were consumed by the green light. The thunderous clouds swirled above him. He compressed Ms. Stick and indescribable hatred controlled his movements.
"Why the *beep* hell did you kill him?!" Farfetch'd moved as fast as lightning itself, disappearing and appearing behind the chef. Using both hands, Farfetch'd's Slash made a nasty bleeding cut mark.
"Argh! This is more like it. You don't need that stalk after all, you see? He's useless. Better throw him away and accept reality." Chef Drapion tried to grab him. However, Farfetch'd's swift movements made him uncatchable.
"I'll throw you away and accept your blood!" Farfetch'd turned into a ferocious beast. He enchanted Ms. Stick with Revenge. The red bloody energy crested her. With one strike, Chef Drapion got sent crashing through the wall of the control room, colliding against the operating panel. The system malfunctioned, activating its last resort.
The self-destruction system.
Red lights flashed all over the airship as the gecko god prepared his curtain song for anyone in the proximity of his life-ending performance.
Absolute fear overwhelmed Drifblim. It wasn't just the red flashing lights and the fact that the battery was about to blow itself up.
Farfetch'd terrified her.
At the time, she couldn't think clearly. She didn't try to get Alakazam and escape. The fact that Chef Drapion's 'thievery' was unexplained didn't cross her mind either.
"Catch!" Farfetch'd snapped Drifblim back to reality, throwing the trash bag at her. The ghost girl caught it and fled, expecting Farfetch'd to do the same.
Trumbeak promptly carried Aromatisse's body to the ship and glanced around quickly to check if all of his crew members were presented.
Farfetch'd re-entered the control room instead of escaping rationally.
"Farfetch'd, escape now! For the love of god!" Trumbeak implored.
"Revenge isn't worth your life! Please escape! *beep* escape!" Drifblim made her voice as loud as possible. Farfetch'd ignored both of them.
"He won't listen! What are we going to do?" Trumbeak looked extremely stressed. Drifblim wished that she could pull Farfetch'd out. But in this injured state, that was impossible. There must be a way. Think, Drifblim, think!
Chef Drapion crawled out to the exit, bleeding badly. However, Farfetch'd blocked his way. The thief looked up, whimpering at the deranged face of the devil himself.
"You take Mr. Stalk's life, I take your life. We'll die together. When we're in hell, I'll kill you again, again and again. Mwahahaha…" Farfetch'd had completely lost it.
"You don't understand. I didn't actually steal him. It was a lie! Please let me *beep* live!" Chef Drapion confessed, begging.
"You expect me to believe a thief like you? No way, time to give you, grief." Farfetch'd refused to listen, grinning madly.
"Don't you have a girlfriend, a loved one, anything?" Chef Drapion reminded. Farfetch'd widened his eyes.
Swanna, Bisharp, all the others and… Ms. Stick. What the hell was he doing?! It was as if he was under the divine spell of Godly Guy Grovyle.
Farfetch'd ran out, forgetting about Chef Drapion. The chef crawled slowly behind him.
Outside, the two witnessed the master of true destruction. Godly Guy Grovyle stopped playing his piano and curled into a ball, charging up tremendous amount of electricity.
It was too late. This would be Farfetch'd's swan song.
Godly Guy Grovyle extended his arms and wings out, releasing a gigantic explosion of electricity. The floor in front of Farfetch'd slowly vanished, turning white.
Farfetch'd gazed into his imminent death, shedding a tear.
"Ms. Stick, we'll see Mr. Stalk now." This was the last thing he said as he held Ms. Stick close to him.
Until a giant cannonball blasted him and Chef Drapion out of the death zone. Trumbeak saved both of them with the airship.
Godly Guy Grovyle was finally freed from the mind-control. Looking around obliviously, he shrugged before flying back to the firmament.
Confessional
Trumbeak: "Drifblim will win immunity. Even though Farfetch'd did a great job of destroying our enemies, the challenge isn't all about that. It's about saving lives. Drifblim was the one who gave me the idea to fire off the cannon, blasting them to safety."
Drifblim: "Everything that has happened today… was all too real. I never realize the full consequences of my actions. I know that not everything is my fault but I think I contributed to it. I'm indirectly responsible for what happened to Farfetch'd. He didn't die but, he could've died." She sobbed. "This day sucks! I don't care if the viewers think this is the best episode ever. They don't have the first-hand experience. They won't understand anything! This episode is the worst, followed by the Lucario's medical evacuation one. Drama shouldn't be taken to the extreme. There should be a limit. I'm so sorry." She broke down into tears.
Farfetch'd and Chef Drapion got taken into the infirmary. Chef Drapion recovered first, greeted by Skarmory's cold and disgusted eyes. Furret was next to him, showing a more aggressive and hostile look.
"Chef! What put you over the edge?! Why did you risk the life of the contestants and the interns? If it's just money, you can just ask!" Skarmory sounded the angriest he had ever been.
Farfetch'd regained his consciousness now. However, he kept his eyes close and listened to their conversation secretly.
"Why? You want to know why? Fine, I'll tell you. It's because I hate you! You're born with everything. You can get everything so easily but me, my life is the exact opposite. My parents are *beep* murderers!" Chef Drapion revealed with visceral hatred in his voice.
"No matter where I go, I'm attached with this stigma that I'm a murderer. A *beep* murderer! No one would accept me or give me a job until I erased my identity completely. Even then, I need to work my ass off every single day, doing all the drudgery, begging and even stealing. I've worked so hard. In the end, I can only enroll in a shitty one-star cooking school. I've worked so hard but my life didn't get any better. Why?! But you...!" Chef Drapion pointed at Skarmory with envy under the disguise of hatred. The host flinched.
"Even when you don't know how to host this show *beep* properly, you're still loved and successful. Only if I was born like you, I could've done so much more. More successful, richer, smarter! This world is so *beep* unfair!" Chef Drapion ranted. Skarmory averted his eyes. Furret tugged his wing, giving him a revitalizing look of reassurance. She then turned to Chef Drapion with a critical look.
"Do you seriously think your birth dictates everything? If you believe that, then I seriously doubt the authenticity of your story. I know your work ethic here, Drapion. That alone is a huge red flag. You might think you can manipulate my sensitive husband but, not when I'm here." Furret saw through the surface of his story.
"You!" Chef Drapion extended his right arm to attack Furret. However, she grabbed it effortlessly and compressed mercilessly. Chef Drapion made a series of noises indicating pain. Skarmory gave her a disapproving look, shaking his head. Furret stopped.
"Chef, your life didn't get any better? Really? Here, you get paid. You get to live with above average accommodation. What's so bad about your life now?" Skarmory questioned. He wanted to know if it was really his fault or not.
"Sure, I get a bit more of this and that. Still, you reduce me into a joke. Get lost, Skarmory. I don't want to see your face again. Jail sounds better than here." Chef Drapion said bitterly, avoiding eye contact.
Skarmory lowered his head. He couldn't comprehend why Chef Drapion hates him so much. Did he really treat the chef that badly? Reduce him into a joke? Or was it all the chef's fault and he just twisted the words to make him feel guilty?
"Don't waste any more time with him. He isn't worth it. Let the police deal with the rest." Furret pulled Skarmory out of the infirmary and the host formed a small smile.
A female Scizor and male Mightyena eventually arrived to arrest Chef Drapion. They tied him up with ropes and dragged him away.
"Wait!" Farfetch'd rushed over to the police. "Can I speak to him for a moment? It's something important." He requested. The two looked at each other before they nodded.
"What? Let me guess. Mr. Stalk?" Chef Drapion assumed emotionlessly.
"No, I figure that you lied. How can you be the thief when Nosepass confessed? You denied strongly at first as well." Farfetch'd figured through reasoning.
"Took you long enough." Chef Drapion drawled. "What is it, then?"
"Chef, I really, really despise you for playing with my emotions and my beliefs. However, I feel like I can understand you. The society has no place for us but I've earned my place through perseverance. My mom never gives me the financial support to join a prestigious cooking school or hire sports coaches to teach me baseball and skateboarding. I earned the money through contests and scholarships. I also study on my own. Why can't you do the same? Hard work brings success." Farfetch'd questioned from experience.
"Enough with your treacly platitude! You think everything is that simple? You don't understand me. Get lost. Police, bring me to *beep* jail already!" Chef Drapion scowled, turning away.
Farfetch'd watched as Chef Drapion was dragged away by the two police officers. Another group of police soon joined them with Raticate, who was in a full body cast. As Chef Drapion's figure grew smaller and smaller, Farfetch'd felt that he understood the chef less and less.
His birth might be sympathetic, but not anything else about him. Chef Drapion's negative attitude contributed to his pitiful life. But was it really all his fault? Farfetch'd wanted to know about him a little more. More than he got first place in his one-star cooking school and Garbodor didn't seem to be holding much ill-will toward him. He clearly had put in some effort. Therefore, how did he end up this way? The more he thought about these things, the more he got depressed.
To his delight, however, Drifblim and Aromatisse came to check on him, putting a smile on his face again. The four hugged (including Ms. Stick, of course), celebrating their survival. Alakazam came and gave them his thanks as well.
Confessional
Drifblim: "After some clarification, I now know that Chef Drapion isn't the thief. So, who is it? Is there someone really obvious that I miss? Wait…" She had a moment of sudden realization.
Aromatisse: "I'm pretty sure Drifblim will bring me to the finale. We're a lot closer than Farfetch'd's whatever relationship with her."
Farfetch'd: "If I'm eliminated, it's okay. We just hope that Skarmory will tell me what has happened to Mr. Stalk the whole time." His eyes turned watery. "I miss him s-so much." He began wiping his tears away.
Skarmory called Aromatisse and Farfetch'd over to the snowy area. The host stood in front of the Ice Skarmory Cave, waiting patiently. Once they arrived, he had a huge smile on his face, still grateful for their survival.
"Aromatisse and Farfetch'd, Drifblim wants the final elimination ceremony to be dramatic. Therefore, she told me two locations. In one of these locations, Drifblim will be there. She'll tell you the result. Aromatisse, come with me. I'll show you the path to Skarmory Area. Farfetch'd, head inside the Delibird Workshop." Skarmory instructed.
Aromatisse immediately had a jubilant smile on her face. She was absolutely sure that she would make it to the finale. On the other hand, Farfetch'd already accepted his elimination.
The traffic cones blocking the path to the snowy mountain got removed and Aromatisse walked with light, energetic steps.
Farfetch'd lifted Ms. Stick up and smiled at her with an accepting nod before walking slowly to the workshop.
Aromatisse hiked the mountain enthusiastically. She didn't mind the cold weather and the tiresome journey one bit.
Farfetch'd opened the door of the workshop and absorbed in all of the surroundings. He remembered that Drifblim used to guide him around here.
Skarmory smirked as they reached the resting area. There was a cool-looking black helicopter next to the small wooden cabin.
Drifblim was in the gift shop, gesturing for Farfetch'd to come inside. Farfetch'd widened his eyes in surprise.
"Aromatisse…" Skarmory gained her attention. Aromatisse anticipated the result positively.
"Farfetch'd…" Drifblim built up suspense. Hope started showing itself in his eyes.
…
…
"You're eliminated." Skarmory revealed. Aromatisse was shocked.
Elimination Confessional
Wow, I didn't see this coming. My girl Drifblim betrayed me. Well, I guess I'll be cheering for Farfetch'd now. Just kidding, I'll cheer for the both of you, my friends. Even though I've lost, I feel like I'm coming out of this game two times smarter, three times stronger, five times more beautiful and obviously ten times more fabulous. I feel like I've grown as a Pokemon and that's what matters the most. Who would expect me to make it this far in a game with the likes of Lucario? My only hope now is that Decidueye likes me…
"You're safe. I also got a present for you." Drifblim handed him a light green gift box.
"Is it…?" Farfetch'd gaped. Drifblim nodded. Farfetch'd shredded the wrapping paper ridiculously fast and rapidly kissed Mr. Stalk.
"You're back, you're back, you're back!" Farfetch'd repeated, hugging Mr. Stalk affectionately with tears falling from his face. Words couldn't describe his overflowing joy. Drifblim was happy for him. However, her smile soon turned into a frown.
"Drifblim, thank-" Farfetch'd was about to thank Drifblim profusely until she interrupted.
"No, Farfetch'd." Drifblim shook her head. "It's not what you expected. I'm Nosepass' accomplice." She confessed, getting the burden off her shoulders.
Farfetch'd stared at her in disbelief, betrayed. Hatred soon manifested itself into his eyes.
"Why?! Nosepass got his reason but what about you?! Tell me!" Farfetch'd demanded, grabbing her by the collar. However, Drifblim pushed him away.
"You see… Both of us got our own style of playing this game. You're like the hero, challenged and tested by many difficulties and obstacles. Yet, you maintained your values and morals to a certain degree, refusing to submit to the darkness. I'm the villain, I don't care what it takes to reach the end. The method doesn't matter, only the result. If you think that's wrong then, stop me in the finale. You shall be my final test. I give you Mr. Stalk back because I'll beat you at your strongest and prove it once and for all that I'm worthy to win this game!" Drifblim explained passionately.
"Oh, I'll stop you, thief and top you with grief." Farfetch'd adjusted his lyrics. Both of them had an intense staring contest. They will have a showdown in the finale to see which reigns supreme: heroism or villainy. Putting the two together, the line between light and darkness was seemingly blurred.
Skarmory rode the helicopter with Aromatisse. They waved at the camera.
"See you next time on the finale of Total Skarmory Island!" The two said in unison.
The credits rolled with the flashback.
Heracross was seen sneaking inside Nosepass' secret base. She changed the location of Mr. Stalk, hiding him under the snowy depths of the Ice Skarmory Cave. She removed her bedsheets and clawed the mattress open. The beetle smirked as she hid a note inside, feeling smart. She would tell Drifblim about it in a subtle manner when she was eliminated.
Confessional
Heracross: "See? I'm smart. I can do stuff like this too. In your face, Shedinja!"
I won't create the votes section in this chapter. It's redundant.
Funfacts: This chapter has the least confessional counts. I've purposefully done this to show the impact of the events that has happened. I'm sure not many of them would be in the mood to use the confessional. Skarmory's actual viewers will get to see Godly Guy Grovyle as well, not just my readers because the cameras couldn't capture all of the footage during the fight. Skarmory would hire animators to make the scenes look humorous and fit the atmosphere. Did you know that there's a secret hint regarding the finalists? The genres of this story are Drama for Drifblim and Friendship for Farfetch'd.
I recommend my viewers to play Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Adventure's End for the Chef Drapion fight. Try to reread the scene with the music. Sometimes, everything can't be described through words.
The next chapter will be the last time I'm replying to reviews. This is your last chance. Feel free to ask any questions about my future projects and such.
Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter and see you next time! Final Destination, 1 vs 1, Skarmory Area, interns and guests on.