Total Pokémon: Maelstrom

by Dark Arcanine 33

Anticipating the backlash from his 'reboot' trilogy, Victini decides that the franchise needs a few seasons that will cushion the blow. And who better to host them than some the most respectable and responsible Legendary Pokémon in Hall of Origins? Who will be the last male standing and win the 1 million Poke? Tune in to find out.

2. Pull Your Weight

000

After dinner, the majority of the guys returned to the Sausage Link, while others decided to branch out. Some of them were satisfied with their dinner, while others were still hungry and were going to see what all the pantry, or the rest of the island, had to offer.

Now that he had food in his system, Steve was feeling a lot better. He was still very bitter about his team lineup, but he would have to make do. With their first challenge happening tomorrow, the Toucannon knew that he needed to whip some sense into his team beforehand, and hope that they get the message.

"CONKELDURRS!" he called out. "COME TO THE FRONT, WE NEED TO HAVE A QUICK CHAT."

The few members of the Mighty Machamps that had returned couldn't help but smirk and chuckle a bit at this. Hearing the few snickers, the Toucannon huffed dismissively. If they thought that what he was doing was funny or sad, then that was on them.

Eventually, he heard a groan as Martin turned a corner, with Travis not too far behind. "Yous gotta be kiddin'. Da hell do you want now?" the Morgrem groused.

The Cannon Pokémon didn't respond, as he was expecting that response from the Devious Pokémon. He looked around, confused as to why the belligerent Morgrem was the only one there. "HELLO?! CONKELDURRS?!"

Flinching from the Toucannon's blaring squawk, Martin growled, "Yous really is dense, ain't ya? If ya ain't gettin' a response… Don't that mean da others ain't here?!"

Steve was doing his best to hold in his anger. He couldn't let this delinquent get under his skin again.

Chuckling at the scene before him, Travis pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge before closing it. Feeling the tension, he stifled a laugh, "Man, this is giving off some real 'disappointed dad' vibes."

In response, Steve shot a sharp glare in the Electivire's direction, his beak beginning to heat up. Seeing this, Travis quickly made his way toward the back.

Martin started chortling to himself, "Fuckin' pussy. He has da advantage over ya, and he's still scared? Sad…"

Steve took a sharp breath, his beak returning to its normal state. It was just then that Rane entered the building, walking past the two of them to head upstairs. Seeing this, Martin decided to take some 'initiative', calling, "Ey, Silent Bob!"

Rane stopped in place and sighed to himself, knowing that he was referring to him. The Golisopod just wanted to go back to his room. What did they want?

As he turned around, Martin continued, "So apparently, Toucan Sam 'ere wants us all down here for somethin'. So, kiss dat loner shit goodbye for a bit."

Hearing that, Rane looked at Steve for an answer. Feeling the Hard Scale Pokémon's irritated look, Steve explained, "I'm just trying to have a talk since our first challenge is tomorrow."

Rane cocked a brow at this, interested. So far, Steve had only given him an 'angry boomer' vibe, so maybe something productive could come from this. The Golisopod took a breath before taking a seat on the couch, resting his head against one of his hands.

As Martin hopped onto the black couch as well, Steve approached the front door. Opening it, he glanced around and didn't immediately spot anyone approaching, much to his chagrin. Shaking his head, the Toucannon decided to just deal with the two that he had and go from there. Slamming the door, he went to stand in front of the fireplace.

Taking another sharp breath, he began, "Okay, look. As much as I hate to say this, the three of us are likely going to be the ones who carry this team."

Rane's look immediately shifted back to annoyance. "Okay, so nothing productive…" he thought to himself.

"I wanted this to be a meeting where I could just give a talk and we just learn everyone's strengths and weaknesses so that we can work accordingly," he expounded, "but we have a guy that's water locked, a mute, a good-for-nothing slacker, and… whatever the little spiky one is supposed to be, so I guess we're just going to have to deal with it."

"Or… yous could just wait," Martin suggested. "Crazy concept for a guy like yous, I know, but… dose otha' guys didn't know nothin' 'bout what yous was gonna do. So how are yous gonna get mad at dem?"

Steve glared at the Morgrem, as he had a valid point. He didn't like when that happened with people like him. He huffed, "Whatever…"

"Hell, yous spent dis time whinin' when we coulda just went to da beach and handled shit dere instead of in here where da folks from da other team could hear…" Martin added.

Steve's right eye twitched in irritation. This time, he decided to just fly back upstairs, leaving Rane and Martin on the couch.

Martin cackled as he hopped off of the couch, "And here I thought dat our elders was 'posed t' be wise…"

The Morgrem proceeded to head to the game room, leaving the Golisopod on his own. Now that Steve was upstairs, likely seething over this, the Golisopod didn't even want to go to his own room anymore due to the risk of having to communicate with him.

With a sigh, he grabbed the remote, switching on the television.

000

"I just wanted to have a simple conversation, but can I even have that? NO!" Steve seethed. "These people have no respect. I feel like I'm gonna be dealing with kindergarteners…"

000

"Okay, so if we're gonna be in an alliance, that means that we can't vote each other out, right?" Dale inquired, wanting a bit more clarification.

"Right," Nick confirmed with a nod. "Little dude says that us 'lesser' guys need to stick together and try to win for once."

Despite the fact that Dale could remember a time where a perceived 'lesser' guy won one of these competitions, he also recalled that it wasn't completely earned. So, he could see their point.

"Um… Okay, but don't we still need strength for challenges?" Dale asked, uncertain of their chances. "I'm pretty sure Martin, Steve, and Rane are all stronger than you guys."

Nick looked at Lexico, relaying, "Little dude says… There's more to life than physical strength, so we'll be fine."

The Wailord wasn't entirely convinced. Knowing how these kinds of shows went, the physicality would definitely be in the forefront. However, he knew that his best course of action would be to go along with the majority. As long as he was safe, it wouldn't matter.

000

Dale sighed, "Okay, I'm good with the alliance, but I think the end goal is a bit short-sighted. If we just vote out all of our strong guys immediately, then we'll be in trouble… fast."

000

"Well, if we're gonna go through with this, maybe we should try to go for Martin, first?" Dale suggested. "He's a bit too deranged, he kinda scares me, and out of the three of them, I'd say he's the weakest."

Tate simply replied, "Okay."

"And let's just hope that it doesn't come to that," Nick commented. "We don't wanna be the first losers of the show. That would really suck."

"Of course," Dale agreed. The more they lost, the faster they dwindled, and the higher the chance that he would get eliminated.

There was a moment of silence before Nick suddenly said, "Little dude says that we should probably head back to the cabin before Steve has an… anorythmn. Whatever that means…"

"Aneurysm?" Tate curiously corrected.

"Yeah, that," Nick confirmed. He then let out a sigh, "I really dunno what his problem with me is."

"Well, military guys like him are pretty stern and overbearing," Dale reasoned. "They tend to be all work and no play, and since you're more lax, I guess he hates that."

"Well, we're gonna have to work together as a team, so hopefully he's able to chill," Nick replied. "Let's get going…"

000

"Let's hope that Sgt. Steve learns to take a chill pill, because I really don't want him to keep yelling at me," Nick sighed.

000

With a stretch, Lee exited the showers feeling a bit better. Showering at night was something comforting to him, as common as it may be for most people. The hot water spraying down and drenching him, cleansing away his stress, always made him less anxious.

He still wasn't fully comfortable with the others he was with, but he would have to make the most of it. So far, Roy, Simen, and KG seemed to be his best choices for allies, while the others were just… No. Absolutely not.

He was planning on spending the rest of the night in his room, as he wanted to be well-rested for the challenges the next day. Going down the hall, he passed by Travis' room, and he saw that the Electivire was beginning to head out.

Upon seeing him, Travis immediately slammed his door closed. Taken aback by the sudden act, the Boltund huffed as he continued down the hall. The Thunderbolt Pokémon cracked the door open, watching the Boltund's rear as he walked away. He mumbled to himself, "He's too fine to be a damn male. It's just… not right."

Once he saw that the Dog Pokémon was out of his view, he let out a breath before exiting his room.

000

"Like I said, he just… makes me uncomfortable," Travis explained, folding his arms. "I'm used to being around built dudes and maybe a few scrawny nerds here-and-there. Femboys are not something I'm used to dealing with, and I don't want to. I've heard too many stories about dudes getting 'turned out' or tricked."

000

The Boltund entered KG and Simen's room, but saw that neither of his new friends were there. He was surprised, as he thought that they would be waiting for him, at least. He let out a sigh, "Damn it. Where'd they go?"

While he did want to be prime and ready for tomorrow, he didn't want to go into his own room just yet. Being one of the many canine Pokémon, he decided to see if he could sniff them out and find them. He started heading down the front hall and toward the door when he saw Nick enter the building with Lexico and Tate riding on his icy head.

"Oh, hey there Lee," Nick greeted with a wave. The Eiscue knew that things were probably going to be rough for the Dog Pokémon, so he decided to be cordial. "How're things going for ya so far?"

Lee gave a weak smile. "Things could be better, I guess…" he answered, lamely. He didn't want to say too much just yet, as this was still a competition, so he decided to return a question to them. "How's Dale?"

"Oh, he's alright," Nick answered. "Kinda bummed about not being here, but he's glad to be competing."

Lee giggled, "Well, that's good. Bigger Pokémon like him rarely ever get to compete in these kinds of shows, so I'm glad he's alright. Hopefully, he's able to actually do things so he's not just confined to the water…"

The Penguin Pokémon chortled, "Yeah. We don't-"

"HEY! YOU THREE!" they all suddenly heard, startling them. Looking toward the stairs, they all saw that Steve was standing on the railing on the second floor. Once he had their attention, he continued, "WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?!"

"Uh, we went back to talk to Dale again," Nick answered.

Steve kept his stern frown, but took a breath. He could actually understand; the Wailord couldn't be in the house, so he still needed to feel like he belonged. He wasn't going to admit that they did a nice thing, though. Instead, he cleared his throat, declaring, "Well… Now that you're here, we're gonna have a meeting! Get a move on!"

Once the Toucannon flew back down the hall, Nick let out a sigh, turning back to Lee. "Well, our father's calling, so we've gotta get going. Talk to ya more later… maybe," he replied.

The three of them started heading toward the stairs, once again leaving Lee alone. The Boltund looked back at the door, still thinking about going out and following his friends' scents. However, knowing that they would likely be back soon, the Dog Pokémon decided to just stay put and wait until Simen and KG came back.

He sauntered over to the couch and lied down with a sigh. "I feel like I'm gonna hate it here," he muttered to himself.

000

Stain had asked for Morris and Travis to meet him in his room, which he had already made a pigsty with his foul stench and oozing body. Morris wore a look of annoyance, his arms crossed in early defiance; given what the Muk had tried to talk to him about earlier, he had a suspicion that he was going to make a second attempt.

Travis was covering his nose, shielding it from the putrid odor permeating throughout the room. Not wanting to be there for a long time, the Electivire pressed, "What did you want, Stain? I feel like I'm gonna die here."

"Ah, hush," the Muk retorted, waving his complaint away. "I've requested the presence of you two because I wish to have you work with me in order to take over this team."

"I done already told you, no," Morris stated firmly.

Hearing this, Travis was confused. Who wouldn't want to have the majority in their team? It was always better to roll with the big dogs. "Whaddya mean, no? Dude, if we work together… We can easily dominate the others."

"Travis, this pile o' manure wants us to do all the heavy liftin' while he just benefits from our labor," the Barbaracle explained, earning a glare from the Pokémon in question.

The Electivire blinked, still confused about Morris' reluctance. "I mean, that's usually what happens on any team, dude," he explained. "You have some strong guys and you have some stragglers that may benefit if the strong guys take control and win for the team."

The ugly barnacle facepalmed, as the Thunderbolt Pokémon wasn't understanding him. "What I'm sayin' is that he is more than capable of workin' just as hard as us, but he dudn't want to. He wants us to do everything…"

Travis remained unbothered. "I… still don't see the problem. We're a team…"

Morris groaned to himself. Obviously, he wasn't going to get anywhere with either of them, so he decided that his best course of action was to exit the conversation. Clasping his hands together, he started making his leave, conceding, "Okay, y'know what? Feel free to work with the slacker. As long as we actually win the challenges, it won't matter."

With that, he exited the room, leaving the other two guys alone. Travis, still covering his nose, smacked his lips. "Well, that coulda gone better…"

Stain huffed, "Don't worry about it. We can easily just rope in Roy and get him in on this. That moron is gonna regret his decision."

Travis, not thinking much of his threat and its implications, simply sighed, "Well, can I go now? Breathing like this is putting a bad taste in my mouth."

The Sludge Pokémon threw the yeti a look of annoyance.

000

Stain let out a belch, "I had a feeling that Morris would still be difficult. Doesn't matter in the long run. Travis and Roy will be better than him anyway. He'll regret crossing me."

000

Simen and KG were exploring the Arts and Crafts department out of curiosity, and to also clear their heads a bit. The house just felt toxic somehow, and it was only the first day! The other guys in the house ranged from nice and level-headed to misogynistic and homophobic. It was just too much negative energy at that moment, especially with Lee deciding to take a shower.

They were inspecting the different art pieces that were already strewn about for decoration. There were miniature statues on tables coated in paint, as well as just straight-up paintings hanging on the walls and sitting on tables. After inspecting a rather shoddily made painting, Simen inquired, "So, how do you think things are gonna fare for us?"

KG, who was tinkering with one of the small art figures, sighed, "Amigo, I honestly haven't a clue. It feels like we're just sitting ducks if our team ends up losing, and that feeling is muy malo."

"I'm hoping that things end up working out and change as we get to know each other," Simen expressed. He then paused, letting out a breath, "Then again, this is a competition…"

"And the others outnumber us," KG reminded him. "The other four cabróns are all macho and manly, and they probably just see us as puny babies."

"Hey, you never know," Simen responded, still trying to be a bit more positive. Suddenly, an idea formed in his head. "Say, what if you, me, and Lee actually work together in an alliance? That could give us a chance!"

"Tres… contra cuatro," the Fuecoco slowly replied, looking at his hands, despite only having three fingers on each. "Amigo, three is still less than four."

"Well… What if we ask Roy? He is new to these kinds of shows," the Sphere Pokémon suggested. "And he doesn't seem like a jerk like Stain, Travis, and Morris. He may not even want to work with them."

KG put down the figure, letting out a breath as he thought about the situation. Simen was seemingly correct about Roy, just based on first impressions so far. However, it felt too early to say. "Well, maybe we should just see how things go first. Roy could really be nice, or it could just be a front," he hesitated. "Us muchachos can be just as, if not more, manipulative. That's how some chicas end up getting hurt or put in bad relationships."

"That's… fair, I guess," Simen cautioned. "Let's just hope that we don't completely botch the challenge. That way we don't go to elimination, and we possibly get to see everyone's layers… if they have any."

Suddenly, a new voice startled the two of them, "What in tarnation are you doin' out here so late?"

Turning toward the entryway, the duo saw Morris standing there, his arms folded and a stern look on his face. Demanding an answer, the Barbaracle pressed, "Well?"

KG and Simen exchanged looks, confused as to why he was being hostile. Feeling slightly awkward, KG countered, "We could ask you the same question…"

"Wudn't askin' you, Paldean…" he stated bluntly, venom seemingly oozing from his words.

The way that he emphasized his region really rubbed KG the wrong way. He wasn't sure where Morris was from, as his accent made it sound like he was from somewhere in Unova, while his species was typically native to Kalos. If he actually was from Unova, which was the feeling he was getting, he knew that it'd be a lost cause to speak up again. However, an irritated glare was now fixed onto his face.

Simen, sensing the tension from the tone of voice Morris was using, still attempted to be cordial. "Uh… We're just checkin' out the sights is all. No big deal."

Morris huffed, not entirely believing it. However, given that he had no other proof that they were doing anything suspicious, he decided to move on. "Well, get on back to the house. We need to be ready for dem challenges tomorrow and I expect y'all to put in work. Got that, compadre?"

KG tightened his glare at the Barbaracle as he turned and started to walk away. "Feo pendejo hijo de puta… Quién se cree que es?!" the Fuecoco rapidly muttered in anger.

"Whoa, whoa… Calm down, dude," Simen replied, feeling a bit anxious about the situation.

"Calm down?! Did you not hear that?" KG responded, stunned. Where did the hostility come from? "What the hell did I do?! That gilipollas is a racist. He has to be."

"Well, we don't know that for sure. He may just not like Paldea and that's it," Simen replied. He knew that Morris felt like a bit of a brash jerk, but a racist? He didn't know… Though, this interaction certainly didn't do him any favors.

Trying to comfort the fuming croc, Simen shared, "I mean, some people look at me and make snide comments since I'm a regional variant that's supposed to be extinct, but I just have a huge family tree." KG gave him a look as the ball continued, "Some people are gonna be assholes, and we kinda knew that some of the guys here would fit that category, so… maybe just try not to engage."

KG growled to himself, still unhappy. He hadn't done anything, and he didn't respond after the comment anyway. The Voltorb let out a sigh, "Okay… Let's just get back."

000

"Done heard some rumors 'bout how if ya throw a few insults at Paldean Pokémon and just treat 'em bad, it makes them more eager to prove ya wrong and they get stronger," Morris explained. "We'll see what happens…"

"I ain't got nothin' against nobody, but I know how to get under folks' skin," he continued.

000

"I don't know if I offended him somehow. I don't know if he just hates Paldea. All I know is that he was disrespectful to me, and I'm not looking forward to any 'layers' he may have," KG stated firmly.

000

"This… could be a problem…" Simen sighed.

000

Steve, now having all of his team members present, barring Dale, decided to try having his meeting once again. They were all in his room, with all of them either standing, or sitting on his floor, much to his chagrin.

"Alright," the Toucannon began, clearing his throat. "Tomorrow's gonna be our first day functioning as a proper team. We don't know what the challenge is going to be, nor do we know each others' strengths and weaknesses yet, so…"

"Correction," Martin interrupted with a sneer. "We know dat your weakness is folks havin' fun…" He turned to the others, continuing, "...so boys, don't be enjoyin' yaself out dere too much. Ya may give dis lug a heart attack."

Steve decided not to dignify the delinquent with a response, taking a deep breath, "We need team cohesion…" He glanced back over at the chortling Morgrem, "That may be too big of a word for you, but that means we need to work together in order to function properly."

Martin rolled his eyes, folding his arms.

"Look, all I'm asking is for you all to not embarrass me and put forth as much effort as you can," Steve explained, feeling like he wasn't going to make any progress. "We need to act like we actually care…"

His eyes went over to Nick as he said that, but neither of them said anything. Clearing his throat once again, he replied, "Now… That's all I wanted to say. Does anyone have anything they wish to add?"

Martin prepared to open his mouth. "Something that's productive!" Steve immediately shot down.

The Morgrem huffed. In his mind, Steve was really out of his depth and proving his point. As Nick got to his feet, still having Tate and Lexico on his head, he stated, "Also, remember that this is just a game and there's no need to be so aggressive or hostile to each other. It's a competition, but at the same time we're here for a cool experience, right?"

Martin stifled a laugh, "Dis experience ain't gonna cool since Victini ain't in charge anymore. It's just gonna be basic and borin' as hell."

Rane saw Steve's eye twitch and let out a soft sigh. Once again, it was a swing and a miss. Eventually, all of the guys vacated the Cannon Pokémon's room, knowing that he was likely going to blow a gasket if Martin continued. They all needed to get some shut-eye anyway, as they needed to be ready for what this competition had to offer.

000

Rane simply held his head before taking a breath. He simply looked around at the scenery before picking up a flower.

000

Reshiram and Zekrom were sleeping comfortably in their room. The Deep Black Pokémon held his pure white dragoness close to him, with her cuddled against his neck. The couple truly loved and cared for each other, and honestly didn't want to move from this position until their usual time. However, with their new roles as hosts, that desire would have to be put on hold.

BE-BE-BEEP… BE-BE-BEEP… BE-BE-BEEP….

The beeping of their newly-set alarm caused the pair to stir in their sleep. Eventually, Zekrom's red eyes slowly opened and he reached his arm over to stop the clock. He let out a soft sigh as the Vast White Pokémon resting against him slowly opened her own ocean blue eyes, meeting his.

"Well… Looks like we're actually starting today," Zekrom said a bit hoarsely.

Reshiram let out a soft breath, nuzzling her head against his neck momentarily as he rubbed her back before sitting up. "Hopefully things go smoothly," she commented as her husband sat up as well. "We managed the introduction well enough, so let's see how well the rest of this season turns out."

Zekrom nodded in agreement before the two of them shared a kiss. "I love you," she cooed.

"Love you, too, sweetie," Zekrom returned before they shared another kiss, though this one was briefer.

The couple rose from their bed, with Reshiram briefly deciding to make it, or at least make it look neat, before they left. Once it looked presentable, they proceeded out of their room to start their typical routine, hands locked. It was earlier than they would usually emerge from their room, so the few other Legendaries that were already up and about were surprised to see them.

"What are you two doing out here so early?" Raikou inquired, passing by the kitchen. "We usually don't even get a glimpse of you until a couple hours past noon."

"Well, let's just say that there's been a new development, so you may start seeing us earlier on some days," Zekrom explained cryptically.

The Thunder Pokémon nodded, deciding not to prod further. He didn't care that much anyhow, he was just surprised to see the pair out and about at this time of day.

The couple proceeded into the showers, where they approached their respective cubicles. As the water began spraying down upon each of them, Reshiram posed a question to her husband, "Do you believe we'll get any enjoyment out of this?"

Zekrom let out a sigh as he scrubbed under his arms with the soap, "I'm not sure. At most, I think I currently feel a bit of… apathy, but that could change depending on how the players behave. Given how some of those guys acted, though…" He let out another sigh while shaking his head.

Reshiram nodded in understanding as she combed her fur with her claws. Some of the guys that Victini picked for the show seemed to have very negative traits, likely to spur more drama. However, the dragoness was hopeful that they all wouldn't remain the same way throughout the competition.

"Well, the males could end up being a rowdy bunch," Reshiram reasoned. "He did say that he wanted us to do an all-girl season as well, so maybe if this season doesn't sit well, that one will. We'll have a bit more experience by then."

Zekrom nodded back in agreement. "I'm just worried that Victini will try to spin something to try and lock us into doing this more often if things do wind up going well," he explained.

"Well, he has no legitimate control over us," Reshiram countered. "If we say we're done, we're done. He seems fine with that."

"...for the moment," Zekrom added, his distrust of the rabbit truly showing. Given the Victory Pokémon's reputation, he wasn't holding his breath.

"Well, we'll just cross that bridge when we get to it, won't we?" Reshiram responded, delicately caressing the side of her husband's face.

Zekrom gave her a small smile before kissing her hand.

-000-

After their shower, the pair went straight to the kitchen. Hardly anybody in the hall knew how to cook or really cared to cook aside from a few of the Psychic-types and Reshiram. When it came to cooking in general, Reshiram was considered one of the best. As Reshiram donned an apron, Zekrom opened the much larger fridge to take out a carton of eggs and a package of bacon.

"Same way?" Reshiram inquired as Zekrom placed the uncooked items next to her.

"Um… You can do them over-medium this time around if you want, I don't mind," he answered, grabbing one of the many loaves of bread from the large pantry.

Reshiram nodded back as she took out of one the large pans. As she turned on the stove, Zekrom began putting slices of bread into the toaster.

Suddenly, Victini floated into the kitchen, a smile on his face. "Hey, just the pair I wanted to see," he greeted. "Are you guys ready for your first day as true hosts?"

The couple exchanged looks, with Zekrom answering, "As ready as we can be."

"Good," he responded flatly. He seemed to have a certain glint in his eyes that didn't go unnoticed by Reshiram. "Now, just one thing before you begin…" he began. "If you'd come out really quick, I'd like you both to meet somebody."

The pair exchanged looks of unease before begrudgingly following the Victory Pokémon out of the kitchen.

Once they were out, Victini stopped next to something that was covered by a white bed sheet. The couple stared at it momentarily before looking to the Victory Pokemon for an explanation.

He began, "Now, our shows usually have Zahku to handle any crazy physical or mystical tasks that we don't feel like doing ourselves…"

Reshiram folded her arms, as Zekrom gave him a glazed look. They really wanted him to cut to the chase.

"...so," Victini continued. He yanked off the bed sheet, revealing what appeared to be a robotic Hariyama. Its large hands were detached from its body and there appeared to be LED screens around its waist and on the palms of said large hands. "Meet… Ahku!"

The couple stared at the creature before them. It was very still, presumably asleep. Zekrom looked at the Victory Pokémon with contempt. "What did you do?" he inquired, giving him an accusatory glare. "Why is there a Paradox Pokémon here?"

"Well, with Miraidon and Koraidon here now, Mewtwo and Deoxys became even more curious about time travel," Victini began. "They started experimenting more and brought a bunch of these guys here for examination. I just uh… borrowed the Iron Hands from them."

"So… We're going to be using an Iron Hands as our 'assistant'?" Reshiram rhetorically asked.

"Yep," the Victory Pokémon confirmed. "I think he has the same weird strength and abilities as the real Zahku, but who knows? Regardless, he's yours now, so have fun."

As Victini left the Paradox Pokémon with the hosts, Zekrom let out a sigh. "You've gotta be kidding me…" he groused, holding his head.

Reshiram rubbed his back to comfort him, understanding his frustration. "Well, hopefully this winds up being a positive for us," the Vast White Pokémon commented, pecking him on the cheek.

The Iron Hands, 'Ahku', suddenly sprang to life, the LED screens turning a bright yellow. Its tone robotic, yet cordial, it inquired, "How may I be of service?"

The couple exchanged looks, not sure of what to make of their new assistant.

000

Back on the island, one of the guys was just now beginning to awaken from his slumber. Martin groaned to himself as he sat up in his bed, rubbing his tired eyes.

Today was the day. His first actual day of being a part of a Total Pokémon competition. He couldn't lie, his excitement was pretty limited at the moment. With this sorry group that he was stuck with, and the lack of Victini involvement, he wasn't sure if he would truly enjoy himself.

It was a pretty common opinion that this series in particular was going downhill after Victini started leaving, Mew actually started trying to be 'fair', and they started bringing in new hosts. However, he still held out hope that there would be a return to form at some point. He didn't know when, but he was hoping that it was soon.

He climbed out of bed and started heading out. While he wasn't a breakfast person most of the time, he knew that, in this competition, it was better to eat as much as you could in order to have enough energy to make it through the challenges.

Going downstairs, he saw that the living room couch was occupied by Steve, Stain, and Morris, who all appeared to be watching the news. He didn't feel like speaking to any of them, especially Steve, and it seemed like the feeling was mutual, as none of them even acknowledged him as he walked by.

After rolling his eyes, he saw that the front door was open, and caught a glimpse of Roy and Travis entering the Mess Hall. The Morgrem had prepared to fix himself a bowl of cereal to avoid having to leave the house just yet. However, after seeing the two guys departing from the house, he had a feeling that everyone else was at the Mess Hall as well.

Not wanting to stay in the house with the three grouches, he decided to follow the group and head out as well. As he exited, he heard Stain belch before shouting, "Hey, shut the door behind ya!"

The Devious Pokémon ignored the Muk's request, even opening the door wider as he made his exit.

000

"Some of dese bozos are just beggin' to be booted out early," Martin huffed with a chortle. "Buncha losers…"

000

Martin entered the Mess Hall with a sneer on his face. "So… is everyone ready for dey first day of pain?" he inquired, rubbing his hands together eagerly.

Some of the others inside of the Mess Hall either exchanged looks or ignored the imp's question. However, Simon responded, "I mean, I'm sure all of us have already experienced some sort of pain before, so…"

Martin rolled his eyes with a scoff as he took a seat on one of the vacant tables, "You'll see what happens when dis game truly starts…"

"Okay, are you always like this?" Lee deadpanned, growing annoyed by his fear mongering. "One of my friends competed in one of these shows before and he was just fine, so why do you keep trying to act like this will be some deadly contest?"

Martin stifled a laugh, "Well, obviously ya friend went to one-a dem sissified versions. Usually dese shows have a lotta painful challenges, some of dem has folks actually dyin' but den bein' being brought back to life, folks gettin' abused and sexed up by each otha'… It was all good and fun to watch dose blowhards get messed up."

"Ugh…" Travis groaned. "Don't remind me of the fact that some people get laid on these shows. That's one of the reasons I applied in the first place."

"To get laid?" Nick questioned in confusion. That sounded like a pretty shallow reason to apply, especially given the Electivire's apparent status. "Don't frat guys usually get the girls anyway?"

"Yeah, but lately there's been this whole thing spread about jocks just being assholes and how girls should be going for the puny nerds since they'll be the ones getting rich or whatever…" the Electivire bitterly explained with a huff. "It's been making shit harder… and not in a good way."

Rane looked toward one of the cameras with a stoic expression after hearing that. What was wrong with these people?

"Well, they're not wrong, stereotype-wise," Simen explained. "Typically, the jocks and frat guys act as jerks to those that they deem less powerful or masculine because they don't share the typical interests catered to their specific gender, so-"

Seeing the look the Voltorb was getting from the Electivire, KG covered the Sphere Pokémon's 'mouth' and shook his head, signaling for him to stop.

"Well, technically you could still get laid here," Roy said, deciding to chime in. "It's just uh… Not very likely."

"I mean, dere is a twink…" Martin commented, gesturing to Lee.

The Boltund huffed in offense. "FYI, I've got a boyfriend, so I'm off limits. Don't even try it," he growled.

Travis cocked a brow upon hearing that. He'd assumed that the Dog Pokémon was single, but hearing that he was actually already in a relationship calmed his nerves ever so slightly.

000

Huh… I honestly thought he was single and just gonna be out here flaunting himself around," Travis commented.

"Still uncomfortable, but at least I know that I'll be alright. At least I hope…"

000

Soon enough, Reshiram and Zekrom arrived at the island, with the latter having to carry Ahku in his arms. Landing in the middle of the campgrounds, Zekrom approached the flagpole, while Reshiram and Ahku approached the Mess Hall.

"ATTENTION COMPETITORS!" Zekrom's voice bellowed from the loudspeaker. "PLEASE REPORT TO THE MESS HALL FOR BREAKFAST AND INFORMATION REGARDING TODAY'S CHALLENGES! I REPEAT, PLEASE REPORT TO THE MESS HALL!"

Once he was done, the Deep Black Pokémon headed toward the Mess Hall, glancing at the Sausage Link on his way. Upon entering, he saw that the majority of the males were already there, surprising him. "Oh… Did I just waste my time out there?"

"No, there are still a few stragglers," Reshiram replied, her eyes scanning the vicinity.

There was a brief moment of silence before someone else spoke up. "So, uh… Is either of yous gonna explain da tin can 'ere?" Martin inquired, gesturing to Ahku.

"All will be explained once everyone is here," Reshiram answered with a simple nod.

Moments later, Steve, Morris, and Stain entered the Mess Hall, the Toucannon throwing a dirty look at Martin as he made his way to the back.

"Okay, now that you all are here-" Zekrom began.

"Wait, what about Dale?" Nick interrupted, raising a wing.

"We'll fill him in once we're finished with you all," the Deep Black Pokemon answered. The couple still needed to come up with a solution to the Wailord's problem, so at the moment, they would just make two separate trips.

Clearing her throat, Reshiram began, "Now, firstly… Good morning. We hope that you all slept well…"

"I've slept better," Stain groused with a low belch. "The beds suck ass, but they function, I guess."

Ignoring the Muk's complaint, Reshiram continued, "Well, today is the day the game truly begins, so be prepared."

"The first challenge will take place on the beach in one hour," Zekrom disclosed. "For now, enjoy your breakfast and we'll see you all there."

The couple and Ahku had prepared to leave, but Simen spoke up, pointing out, "Uh… You still didn't explain the robot next to you."

"And what breakfast?" Roy inquired. "We've been sitting here for almost half-an-hour and there's nothing here."

A sudden whistle got the players' attention as they turned around and saw Morris standing next to the, initially closed, Mess Hall window. There were multiple to-go boxes sitting on the sill.

Seeing this, Lee huffed, commenting, "That explains why I smelled food, but didn't see any."

"Wait… So the food was here the whole time?!" Travis exclaimed.

"You bozos didn't think to open the damn thing?" Stain countered. Surely, if they all had smelled food in the building, they would investigate, right?

"Well, regardless of how or when the food was discovered, it's there," Zekrom stated, not wanting the conversation to drag on. "Note to self: Next time, just leave the window open," he mumbled to himself.

"As for our extra guest…" Reshiram began, preparing the address the other subject. "This is Ahku. He will be our special helper for the season."

Martin burst out laughing upon hearing the explanation. "Okay, dis is just pathetic. So yous went and got a robo-Hariyama to try and copy da lug dat's on Victini's show?" he jeered.

"For your information, Martin… Victini is the one who gave him to us," Zekrom countered, folding his arms. "So, this was his idea. If you've got a problem, you'd have to take it up with him."

Martin calmed himself down upon hearing that. If it was a Victini-sanctioned inclusion, who was he to complain about it? It still sounded ridiculous, but maybe it could work.

"My inclusion will not be a detriment," the Iron Hands stated in his same tone.

"Now, once again, we'll see you all at the beach in an hour," Zekrom concluded.

The pair made their exit, with Ahku following suit, leaving the guys to their own devices once again. Unlike the previous night, instead of staying in the Mess Hall, many of the guys took their boxes and left the building.

000

Lee, KG, and Simen had decided to stick around in the Mess Hall. Opening his breakfast box, Lee saw that their breakfast consisted of hashbrowns, boiled eggs, three slices of ham, and apple slices.

"Well… Certainly not your typical balanced breakfast, but… It'll do, I guess," Lee replied, sniffing the food. He looked up and saw that KG was still looking a bit bothered.

He'd noticed it when he and Simen came back to the house last night and tried to ask about it, but got no answer. Now that they were alone again, he asked, "Hey… KG, are you okay?"

The Fuecoco's eyes went to the Boltund before immediately returning back to his hashbrowns. Simen, having not disclosed anything last night to avoid causing any discourse in the crowded house, let out a sigh. "Um… Well, I'm gonna be honest. He's not," Simen replied.

"Did something happen last night when you guys were out?" the Dog Pokémon pressed.

"Pedazo de mierda cara de percebe…" the Fire Croc grumbled to himself. He just couldn't get over the interaction with Morris. What had he done aside from being from Paldea?

Lee, understanding Spanish, slowly translated what he managed to make out. "Barnacle… faced… piece of shit?" he recited. Thinking a bit, he did notice that Morris came back to the house not too long before Simen and KG returned. "Did something happen with Morris?"

With the pieces now put together, Simen explained, "Well… If you count being pretty hostile and essentially being uh… negative toward KG for being from Paldea-"

"He's racist!" KG growled, slamming a fist down. "Don't try to sugarcoat it, vato!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… Slow down…" Lee replied, stunned by the sudden burst of emotion from the Fuecoco. "What happened? What was said?"

"Lee, we were at the art place, right?" KG began explaining. "Just looking at the stuff and talking about how things will be in the game…"

"Okay…" the Dog Pokémon replied, urging him to go on as he took a bite of ham.

"Then he randomly comes up, questions us, and tells us to come back to the house like he's our babysitter or something," the Fuecoco continued. "Then, as soon as I say something, he says like 'I wasn't talking to you Paldean'."

Lee's eyes widened in bewilderment. "What?!" he exclaimed. With the way KG was describing it, it definitely sounded hostile.

"Exactly!" KG replied. "It just pissed me off and just… Ugh."

"As it should. Who the hell does he think he is?" Lee barked.

000

"My friends and I already have to deal with homophobic jackasses on a regular basis, though luckily we're able to kick their asses majority of the time," Lee explained. "But racists? Regionalists? Whatever the correct term is? That's just as, if not more, scummy."

000

Simen still wanted to give Morris the benefit of the doubt, as he truly didn't want to think that he was discriminatory. Why would he be racist toward Paldean Pokémon in particular? It just didn't make a lot of sense to him, but knowing how hurt KG was, he decided to stay silent. He didn't support what was said either way, but he didn't want to force a label if he didn't feel it was 100% true.

Lee huffed, "Well, we'll have to see how this first challenge goes, but if we lose… I know who I'm voting for."

"Sí…" KG concurred.

Despite the circumstances, Simen actually lit up internally upon hearing that. "So… Is the alliance idea we talked about a go?" he awkwardly inquired.

"Alliance idea?" Lee repeated, cocking a brow in interest.

000

Having managed to finish his breakfast rather quickly, Rane decided to head to the gym to get an early workout in before the challenge. He didn't know what the challenge would be, but he was going to be ready for whatever they threw at him.

Entering the rustic building, the Golisopod saw a TV monitor hanging on the back wall. There were blue mats stacked up in the back left corner and a couple of gray exercise balls sat in the back right corner. The left wall was covered in mirrors and had miniature dumbbells sitting in a stand in front of them. The opposite side had three elliptical machines lined up next to each other. A plastic bin was sitting next to the entrance and contained multiple jump ropes.

There were a couple of other doors in the middle of the room. The left door had 'SAUNA' written above it, while the right door didn't have any kind of label. Deciding to peek inside, Rane saw that it was just another section of the gym. He saw treadmills, larger weights, cable bars, a chest press, and a couple of other machines that would aid them in building up muscle. He saw that that room had yet another door inside of it, and he went to investigate.

Opening that door, he saw that it simply led to a large battlefield. There wasn't much else to it, it was just a pretty standard battlefield. He decided to head back to the front and try to get started on some of the miniature dumbbells.

Returning to the front, he saw that there was now someone else in the gym with him. The television was turned on and had some sort of hip-hop music video playing, and he saw that Travis was lifting a few of the dumbbells with a smile on his face.

His empty breakfast box was just strewn on the ground, and he was grunting with every lift. Rane twitched a bit before taking a deep breath.

Travis finally noticed the Golisopod standing there and chuckled, "Yoo! Bro, this place is fucking dope. It's like an old cabin, but still a gym. This is cool as hell! And they have TV in here, too!?"

Rane just looked at him with a blank stare as he continued to before turning to walk back into the other room.

"Uh… Good talk?" Travis responded before he started dancing along to the music that he had playing.

000

Rane sat on the stump while rubbing his temples, grumbling to himself.

000

"I've seen guys like the Golisopod bro a lot," Travis explained, stretching. "They don't really talk much and are just all about action. Doesn't really bother me…"

000

"Yeah… Steve looked like he was about to snap Martin's neck in that meeting last night," Nick explained to Dale.

The Eiscue, Unown, and Pincurchin had made their way to the beach to chat up Dale again and let him know what went down in his absence.

Upon hearing what Nick said, Dale let out a sigh, "Y'know, I'm not that surprised. At least he was trying to be uplifting in his own… aggressive way."

"Little dude says that it depends on what you mean by uplifting. It was more like he warned us not to bruise his ego," Nick explained, with Lexico giving him a look.

"Hey, it could be that, too," Dale agreed. "Either way, we just have to hope that we manage to win this challenge. If we don't, well… Martin goes."

"Yeah, when we were at the Mess Hall earlier, the dude was still going on about how this competition is gonna be super gnarly and stuff and explaining how some other shows have had bad stuff happen," Nick explained. "It was becoming a bit of a bummer, so you were probably right about him being… uh…?"

"Deranged," Tate chimed in.

"Yeah, that," Nick confirmed.

"Well, I'm glad we're on the same page," the Wailord replied before letting out a deep sigh. Wanting to change the subject, he posed a question, "So, how was you guys' breakfast?"

"Oh, well… it was just hashbrowns, eggs, ham, and fruit," Nick answered with a shrug. "I mainly just ate the fruit and hashbrowns. I like fish more than ham… and eggs aren't my thing."

"Fruit," Tate chirped.

Having heard the emphasis in his question, Nick asked, "Why? Was your breakfast different?"

"Eh, I just wound up eating some Wishiwashi that I saw swimming by," the Wailord explained with a hefty sigh. "I doubt that I'd even really taste or experience any real flavors from the food that you guys eat. It can be a bit upsetting at times, but… I'm a big boy. I have to handle it."

"Hmm…" Nick stared down at his breakfast box. As he stated, he'd only eaten the fruit and hashbrowns, so there was still ham and eggs left. He knew what Dale had just said, but he wanted to be nice and see if he could actually experience the flavors of the food.

He got to his feet, picking up his box and opening it up, tearing off the lid. "Hey, Dale! Open up a bit!"

"Hmm?" Dale inquired. "Why?"

"Trust me, bro!" Nick responded.

The Wailord opened his mouth slightly, allowing the Penguin Pokémon to approach. He dumped the remaining bit of food from his box into Dale's mouth before backing away. Once the food entered his mouth, Dale sat in silence for a moment before closing his mouth.

Verdict?" Tate asked.

Dale had let the food linger in his mouth for a while to see if he would actually taste anything. When it came to Wishiwashi and other smaller fish, he could taste them slightly due to the large quantity he ingested at a time. Smaller quantities of food tended to not really do much for him. However, this seemed to be an exception. "Huh… not bad," Dale commented, having swallowed it as soon as he closed his mouth. "I could actually taste it."

"Heeey! I call that a win," Nick beamed, clapping his wings.

"So, now what do we do? We've got an hour until we have our first challenge," Dale inquired. "I don't even know if I'll be able to contribute."

"We'll figure something out," Nick reassured him, patting the side of his face. "For now, let's just chill in the sun's rays and wait 'til we're ready to kick some butt."

The Eiscue lay on his back with a sigh, with both Tate and Lexico exchanging looks.

000

Over half-an-hour passed; it was almost time to begin. Back in the Sausage Link, Morris, Steve, and Stain were still sitting on the couch. However, by that time they were joined by Roy and Martin. Instead of watching the news like they were earlier, Stain had taken over and decided to put on a channel that was showing a different competition show. This one appeared to take place on another island, and had an Armarouge and a Ceruledge as hosts.

"This is just more proof that this is a straight male genocide for these competition shows," the Muk burped. "Look at this shit… I just know it's gonna be garbage and another rigged female win."

Morris rolled his eyes. He had already heard Stain's dumb conspiracy yesterday, and he didn't need nor want to hear it again.

"Uh… I dunno. They seem alright to me," Roy commented. "And what do you mean rigged female win? I didn't think these shows could be rigged without someone getting sued."

"Of course you'd think it's alright, noob," Martin chortled. "I'm fine with da eye candy, but I can agree with dis lug dat female hosts make shows worse. As for da rigging shit… Meh, I don't really care if it is or isn't."

"Not to mention they cast pathetic beta males who just happen to be species that would normally be intimidating," Stain continued, changing the subject of his rant. As a Noivern came on the screen, he commented, "See, my point exactly. A 'fairy-type' Noivern. How shocking…"

Steve twitched a bit at the Sludge Pokémon's commentary. He let out a low growl, "How about we change the channel back to the news where it belongs?"

"Yeah, let's change the channel," Stain responded mockingly. The channel flipped, showing a different competition show, this time showing a Hydreigon blushing after seeing a Charizard enter a room. "Oh look, more bussy bandits and they're strong-looking dragons. Totally not an anti-alpha male agenda…"

Steve squawked, snatching the remote and turning the television back to the news. "No more of that!"

Stain huffed, "You're lucky I respect your authority as an alpha, or I would have done something…"

Steve tightened his glare at the pile of ooze. He really had no tolerance for discrimination. He may be a hardass, but he still had a heart.

Martin snickered at the Toucannon's reaction, "Like I said, yous is just anti-fun."

"Eh… Ain't nothin' really fun 'bout throwin' slurs and negative insults around," Morris replied flatly, his irritation with the gremlin still alive and well. "Dem ladies hostin' shows is fine, and gay folk are… alright, too. 'Slong as they ain't too much."

"Again, yous don't get t'make comments when yous treated folks like dey was lesser den yous as soon as we all got here," the Devious Pokémon countered.

Morris rolled his eyes once again.

Martin then turned to Steve, "And I dunno why yous is acting like you're above insults when I just know yous has made fun o' all of us."

Steve remained silent at that, not wanting to give the Morgrem any attention. In his head, he was just hoping that they would call them down soon. He just needed something, anything, to get him out of this conversation.

"Well… This is getting uncomfortable," Roy grunted, beginning to scoot forward.

"ATTENTION PLAYERS! PLEASE REPORT TO THE BEACH! IT'S CHALLENGE TIME!"

"Thank Arceus…" Steve muttered to himself, immediately flying toward the door. The other guys slowly followed suit, making their way to the challenge location.

000

"Alright, first challenge… Let's get this party started," Travis confidently stated, cracking his knuckles.

000

Upon arriving back at the beach, or simply walking further down in Nick, Tate, Lexico, and Dale's cases, the guys all set their eyes upon a rather simple challenge set up. A large arena had been created by laying down concrete slabs in a rectangular shape. Inside of the arena were two large poles that were set about twenty feet apart from each other. And… that was it. Aside from the two poles, the only other things occupying the arena were the grains of sand already occupying the beach.

Zekrom and Reshiram stood to the side as all of the contestants approached them. Once they were all settled, the Deep Black Pokémon began, "Welcome to your first challenge of the day."

Seeing the setup, Travis droned, "Uh… I think you guys are missing a few extra pieces. I mean… Those are just po-."

"Let them explain the challenge before you start complaining!" Steve interjected with a stern glare, startling the Electivire once again.

"Uh… T-Thank you for that, Steve," Reshiram faltered before deciding to take over the explanation part. She expounded, "For you guys' first challenge, we've decided to be a bit easy on you. This first challenge is called 'Get a Grip'."

000

"Mother of Arceus, they're namin' da challenges…" Martin groused, holding his head in disbelief. "This is gonna be worse den I thought."

000

"One person from each team will have to cling to that pole while two others from the opposite team will try to pry them off and pull them out of the arena," the dragoness explained. "The first pair to get their target off of the pole and out of the arena earns their team a point. The first team to three points will win an advantage in the second challenge."

Once the explanation was done, a few looks of confusion and disappointment spread across the guys' faces. Some of the guys didn't really care and were actually relieved that the challenge wasn't too wild, while others were put off by the overall simplistic and dull nature of it.

"So… our first challenge… is draggin' someone off a pole and out of a square lined wit' concrete?" Morris simplified with a stoic expression.

"Yes," Zekrom responded in a serious tone. "As stated, we've decided to take it easy on you here, as we know that other shows immediately jump into the extremes and-"

"Dat's what makes 'em fun!" Martin exclaimed in frustration, rubbing his face. "Please don't tell me all da challenges are gonna be dis baby-fied…"

"Yeah, I mean… There's no girls here," Travis commented. "No need to dial down anything…"

Deciding to ignore the complaints, the hosts decided to carry on. "Pick your representatives and we'll get started with the first round," Reshiram instructed.

Despite the disappointment of a few of the guys, the teams split up to make their decisions.

-000-

"Ugh… I can't believe that this is what we're doing first," Travis grumbled.

"Like I said, everything's being sissifi-"

The Muk was cut off by Morris. "Shut it! Dear Arceus above, not everythin' is a doggone conspiracy. Now, I don't care for this challenge either, but we still need to win it. So, who wants to volunteer?"

There was a bit of silence for a few seconds as the guys just exchanged looks, expecting someone to say something. I mean, the challenge didn't seem that hard, considering that a few of them were complaining about how it wasn't extreme enough. Eventually, Simen decided to speak up, offering, "Well, I volunteer Roy."

"Wait, what?" the Throh inquired in confusion. "I don't think that's how volunteering works, Simen."

"Well, I don't think it's volunteering in this case, but rather being 'volun-told'," Lee chimed in.

"You're our only Fighting-type and your species is used to holding things tight and throwing them," the Voltorb expounded. "In this case, you just have to hold on, so I think we'll have a good chance."

"That's… actually a pretty good point," Travis admitted, wagging his finger in agreement.

"The name o' the game is t' get the other team's player off their pole and out the arena," Morris reminded them. "If Roy's on the pole, then I guess Travis and I can do the yankin'."

"Pause," Travis instinctively stated, earning him a look from Lee.

000

Lee simply stared at the camera with a blank expression before letting out a sigh.

000

"Well… Uh… This could be a problem," Dale commented, trying to keep his voice low.

Martin huffed, "Yous is tellin' me. Years of applyin' t' get on one-a dese shows and dis is what dey got us doin'?!" He just couldn't believe how the game was starting for him.

"Not that," the Wailord refuted, disregarding the Morgrem's feelings. "Rane is likely our strongest guy, right?"

"Hm…" Nick glanced around, eyeing the rest of their teammates before looking at himself. "Yep, sounds about right."

Steve face-winged himself. It was such an obvious answer; why was that necessary? Wanting to cut to the chase, he pressed, "What are you getting at, Dale?"

"Well… Do we use Rane as a puller or a gripper?" the Float Whale Pokémon posed.

That was a valid question, as either role would be beneficial, regardless. The main issue would be who and where the other two participants would fit in that would maximize their chances.

"I mean, I think dat's up to da lug himself," Martin stated, his arms folded.

All eyes went to the Golisopod in question. Seeing this, Rane shrugged his shoulders in response, not really caring about where he was placed.

"Okay, so he doesn't care about where he goes," Steve responded. "So, I propose that we just have him be one of the people pulling the other team's guy off of the pole. It would be a lot faster that way."

There were seemingly no objections to that idea at first. To them, it made sense. However, Nick suddenly spoke up, relaying, "Little dude says that we should have Rane be on the pole instead."

Steve glowered at the Eiscue, annoyed by the opposition. "And why is that? Either way, he'll be a big help, so why would we waste time when we have a chance to end the round faster?"

After a few seconds, Nick replied, "He says that Rane being on the pole is better because he's strong and has so many scales. It could be harder for them to grab him and pull him all the way out of the arena."

Steve took a sharp breath. "Yeah… Which is why I mentioned us wasting time," he replied. He understood what the Unown was getting at, but it didn't make too much sense to him. "Given our options, it's more than likely going to be me and either you or the delinquent trying to force one of those other brutes off of their pole. It'll just end up being deadlocked."

Martin stifled a laugh at what he was hearing, "So, are yous saying yous is weaker den da bozos on da otha' side? Wow… So much for Mr. Tough-Guy Sergeant over 'ere."

The Toucannon immediately got in the Morgrem's face, giving him a death glare. The Devious Pokémon was skating on very thin ice already, but insinuating that the Toucannon was weak? Definitely a no-go. "I didn't say a damn thing about being weaker, now did I? I said a deadlock…" Steve seethed.

Martin was unbothered, teasing, "Still no confidence…"

"Hey, hey, come on guys, we don't have time to argue," Dale spoke up. How was he, the one who couldn't even participate, being the most reasonable at that moment? "Rane's gonna go and Steve is gonna go. Martin, Nick, which of you is going?"

After a moment, Martin huffed, backing away and turning around. "I ain't gonna be blamed if shit hits da fan 'dis round, so Nick can go with da dictator…"

The Eiscue's eyes widened as he saw the Toucannon turn toward him with a glare. "I… uh…"

"Time's up, players!"

000

Nick let out a sigh, "Crud…"

000

Once everything was settled, or at least mostly settled, all of the players got into their positions for the challenge. Two players from each team were standing on the side of the arena opposite the poles, with the remaining players clinging to said poles.

"Alright, for the Mighty Machamps… Morris and Travis will be trying to get Rane off of his team's pole, and for the Candid Conkeldurrs… Steve and Nick will be trying to get Roy off of his team's pole!" Reshiram announced. "Remember, first pair to get their target out of the arena gets a point."

"In three… two… one… GO!" Zekrom exclaimed.

-000-

The four guys all rushed toward the poles, kicking up sand behind them.

Rane had his eyes closed and had his multiple arms locked around the pole. Morris immediately attempted to pry the Golisopod's largest arms off of the pole, but was having trouble doing so. Travis had grabbed a hold of the scales protruding from his back and was trying to yank him off of the pole, but due to their subtle weight difference, the Hard Scale Pokémon wasn't budging even an inch.

Roy, however, braced himself as the two birds approached him. There had been no limits set on whether they could use their moves or not, so Steve immediately started pecking at the Throh's arms in an attempt to weaken them, while Nick was trying to pull Roy off of the pole from behind.

"Hey! Steve's pecking!" Simen called out.

"We never said that it wasn't allowed," Zekrom responded. "At most, we will say that you cannot use any special moves to assist you."

With this new stipulation, Steve started smacking at the Judo Pokémon's arms with his wings. Roy began wincing at the heavy blows from the trained Toucannon. He tried hugging the pole tighter, but the consistent blows at the same spots were starting to weigh on him.

Rane was still hanging on relatively well despite the added rule. Morris had momentarily stopped trying to physically pry his arms off and instead glowed a blue color, gray stones beginning to swirl around him. Grabbing one of the stones, he started to stab at Rane's large arms.

Travis had begun using Thunder Punch on Rane's back in an attempt to weaken him. The Golisopod still had his eyes closed, though he clenched them tighter as the attacks continued. Growing irritated, his eyes suddenly popped open as a large blade of water suddenly formed between his arms while he held the pole.

With a mighty swing of his right arm, he struck Morris with the blade, sending him flying into the brush behind him. He didn't even really bother to do much with Travis, simply elbowing him in the stomach hard enough to send him to his knees.

"Ugh…" the Thunderbolt Pokémon groaned, holding his stomach. "Damn it…"

"Well, looks like Rane has discovered that fighting back is also a valid option within the parameters," Reshiram commented.

"Wh- You didn't tell us all dat!" Martin groused. "Dis may actually be fun as hell in dat case."

"Guess it goes to show you can't judge a book by its cover," Lee chuckled, relishing in his teammates' injuries.

"'Atta boy!" Steve called with a laugh as he continued smacking the Throh with his wings.

Now knowing that he could defend himself, Roy's body glowed a bright orange as he took the blows. Eventually, he unleashed a burst of energy, knocking Nick back, while Steve narrowly avoided it. The Toucannon rolled his eyes upon seeing Nick being knocked back before delivering a smack to Roy's head with his wing, which actually disoriented him a bit.

Taking this opportunity, Steve used his talons to grab the Judo Pokémon's shoulders and drag him away from the pole. Roy tried to fight back, swatting at Steve to get him to let go. However, the Cannon Pokémon managed to drag him out of the arena.

"And the Candid Conkeldurrs earn the first point!" Reshiram announced.

Martin, Nick, and Dale cheered, while Steve wore a proud smirk. Tate and Lexico didn't react as much; Rane unleashed his grip on the pole, getting to his feet as Morris emerged from the foliage with an irritated expression.

Seeing the other team cheering a bit, Morris huffed as he stared down at Travis, who was still slowly getting to his feet. He rolled his eyes before heading to the sidelines.

"Alright, the Conkeldurrs lead: one to zip," Zekrom recapped. "Next groups…"

000

"That was a lot more engaging than I thought it'd be," Steve commented with a chuckle. "Now that we know we can use moves and fight back… I think I have a leg up if I go on the pole next."

000

"Alright, next round," Zekrom announced. "On the poles, we have Steve for the Conkeldurrs and Morris for the Machamps!"

Steve had locked his legs and wings around the pole, though his wings' grip appeared to be loose. Morris, meanwhile, had his entire body pressed against the pole as hard as he could. They may have lost the first round, but he was going to make sure that they won this one. He had his own idea.

"And trying to pry them off…" the Deep Black Pokémon continued. "We've got Rane and Martin for the Conkeldurrs and Lee and KG for the Machamps!"

000

KG sighed, holding his head, "Travis was still holding his stomach, and Roy got his culo handed to him by Steve. Our options were obviously limited…"

000

"Alright… In three, two, one… GO!" Zekrom directed.

As the four guys rushed toward the two on the poles, Steve smirked to himself as his beak slowly started to change colors. As Lee and KG approached and the Boltund tried to grab a hold of the Toucannon's leg, he felt a searing pain wash over his body as he immediately let go.

"What the hell!?" Lee exclaimed as a red aura surrounded his body and he winced, flames flickering from his body. "Y-You bur-"

His eyes widened as he realized what the Cannon Pokémon was doing. "Shit…"

KG grunted as he tried to pull the Toucannon off of the pole, with minimal luck. Steve's beak was still slowly changing color, getting redder and redder. "KG, he's about to use Beak Blast!" Lee warned.

Hearing that, KG chuckled, "No worries, amigo. I'm behind him!"

"Yeah, but-"

Before he could finish, Steve fired the attack at Lee. The Boltund swiftly got on the ground, wincing from the burn as the orange beam passed over him and hit a tree further away.

"Hey! That's a beam move! That's not physical!" Travis called out, his stomach feeling only slightly better.

"Actually, it is," Simen corrected. "Not quite sure why. Possibly because of the effect that the move has if you make contact during its set up."

"What effect?" Roy inquired with a groan, nursing his headache.

Simen gestured to Lee, who was still surrounded in a red aura and struggling to get back up. "Burn…"

While Lee and KG struggled with Steve due to Beak Blast and his general strength, Rane and Martin were having their own issues with Morris. The Barbarcle had used Rock Tomb to surround himself with large boulders to prevent them from getting close.

"Looks like Morris has barricaded himself with rocks in order to keep himself safe," Reshiram commented, watching the scene.

"We have eyes, woman," Stain huffed. "No need for your pointless narration."

Zekrom glared daggers at the Sludge Pokémon, while Reshiram, herself, ignored him. The fluffy dragoness had heard more disrespectful things said back at the hall, so she wasn't really affected by the Muk. She found him immature, but that was the most emotion she was willing to give him.

However, she knew that it was eating at Zekrom already, based on his expression. The Deep Black Pokémon didn't tolerate anyone disrespecting his wife, but while he was tempted to say something, he decided to keep it professional and carry on.

-000-

"Well, dis is stupid…" Martin griped, looking at all of the boulders. He glanced over at the other pole and saw that KG was still trying and failing to pull Steve off of it, while Lee was still on the ground writhing in pain. "At least da bastard can defend himself good. What're we supposed to-"

Rane, without missing a beat, formed yet another blade of water in his large hands. Using Liquidation once again, he slashed one of the boulders, reducing it to rubble. Seeing this, Martin snickered, "Okay, I like yous…"

Rane's action allowed him and Martin immediate access to Morris, who tried to use Rock Tomb again while still clinging to the pole. "Back up! You don't know what I'll throw at ya next, big man! You're still weak t'-"

One of Rane's arms glowed a bright white before he slammed it onto Morris' head mid-sentence, using Brick Break. The Barbaracle immediately lost consciousness, releasing his grip on the pole. Rane showed no real emotion as he hoisted the barnacle monster over his shoulder and started walking out of the arena.

Nearly everyone looked on in surprise, while Stain burst into laughter at the Collective Pokémon's misfortune. The Golisopod sure had a… ruthless attitude.

Martin snickered, "Okay, now I know I definitely like yous…"

000

Steve chortled to himself, "Well… He's definitely going to be a valued member of this team going forward."

000

"Serves him right for refusing to work with me," Stain belched, causing a few flowers to immediately wilt.

000

"Uh… Alright, looks like the Candid Conkeldurrs have earned themselves another point," Reshiram announced, still a bit taken aback by Rane's brutality. "One more round before they take it."

"Bad choice of phrasing, woman," Stain replied, his mind going to a different place. "We know that all you walking holes like to take it."

A few of the guys' eyes widened upon hearing that, but they didn't dare say anything. What could they even say aside from 'What the hell?'. Instead, all eyes went to the hosts.

Zekrom once again threw the Muk a look of immense anger and disapproval. Was this all he was going to do? Try to belittle his wife whenever he felt like it, because she was the only female on the island? He clenched his fists tight before taking a breath. Noticing her husband's demeanor and knowing how serious he could get about her, the Vast White Pokémon began to stroke the side of his face to calm him down.

Once again ignoring the Muk, Reshiram continued, "To make things fair… Since Rane, Morris, and Steve have all acted in both roles, they can no longer participate in this challenge."

"What!?" Steve squawked. "How is that fair?! Look at the team we're stuck with!"

Now a bit calmer, Zekrom countered, "And look at what you and Rane have done by yourselves…"

He gestured to the Mighty Machamps' team, where among all of the guys, Lee was still burned, Morris was groaning in pain, Travis was still rubbing his stomach, and Roy was still holding his head. Simen, KG, and Stain were the only three who hadn't been injured in some way, yet.

Seeing this, Steve smirked to himself, but groaned soon after in understanding. With a huff, he replied, "Fine…"

Rane shrugged his shoulders, taking a seat next to Dale. He did his part, so he was fine with being on the sidelines for the rest of the challenge.

"With that settled, we're gonna go to break," Reshiram said, turning to one of the cameras.

Zekrom took over, his left arm now wrapped around Reshiram's back. "Will the Candid Conkeldurrs be able to perform a sweep? Or will the lack of Rane leave them high and dry? Find out when we return here on Total… Pokémon… Maelstrom!"

000

Returning back to the beach, it appeared that new players had gotten into position for the third round of the challenge.

"And we're back," Zekrom announced, speaking to one of the mini cameras. "Before the break, the Conkeldurrs were leading two to nothing against the Machamps. However, in the following rounds, Rane, Steve, and Morris are not permitted to participate, so we're about to see if their involvement makes much of a difference."

"Alright, third round," Reshiram followed, scanning the scene before her. "On the poles, we have Stain holding on for the Machamps, and Nick holding on for the Conkeldurrs."

Nick was simply holding onto the pole with a sigh, as he was really the only option they had left aside from Martin. And comparing their performances, even though Martin contributed little to nothing, the Penguin Pokemon was definitely better off on the pole.

Stain wore a look of sheer annoyance at his positioning. He didn't want to participate in the challenge at all, mainly out of laziness, but he was essentially forced because of 'strategy'.

000

"As much as Stain doesn't want to be on the pole, he's probably our best bet," Simen explained. "He's a Poison-type, and he could have Poison Touch as his ability, so touching him could poison the other team!"

"Aside from that… I don't think anyone here really wants to touch him anyway," the Sphere Pokémon continued. "Well… besides to hit him, I guess?"

000

"And trying to get those boys off of the poles…" Reshiram continued. "...we've got Roy and KG once again going for the Machamps and Martin and Tate going for the Conkeldurrs. Will this bring new results?"

"We're about to find out," Zekrom answered for her. "In three… two… one… GO!"

-000-

Roy, KG, and Martin rushed toward the poles, while Tate took his time coming over. His species was already small and slow, so he couldn't really move faster if he wanted to.

Martin, being the fastest, reached Stain first and immediately stopped. Being a Dark and Fairy-type, he knew that he was going to have a problem due to Stain's Poison typing. He growled to himself, "Damn it…" he grumbled to himself.

"Bring it on, little man," Stain jeered. The Muk honestly wasn't worried about the Morgrem or Pincurchin. In his mind, they were pathetic and unable to do any real damage.

Martin hesitated, growling to himself. He then looked behind himself and saw Tate still slowly making his way toward him. "Ugh… WILL YOUS HURRY UP!" he complained.

-000-

Roy wrapped his arms around Nick's body. With a rough pull, the Penguin Pokémon was yanked off of the pole, ending up on his back with his legs still wrapped around the pole. "Damn it…" he muttered to himself as he struggled in Roy's grip.

Seeing that the Ice-type's legs were still around the pole, KG began tickling the underside of his feet. The Penguin Pokémon tried to keep his cool and hold strong. His legs were trembling like mad as the Fire Croc continued scratching the soles of his feet. Eventually, Nick's legs jolted apart, giving KG the opportunity to keep them off of the pole.

"Amigo! Now!" he called.

Having his cue, Roy momentarily released Nick before immediately getting up. He picked him up and started dragging him out of the arena, with seemingly no issue.

"And the Machamps earn their first point!" Reshiram announced.

The Machamps on the sidelines cheered on, while Steve groaned, holding his head. He just knew that without him or Rane in the game, they were going to lose. However, given the rules afforded to them, the Toucannon spoke up.

"Okay, so now that they've gone twice too, that means that the croc and ogre can't go again, either, right?" Steve inquired, fishing for a 'yes'. It was only fair. However, it also meant that Nick and Martin couldn't go again, either.

The hosts exchanged looks, with Zekrom confirming, "Yes, that would be correct."

"What?!" Lee griped. "KG didn't go on the pole, though, and you guys said that the other guys were out because they played 'both roles'."

"That is also correct," Zekrom responded with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his snout in frustration as the issue with their stipulations immediately came to life. He and Reshiram really wanted the challenge to be fair for everyone. However, after Rane's dominance in the first two rounds, they knew they would need to even the playing field. Now, with these new rules they've made in order to try and fix the problem, they've only made things a bit worse for both teams.

"Okay, so what is yous bozos gonna do?" Martin questioned. "'Cuz ya can't make everyone who goes twice sit out just so yous can feel like it's all fair an' shit. 'Dat always ends up bitin' ya in da ass."

As much as they hated to admit it, the Morgrem had a point. The challenge would be very uneventful if all of the heavy-hitters ended up sitting out. After exchanging looks, Reshiram gave Zekrom a nod. With a sigh, the Deep Black Pokémon stated, "Okay, given the circumstances, we will be retracting the rules. No matter how many times you have gone, you may continue participating."

"Thank Arceus," Nick sighed, rubbing his icy head. Being man-handled was not something

"Alright, round four," Reshiram announced.

000

Lee winced, still surrounded by a red aura. "Well… ow… This is gonna suck…"

000

The participating players once again got into their chosen spots. With the rule about playing both roles null and void, both teams decided to try to put forth the best combination that would guarantee them a win.

"Alright, for the Machamps… on the pole, we once again have Stain…" Reshiram acknowledged.

"Once again against my will," the Muk groused, his goopy arms wrapped around the pole.

Truth be told, no one else on his team really wanted to touch the pole now that the Muk's stench and ooze were all over it, so he had to stay there by default.

"...and the ones doing the yanking are Travis and Roy," Reshiram concluded. Travis was doing better, and Roy had just shown that he still had some strength in him. Granted, he was up against Nick, but it still counted.

"And on the Conkeldurrs side…" Zekrom introduced. "We have Steve back on the pole, and Rane and Martin once again handling pole yanking duty."

"Okay, y'all are doin' that on purpose ain't ya?" Morris commented, growing irritated by the phrasing from the hosts.

Ignoring him, Zekrom began, "Alright, let's get round four underway. In three… two… one… GO!"

-000-

Travis and Roy rushed toward Steve, while Rane simply walked toward Stain. Martin stretched on the beach before taking a seat in the sand. He wasn't too concerned about having to do anything due to being partnered with Rane once again. "I just wish I had some popcorn fuh 'dis," he chuckled.

Steve decided to utilize the same strategy he'd used before, beginning to heat up his beak. Travis chuckled at the display, cracking his knuckles before commenting, "Ha. Nice trick, but I've dealt with enough burns in my lifetime to the point where I have an immunity…"

Upon hearing that, Roy cocked a brow. "Uh… what?"

Travis grabbed a hold of the Toucannon's legs, only wincing slightly as the effects of the burn started to show. Growling softly, he looked to Roy, who was still keeping his distance.

"Grab him, dude!" the Electivire exclaimed, irritated by the Throh's hesitance.

Steve's beak reached the red and he opened it, firing another beam. This time, due to Travis not paying attention, the attack hit. Luckily, due to him being an Electric-type, the damage wasn't too severe. However, it still stunned him enough to loosen his grip.

"Nice try," the Cannon Pokémon teased, immediately locking his legs back around the pole.

"Roy! Do somethin'!" Morris exclaimed from the sidelines.

"Try it, and I'll knock your head off, boy," the Toucannon threatened, throwing the oni a stern glare as Travis grabbed his legs once again.

-000-

Meanwhile, Rane and Stain were having somewhat of a standoff. The Muk was mumbling on and on about how much of a supreme alpha the Golisopod was and how he wished he was on his team instead. The Golisopod was tuning out everything that was coming from the Sludge Pokémon's mouth. He already knew what he needed to do to handle him, but he wanted to wait a bit in order to give the Machamps a fighting chance.

He glanced over and saw that both Travis and Roy were now burned, which would weaken them physically. Nevertheless, Roy was trying to pull Steve from behind, while the Toucannon started smacking and pecking at him once again.

When he saw that Travis got Steve's legs unhooked once more, the Hard Scale Pokémon smacked his large hands together, forming yet another blade of water. Upon seeing what Rane was doing, Stain stopped his delusional ranting with a sigh.

He groaned, "Ugh… Whatever. At least I'll go out by a pure alpha male…"

"DEFEND YOURSELF!" Simen shouted. "What are you doing?!"

It was too late, anyway. With a swing of the liquid blade, the attack struck, knocking the Muk out, immediately. It was a relief for Rane in more ways than one.

"HURRY UP YA BIG LUG!" Martin bellowed, seeing that Roy and Travis were making progress and getting closer and closer to the other side of the arena. Steve was fighting hard to keep himself inside.

Sighing, Rane grabbed one of Stain's arms and started dragging him to the other side of the arena.

Seeing this, Travis thought about something. Steve was still thrashing hard in their grasp, but as an Electric-type, he had an advantage over him. Electricity started crackling from one of his fists.

Noticing what the Electivire was preparing to do, Steve's eyes widened. His beak started glowing a bright white before he opened it, firing a rocky orb directly at Travis' face.

The Thunderbolt Pokémon recoiled back from the attack, letting Steve go and giving him the opportunity to toss Roy over his head. He swiftly flew back to the pole as Rane continued dragging Stain out of the arena.

"And the Candid Conkeldurrs win the first challenge!" Reshiram announced.

The members of the Conkeldurrs all cheered, while the Machamps all wore looks of immense disappointment.

000

Travis, still suffering from his burn, rubbed his face in pain, "Ugh… Damn it. Those guys are tougher than I thought…"

000

The teams regrouped back in front of the two hosts, a bit of bitterness still lingering from a few members of the Mighty Machamps. How could they lose when they seemingly had more manpower?

"Alright, that was quite the first challenge now wasn't it?" Zekrom inquired. "It wasn't as bad as you thought it would be, now was it?"

"Well, considering that our team lost because they have a Bug-type Hulk… Yeah, it sucked," Travis groused, folding his arms.

Martin blew a raspberry in response, rolling his eyes. "Yous chumps had three big guys over dere and still lost. Get over yaselves," he replied.

Not wanting any hostility to emerge, Reshiram immediately spoke up. "Well, regardless… the Candid Conkeldurrs came out on top in this challenge, so they get an advantage in the next one, which will take place after lunch."

"Right," Zekrom concurred, "so for now, head back to camp, rest up, and we'll call you all down for lunch and further instruction."

With that, the players, minus Dale, began heading back to the campgrounds. After those performances, there were definitely some things that each team needed to discuss.

000

Morris sighed, holding his head, "Terrible…"

000

The members of the Conkeldurrs made their way to the Sausage Link first. Entering the living room, all of the guys took a place on the leather couch except for Steve, who stood in front of them all. Despite the fact that he and Rane did the majority of the work, the Toucannon wore a proud look on his face. They just earned their first victory!

Nick let out a groan, feeling a bit sore from the rounds he was a part of. "Ugh… Well… That challenge was more intense than I thought…" he grunted as he shifted in his seat. "Ow…"

Steve huffed, "Well, that just goes to show that folks shouldn't complain about what they don't understand." His eyes went straight to Martin, who avoided his gaze with a grumble.

The Toucannon smirked before he turned his attention to Rane, who was still quiet. The Golisopod was just lying back against the couch with his eyes closed, his arms locked against his stomach. "Now, I think we should all be thanking our big boy here for helping to carry us to this victory."

Hearing that, the Hard Scale Pokémon opened one of his eyes as he listened to Steve. "If it wasn't for him… I think we'd have been in a lot more trouble," the Cannon Pokémon concluded, still looking at the Golisopod. Rane closed his eye once again, settling back in to rest a bit.

"Damn, yous don't say?" Martin retorted sarcastically. "Yous mean if we ain't have our own big guy t' handle dose otha' big guys, we'd have lost? Wow…"

The Cannon Pokémon decided to get serious. "Now, while we got Rane and me to handle shit like this, I expect the rest of you to put in just as much effort, if not more. If more shit happens where they try to prohibit us from participating, we need you all to actually be able to help."

Martin groaned, rolling his eyes. "Look 'ere, bozo. I don't know why yous is actin' like yous actually expect anythin' from dese guys considerin' yous insulted dem when dey wasn't here fuh ya first meetin'."

Nick, Tate, and Lexico all looked at Steve in confusion, though Nick didn't appear too surprised. Rane simply exhaled, having still been listening to everything. Despite the seemingly positive start, it wasn't sounding too good, now.

Steve glared at the Devious Pokémon before turning his attention to the three that were confused. "Look, I was frustrated yesterday before we had the meeting when you three came back. Things were said, and I'll take ownership of that. However, I still do think that you all need to put forth more effort," he stated, turning around to avoid their looks.

"Tate's species is slow, Dale is stuck in the water, and little dude speaks through me…" Nick reminded him. "We are trying, but it's only the first challenge. There haven't been too many chances to show what we're fully capable of."

As much as Steve hated excuses, he could understand the Eiscue's point. He knew that not all males, or Pokémon in general, were physically inclined. He let out a sigh as he turned back around, "Fine… Fine. I get it. My point still stands, though. When these opportunities do arise, I expect more effort."

Nobody verbally responded. Nick and Lexico simply exchanged looks; Martin rolled his eyes, his arms still folded; Tate just looked at him, while Rane continued resting. Seeing this, Steve let out a sigh.

000

"Okay, that delinquent runt needs to go as soon as possible," Steve stated. "As much as I don't like ice boy, he at least put forth some effort in that challenge, and he doesn't try to antagonize me at every waking moment."

"Whatever the next challenge is, he'd better hope that we win it, too," he threatened.

000

The Mighty Machamps reconvened in the Mess Hall, as per Morris' request. Lee, Travis, and Roy were still suffering from their burns, while Stain, KG, and Simen were doing relatively fine. The Barbaracle took a deep breath. "Okay, that right there was a pitiful performance on our part…"

He turned to Stain, "What in the hell were you thinkin'?! Just chattin' up the enemy?!"

"Oh, I don't wanna hear anything from you, Mr. Wannabe Leader," Stain countered. "You got your ass handed to you pretty fast, and you had the advantage. Purely beta behavior."

"Uh… Stain, Rane knocked you out in one hit, too," Simen reminded him. He didn't know why the Muk was trying to act superior when he had the same experience.

"Hush, ball," the Muk retorted. "I said that it happened despite him having the advantage. But, I should've expected betas to protect each other."

"Okay, I'm sorry… but if you are the supposed example of an 'alpha' male, then I'll happily be called a beta," Lee chided, laying his head on the table he was sitting at. The burn was steadily making him feel weaker, almost getting to the point where he could barely move.

Stain huffed, "Spoken like a true wannabe female."

Lee growled at that, "Watch yourself, slimeball."

"Hey!" Morris shouted, getting everyone's attention once again. Once everyone's eyes were on him again, he rubbed his face. "Look, those folks on th' otha' side only got like… two real useful players. We need to do betta'. 'Specially you…"

He pointed to KG, who glared back at him. "Da hell are you on about, cabrón? I did my part and did my best."

"Yeah, 'n look where that got us," Morris accused, folding his arms.

"Hey, you can't blame him when he didn't do anything wrong," Simen defended. "He's the only one who couldn't get burned and kept trying to get Steve off of the pole. And he actually did good at helping Roy get Nick off-"

"I don't wanna hear it," Morris interrupted, raising a hand. "You're lucky that you don't have arms or else I'd be on you, too."

"Morris, I think you need to calm down a bit," Roy spoke up, feeling a bit weaker himself. "The little guys did what they could, and like Simen said, KG did help me get Nick off of the pole. So, you can't throw blame on them when they actually helped…"

"Yeah, to be honest bro… If anything, you probably did the worst out of all of us," Travis chimed in. "I mean, besides Lee."

The Boltund shot the Thunderbolt Pokémon a look of annoyance. He had gotten burned immediately and was struggling to get up. "I'm sorry, but didn't you literally just get elbowed and you couldn't do anything else?" he countered. "Then, you struggled with Steve and didn't even attempt to use any Electric-type moves until you were already carrying him?"

Before any further arguments could erupt, KG shouted, "SILENCIO!"

All eyes went to the aggravated Fire Croc Pokémon. "This is why we lost today, amigos. There's too much tension and annoyance in this group. We all need to be equal. Throwing blame isn't gonna help us, it's just gonna further separate us, we need to get over it and stop acting like a buncha pendejos."

There was a bit of silence, with the guys all exchanging looks with each other. EVentually, though, the silence was broken by none other than Stain, "Nah, we lost because this is a team of mostly betas, and they have a giga chad alpha on the other side that'll dominate us at every moment…"

KG twitched, climbing out of his seat. "And, I'm done…"

The Fuecoco started walking out of the Mess Hall. Lee and Simen exchanged looks before deciding to follow their friend out of the building. Lee, despite how he was feeling, threw Morris a look of disapproval as he went out.

Seeing them go, Roy exhaled as he prepared to leave as well. "Well, I'm gonna go see if I can get some Rawst Juice from the fridge. You guys uh…" he grunted as he got up. "You guys can keep up this… blame game or whatever if you want, but I need to get better before this next challenge."

The Throh proceeded to follow the others' lead and head out, leaving Travis, Stain, and Morris in the Mess Hall.

Seeing that he was now stuck with the two he didn't want to deal with, the Barbaracle huffed before just turning around and exiting the building as well.

000

Morris took a deep breath, "Alright… This team needs a lotta work. The croc is actually showing some fight, and I'm liking that, but the rest of 'em? Arceus help us..."

"Admittedly, yes, I take some fault for our loss, but it ain't my fault that the lug on th' other side has the strength of twenty Mudsdale!"

"Stain is worthless; Lee went down just 'cause of a burn; Travis got burned too, but went down by an elbow and got hit by a rock; and Roy got burned, too, but still was probably the one putting the most work in," he recalled.

He let out a sigh, "I need to go rest and think of somethin', because I ain't losin' this next challenge…"

000

Lee was laying his head on one of the tables in the Arts and Crafts department, still suffering from the burn from Steve's Beak Blast. The Boltund was really feeling low at the moment, and not just because of his condition.

He got a chance to prove himself and show that he was just as capable as the other 'big guys' on his team, and what happened? He gets outsmarted, burned, and can't really do much else. Meanwhile, both Travis and Roy got burned, and they still managed to put forth a lot of effort, even if it was all for nothing. It was just… really frustrating for him. Especially after the blame game that was just played in the Mess Hall.

"Here you go, amigo," KG suddenly said, startling the Dog Pokémon, who was starting to pass out.

Looking over, Lee saw that the Fuecoco had three berries in his hands: a Sitrus Berry, an Oran Berry, and a Rawst Berry. Lee smiled at this, "Thanks…"

He took the Sitrus Berry and the Rawst Berry, but avoided the Oran Berry altogether. "I'm uh… allergic to Oran Berries…"

Hearing that, KG's eyes widened as he looked at the remaining berry in her hands. He immediately tossed it aside, chuckling nervously. "Sorry, amigo…"

"It's fine," Lee responded, clearing his throat. "You didn't know."

As the Dog Pokémon sat up, Simen rolled over. "Well guys… What's the plan?"

Lee huffed, "What is the plan? If we lose this next challenge, they're probably gonna vote for one of us unless we get Roy on board like you said."

"Well, given how he defended us in the Mess Hall, I think we have a fair shot," the Voltorb reasoned.

"Okay, and if we do get him on board and we end up losing, who do we vote for?" Lee inquired. "Morris is racist, Travis is a jerk, and Stain is… ugh…"

"Well, considering your reaction to Stain… I'd say him," Simen suggested. "He was pretty useless in the challenge, and his attitude is unironically pretty toxic… but I know that KG probably has a more personal issue with Morris."

KG folded his arms, letting out a sigh. He did take issue with Morris' comments and attitude toward him, as it was just unnecessary and rude for no real reason. However, if he had to choose between Morris and Stain, in regards to helping the team succeed, he knew that Morris would be the better choice to keep around. Taking a deep breath, the Fire Croc begrudgingly offered, "If you guys think that getting rid of Stain will be better, if we lose… We can get rid of him."

"Are you sure?" Lee puzzled. "I mean, of course Stain is a pain, but at least he's like that to all of us. It's like Morris has a direct problem with you. I don't want you to be uncomfortable just so this team may have a better chance."

"It's fine…" the Fuecoco insisted, letting out another sigh. "I'm fine…"

Simen and Lee exchanged looks. "Well… then Stain it is. Now, the other issue…"

"Wait… What other issue?" Lee questioned, now confused.

"How the heck are we supposed to beat Rane?" the Sphere Pokémon wondered.

KG and Lee both exchanged worried expressions. The Golisopod damn near single-handedly beat their team. It would've been a sweep if the hosts hadn't adjusted the rules for one round. He was definitely going to be a problem.

000

"Well, at least we've got Stain on the chopping block if and/or when we lose," Simen sighed. "Hopefully it won't be too hard to get Morris and Roy to vote for him, too. Not sure how Travis feels about him, though."

000

"I don't see your point…" Travis huffed as he used one of the elliptical machines in the gym.

Morris was sitting against the wall, growing increasingly frustrated by how dense the Electivire was being. "Stain is gon' be stain on this team," he reiterated for the umpteenth time. "His crummy attitude and laziness is gonna to ruin this team if we let him continue."

Travis rolled his eyes, growing more annoyed by Morris' attitude than anything. "Dude, the guy is harmless. Guys like him are usually just all talk, and if you let what he says bother you, that's a you problem."

Morris groaned, abruptly rising to his feet. "Do you just refuse to listen to anythin' that I tell ya?"

"You're not making sense to me!" Travis countered. "You keep talking about how Stain is so bad, but all he's done is try to make an alliance with you and talk about how some guys are better than others."

Morris stared blankly at the Thunderbolt Pokémon. He didn't want to believe that Travis was really like this, but it was looking like he was.

Hopping off of the machine, the Electivire continued, "We literally have two unevolved guys and a femboy. That's three easy targets right there, but you're more concerned about taking out Stain, who's actually more capable."

Morris wore a look of disbelief, unable to believe what he was hearing. Travis was practically dismissing everything he was warning him about… because Stain was evolved… and not gay. Granted, he couldn't be too surprised, given his personality, but it was really disappointing for him.

Without another word, the Collective Pokémon exited the gym. Travis was tempted to go after him and try to compromise at least, but he decided against it. He had a feeling Morris wasn't going to see things his way.

000

"Okay, I guess 'dem frat boys really don't be thinkin with their actual brains," Morris sighed. "Where in the Distortion World would you rather work with a lazy bastard than a guy that happens to dabble in some meat?"

000

Steve was watching Rane as he lifted a 200 pound dumbbell over and over. The Toucannon was very impressed by the Hard Scale Pokémon's demeanor and strength. His species was known to flee at the sign of any danger, but Steve could just tell that Rane was special. His eyes slowly scanned the larger male's body as he continued lifting. He quickly caught himself when his eyes wandered a bit too far down, regaining his composure.

Luckily, the Golisopod was quiet and hardly acknowledged his presence. Feeling slightly awkward in the silence, Steve decided to try to strike up a conversation. He knew that he likely wouldn't get a response, but the Cannon Pokémon wanted to at least try. "So… You ever thought about joining the military? A guy like you would be really beneficial…"

As expected, Rane didn't falter, continuing his lifting. He didn't mind the company, but he wasn't going to let it distract him. However, what he heard from the bird next almost made him drop the weight.

"You remind me of my partner," the Toucannon chuckled to himself.

Rane placed the dumbbell back on the stand before sitting up and looking at the Toucannon with an expression of annoyance and confusion. He pointed to Steve before making a 'finger-in-hole' gesture and tilting his head inquiringly.

Steve took a breath. He honestly didn't think he'd be admitting this, but given that Rane didn't really speak to anyone, he felt that it wouldn't do any harm. Plus, maybe by being open, the Golisopod would start to open up. "Don't go telling anybody else, but… Yeah. 21 years now. We met in training. He's a Corviknight. Big boy… strong… quiet… but he's really affectionate when we're by ourselves," Steve explained. "The last thing is probably the one thing that separates you two…" he joked.

Rane just couldn't believe what he was hearing. Not only was the typically stern and cold Toucannon in a more positive mood, but he was revealing that he was also gay? Though, that explained his outburst toward Travis when he tried using gay as an insult on the first day.

"But like I said, don't go around telling everyone," Steve stated firmly. "I already get a headache from some of those bozos in the house, and I don't want to have an aneurysm."

Rane nodded in understanding as the door to the room they were in opened, with Travis being on the other side. Steve's eyes widened. He'd better not have heard anything.

"Ugh, of course you guys are in here," Travis playfully chided. "Trying to bulk up to try and beat us again when you don't need to?"

Steve hummed to himself, looking over the Electivire. He didn't seem to show any signs of knowing anything, but the Toucannon still didn't like him. He brashly replied, "Yes. Continuing to get strong is something every male should strive for. Whether it be physical or mental. Don't you think?"

Travis, despite agreeing, chuckled sheepishly as he took a step back. "R-Right, right… You guys really did a number on us…"

"Oh, we most certainly did…" Steve replied, steadily approaching the nervous Electivire. "And we intend on doing the same in the next challenge, so I suggest you get yourself and your team into shape if you want a fair shot."

Travis retreated into the original area of the gym, leaving Steve and Rane alone. Turning back around, Steve wore a smirk, while Rane simply gave him a deadpan expression, as if saying 'Really?'.

"What? He's a bastard, anyway," Steve replied, flying toward one of the treadmills.

Rane rolled his eyes before deciding to go back to his lifting.

000

"I told myself that I wouldn't disclose any personal information when I came on this show, and what do I do?" Steve sighed. "If that electric bozo had heard, he'd have probably spread it around immediately to try and start something."

"Luckily, Rane is a good man," the Toucannon continued, "so I feel like I'll be able to trust him long-term."

000

Rane sighed to himself, shaking his head.

000

A couple of hours passed.

Roy had wound up falling asleep on the couch after downing two cans of Rawst Berry Punch. The Throh's left arm was dangling off of the couch, as he wound up sleeping on his stomach. Unbeknownst to him, Martin was sneaking towards him with a measuring cup full of water.

"Placing it on the floor next to him, Martin gently grabbed the Throh's hand before placing it into the water. He snickered before he scampered away, eager to see the results of his work later.

000

"Eh, I still wanna have some fun around here," Martin said with a shrug. "All da guys here are so damn uptight or lame. Let's get some action goin'!"

000

Stain slinked toward the living room, having taken a nap in his own room once he returned to the building. He just couldn't stand anybody in the game so far. His own team was horrible aside from Travis, and the other team was downright pitiful aside from Rane. Just what kind of competition were they running? "This is supposed to be a competition of alpha males, and I'm stuck with a bunch of sad, pathetic betas…" he grumbled. "Probably because of that dumb skank of a host. Females love emasculating males these days…"

Upon returning to the front, Stain saw that Roy was lying on the couch with his hand in a cup of water. An unimpressed visage formed on his face as he got in his same earlier position on the couch. He looked at the still unconscious Throh before letting out a fart. This flatulence was loud and foul enough to cause Roy to stir.

As he came to, the Judo Pokémon felt something wet on his hand… and in his lower regions. "What the-"

"Afternoon sleepy beauty…" Stain muttered, turning on the television.

"What the heck happened!?" Roy exclaimed, shielding his wet privates. He then smelled the air and made a gagging sound before covering his nose with one of his hands, only to inhale the scent of his own urine. "Gah! Darn it!" he exclaimed, retracting his hand.

Stain glanced back at him before looking at the table, where he saw two seemingly empty cans of 'Azure-Ale' sitting there. Letting out a huff, he commented, "Looks like you got got by someone with the warm water trick."

Roy groaned to himself before he started to hear laughter coming from upstairs. Looking up, Stain and Roy saw Martin looking over the banister. "So, how'd da wet dream treat ya?"

"Well, there's your confession," Stain grumbled, flipping through different channels once again. He groaned upon seeing that the majority of the channels were just more of these competition shows. They just kept coming one after another. Dragonite and Tyranitar… a weird Black Latios… a different Latios and a Latias… a Rayquaza and Suicune… Solgaleo and Lunala… Mew and Mewtwo… Mew and Victini… a lone Victini… a Skarmory… Shaymin… Deoxys… Nihilego… Primeape…

"UGH!" Stain fumed. "Why the hell does this stupid TV only have like ten good channels and the rest are just these pathetic, pandering copycat shows?!"

Roy got up, still covering himself. "I still fail to see what's wrong or pandering about any of these shows… Though I agree that having a lot of different ones like that is weird."

"Most of them are all in different universes or whatever," Stain explained. "My point still stands, almost all of these stupid shows are just anti-male and are rigged for a female to win just because she's female…"

"Uh-huh…" Roy deadpanned as he started to waddle away. "I'm gonna go try to clean up…"

"Hey! Wipe up ya piss when yous get back, or urine big trouble!" Martin cackled before retreating back into the upstairs hall.

Stain grumbled, "Fucking beta idiots…"

As he eventually settled on what appeared to be an early Mew and Victini season that was on a plane, he realized something. "Wait…" he groaned. "I need to talk to the piss boy…"

Slinking off of the couch, the Muk begrudgingly followed Roy.

000

"The faster I get him on my side, the better. He's not a full alpha. He's like a half-breed or something, I guess I'll say…" Stain muttered with a soft belch.

"He'd better be more receptive if he knows what's good for him," he warned.

000

"Well… That challenge was a wake up call if I ever saw one…" Dale sighed.

The guys had returned to the beach shortly after they all took naps, so now Nick felt a bit better. Though, he still felt a bit of soreness in his back. "You're telling me. I'm still a bit achy over here, dude…"

Dale glanced at the Eiscue before clearing his throat, saying, "Well, it looks like we'll definitely need to keep Rane."

"Yes," Tate concurred.

"Meanwhile, Martin didn't really help us with anything," Nick added. "He just stood around while Rane did everything, and he didn't even try to help Tate by bringing him closer!"

"Nope," Tate replied.

"The little dude says… Martin's only here to cause problems and be annoying," Nick relayed.

"And I can agree," Dale opined. "If he's not gonna help us, even though he was complaining about how the challenge sounded boring, then we have another reason he should go."

"Steve?" Tate inquired.

"Steve?" the Wailord repeated in confusion. He honestly didn't have anything to say about the Toucannon other than he did a good job. "Well, since we've won, he seems alright…"

"Yeah, he's definitely happier that we won," Nick stated. "But, if we end up losing after we get rid of Martin, it's gonna be rough…"

"Yep… Sure will…" Dale replied.

Suddenly, they heard Zekrom's voice echo from the camp loudspeaker, "CONTESTANTS! PLEASE REPORT TO THE MESS HALL FOR LUNCH!"

"Oh! Looks like it's time for more food…" Nick commented, picking up Tate and sitting him on his head as Lexico took a seat atop his head as well. He turned back to Dale, "We'll see you in a while, dude."

"Enjoy," the Wailord replied as the Eiscue began walking off. Once he was out of his sight, Dale groaned to himself. After how the challenge went, he was completely uncertain about where he stood with regards to the alliance.

000

Dale sighed, "Okay, uh… I don't think we should get rid of Rane or Steve anytime soon. I know that I'm in this majority alliance, but… I feel like this may already be a mistake."

000

Returning to the Mess Hall, all of the guys saw that there were multiple takeout boxes sitting on one of the tables. Next to them sat multiple water bottles.

"Oh, they made sure that we actually see the food this time, great," Travis commented, snatching one of the boxes for himself.

All of the guys slowly filed in, grabbing boxes and taking seats at different tables. Or, in some cases, the same tables. Opening his box, Travis set his eyes on what appeared to be two six-inch BLT sandwiches with a few steak fries.

Having been sitting next to him, Roy opened his own box, commenting, "Oh… sammies? Nice."

"What'd you just call it?" Travis chuckled. "A sammy?"

"I mean… That's just what I've always called them," Roy responded with a shrug as he picked up one of the fries.

Travis stifled a laugh as he took a bite of one of the two sandwiches in his box. He started scanning around the building, trying to see where everyone was so far. Stain was near the bathroom, away from everyone. Martin was standing next to the entrance, holding his box with an impatient look on his face. Lee, Simen, and KG were all sitting together again; Tate, Nick, and Lexico were all together at another table; Steve was sitting with Rane at the last table, where it just so happened that Morris was sitting there as well.

He tightened his glare at the Barbaracle.

000

"So, now he's not trying to sit with us?" Travis scoffed. "Woow, talk about petty. I mean, I get Stain since he stinks, but him? Nah…"

000

Reshiram and Zekrom entered the Mess Hall a few moments later. Before either of them could speak, Martin let out a groan, "Fuckin' finally, what took yous so long?"

The pair simply stared down at the Morgrem before turning their attention back to the remaining players. "Alright, first off… Another congratulations to the Candid Conkeldurrs for winning the first challenge," Reshiram began.

The members of that team all shared smiles, while a few of the Machamps either rolled their eyes in annoyance or held indifferent expressions.

"Now, your next challenge will take place in the field in an hour," Zekrom spoke up. "Also, just as a head's-up, it's another rudimentary challenge. So, get all of your moans and groans out beforehand, because we'll be jumping right into it."

The host couple exited the building, now permitting the guys to leave to eat somewhere else if they so pleased. With the news of the challenge also being rather basic, some reactions were mixed. Some of the guys had learned from their preconceived notions about the first challenge and were eager to see what it had to offer, while others, namely Stain, were still unenthused.

"Ooh… A field challenge…" Stain deadpanned. "Pathetic… They're probably going to have us pick flowers or something…"

"Well, we'd definitely fail, then," Lee scoffed. "As soon as you touch a flower, it'll die…"

"If that's the case, maybe I should come over there and touch you since your kind are always such delicate flowers…" Stain muttered.

Steve's talons curled in anger as his grip on his bottle tightened slightly. He took a breath, which Rane took note of. Once he was calm, he prepared to leave, saying, "You're not doing yourself any favors, slimeball…"

With the Toucannon heading out of the Mess Hall, a few others began to file out as well, having either finished their lunch or wanting to finish it somewhere else.

000

Steve took a breath, "C'mon!"

He smacked himself before rubbing his eyes. "I've gotta get my shit together and stop letting these disrespectful children get under my skin… I've heard worse throughout the years, but still hearing the same shit by this new generation is just sad."

000

After a while, all of the players made their way to the field. Following the path, they made it to a wide open clearing, where they saw that a relatively large, rectangular pit had been dug in the ground. Next to the pit, they saw the two hosts waiting.

Once they were all there, Zekrom introduced them to their next venture. "Welcome to the scene of your next challenge," he began. "It's an old school game of Tug of War."

"Oooh, so fun…" Stain replied, rolling his eyes. "Seriously, are we all fucking 10-year olds?"

"I would hope not," Roy responded with wide-eyes.

Martin chuckled, "Well… If she's got a good-" He was immediately cut off by a hard peck from Steve, which knocked him out.

"Thank you for that, Steve," Reshiram responded with a sigh, rubbing her temples. "And Stain, from now on, keep your disturbing comments to yourself," she said, finally acknowledging him.

"Oh, it's not my fault these bozos took it that way," the Muk defended with a burp. "You know exactly what I meant, you jizz-colored wench."

Zekrom was growing steadily more and more aggravated the more that Stain spoke to her like that. Reshiram having to constantly calm him down was even starting to wear on his nerves, as she shouldn't even have to. Nobody. Disrespected. His. Wife. Before he could possibly snap at the Muk, Lee spoke up.

"Anyways…" the Dog Pokémon chimed in, taking a single step forward. He was growing annoyed by the immaturity on full display, so he wanted things to get back on track. "Tug of war, huh?" he asked.

Reshiram glanced at Zekrom, who had a fierce glare fixed on Stain, before clearing her own throat. "Yes. I'm sure you all know how this game works, but let's go through the rules anyway."

The Vast White Pokémon continued, "Members of each team will face each other in one v. one rounds. Your goal is to simply pull your opponent into the pit of mud. You do that, you earn a point. First team to four points wins."

"Uh… A-Any stable caveats this time?" Simen inquired, fearfully glancing at Rane from the corner of his eye. "Namely ones to keep us from just being completely destroyed?"

"Simple. No repeating players," Reshiram answered.

Raising a wing, Nick brought up, "Okay, uh… What about Dale? He's not gonna be able to do anything here."

"This is where your advantage comes in~" Reshiram chirped. "As you guys won the first challenge, your advantage is that you start off with a point already. So, Dale is fine to stay where he is. However, we've made a few accommodations that will make it so he is around even when we're not around the beach.

Seconds after she said that, Dale's voice was heard. "Hey, guys!"

Turning around, they saw Ahku standing next to a rolling TV cart, which had Dale's face broadcasting on a monitor. Or, well, at least one of his eyeballs.

"Now Dale can have a better experience, and he won't be completely confined to the water," the fluffy dragoness beamed.

Zekrom, having stepped away once Reshiram explained the caveat to the challenge, returned to the group with an exhale. Picking up from where she was, Zekrom explained, "With Dale not having to participate, that means that a member of the Mighty Machamps will be sitting out."

Lee looked over at Simen, "Oh, well that's obviously-"

"Me!" Stain chimed in. "I did my part in that first challenge. The rest of you losers can handle this. You're not gonna put any blame on me."

"W-What sense does that make?!" Morris exclaimed. He gestured to Simen, "The boy literally has no arms! Da hell is your problem?!"

"You are my problem," Stain scoffed. "Now, I'm sitting out, and that's that. Deal with it."

000

"Yeah… He's gone if we lose this," Lee growled.

000

"So… Stain is going to sit out?" Reshiram questioned, confused as to why they were letting this happen. "Peculiar choice, but… Maybe it will work out for you."

A few of the other members of the Machamps wore expressions of annoyance, especially Morris. Martin, who'd woken up from his involuntary nap a few moments before, chuckled to himself. "Pathetic…"

"Alright, let's get this challenge underway," Zekrom began. "Who's up first?"

-000-

After a quick cutaway, it was shown that Simen was on one side of the pit and Tate was on the other. Given that it would've been an easy loss for the Machamps, they decided to put Simen up first just to get his turn over with. The Conkeldurrs had a similar idea: sacrifice one of their weaker players first to get them out of the way.

"Okay, it looks like we've got an electric standoff with Simen vs. Tate," Reshiram acknowledged. "Though, this will be an, uh… interesting matchup."

"And a short one…" Roy commented, folding his arms.

"So, uh… Where's the rope?" Simen inquired with a sigh. "I'd like to get my loss over with."

"Well… here's the thing," Zekrom said, stepping forward. "As you would guess from the first challenge, this will not be your average tug of war."

Reshiram nodded, "Instead of having to actually pull with just your hands or mouth… You'll be using your entire bodies."

"...What?" Simen inquired.

-000-

Simen now had a harness wrapped around his body, as did Tate. "Oh… Like this…"

"Yep," Zekrom confirmed with a nod. "Now, let's get started. Remember, the first one to pull the other into the pit wins…"

"Yeah, yeah, let's just get dis going," Martin bounced in anticipation.

Rolling his eyes, Zekrom turned his attention back to Simen and Tate. "In three… two… one… GO!"

Simen and Tate looked at each other, a bit uncertain about how this could go. Simen looked down at the rope connecting the two of them and started to roll backwards slowly. Tate, being the smallest guy on the island, couldn't really offer much resistance, even though he tried to.

Within only a couple of seconds, he was pulled into the pit.

"And the Machamps earn a point!" Reshiram announced. "It's now tied. Whoever's up next… head on over."

000

Tate was fished out of the pit, covered in mud, as he let out a sigh.

"Alright, we've gone ahead and given the other team some false hope," Steve commented. "Now we've gotta be serious. We only need three more points and we'll win this thing, so-"

"Little dude says that we should see who they choose first and possibly toss him in," Nick interrupted.

Annoyed with being interrupted, Steve growled, glaring at the Eiscue and Unown. Taking a breath, he inquired, "What difference will it make?"

"Because you and Rane are the strongest ones on the team," Dale chimed in. "They said that we can't reuse players right? If they send their big dudes out early, they won't be able to use them against you and Rane…"

Steve's eyes widened, a smirk forming on his face. "You know… Maybe you lot are alright…" He turned to Martin, stating, "Except you."

In response, the Morgrem flipped him off with a smile.

Hearing that idea, Tate prepared to speak, but decided to stay silent.

000

"The Machamps just got a point…" Tate sighed. "They have three big guys… and our team wants to throw Lex, Nick, and Martin at them. Four points win…"

000

"Alright, what's the plan?" Lee inquired. "We've got a point, so we need-"

Travis took over, saying, "I mean, if we need four points to win, and we've only got one, that means we just need three more points, right?"

"Yes, amigo… That's how math works," KG deadpanned.

Throwing him a look, the Electivire continued, "Me, Roy, and Morris can take care of this easily."

Glancing back over to the other team, Lee could've sworn that he saw Rane look in their direction, causing him to immediately turn his head back. He stammered, "U-Uh… No, no, no… I don't think that's a good idea…"

Stain groaned, "No one cares what you think… We wanna win."

"Okay, and if they decide to save Rane for later for an easy win, then what?" Lee barked. "We'll be screwed."

Morris let out a sigh, stepping in. "Everybody hush for sec…"

He glanced over at the other team before taking a breath. "Okay, Lee. How 'bout this, I'll go next, and then in th' next round, you go. We'll see if we can figure out their plan…"

"I'm telling you, the twink's opinion doesn't matter," Stain stated, causing Lee to growl softly.

000

"Alright, next round," Zekrom announced. "We've got Morris for the Machamps and Martin for the Conkeldurrs…"

Martin sighed as he adjusted the harness around his body. "Stupid thing…" he muttered.

Morris simply chuckled to himself, seeing the Morgrem struggle. Lee's idea that they would save Rane for later seemed very credible, as he was their strongest player. However, if his math was correct, it wouldn't matter much if they kept throwing the smaller guys like Martin to the wolves.

Seeing the two of them get ready, Zekrom announced, "Alright, the round starts in three… two… one… GO!"

-000-

Morris immediately started pulling back, while Martin was trying his best to resist. The Morgrem dug his claws into the ground, trying to stay stable. Morris stopped for a bit, wanting to give Martin a false sense of security.

He folded his arms, "Alright, Martin. I can stand here all day, so if you gon' try somethin', best do it now."

The Morgrem huffed, "I ain't stupid. I know yous is strong, so I ain't gon' do shit. Yous can just kiss my AAHHH!"

The Collective Pokémon had given him a hard yank, forcing the imp into the mud pit. He just needed to get the Morgrem to respond and let his guard down slightly.

"And the Mighty Machamps earn their second point!" Reshiram announced. "Two more points and they win!"

A few of the other members of the Mighty Machamps cheered a bit, while the Candid Conkeldurrs just remained silent, having expected the result. However, with the notion of the Machamps being two points away from victory, Dale recognized his mistake.

As Morris got out of his harness and Martin climbed out of the pit, Zekrom chuckled to himself. "Alright, round three's coming up. Who's next?"

000

"Okay, change of plans," Dale stated. "I may have miscalculated.

"You don't say?" Martin scoffed, shaking mud off of his arms. "Dose lugs still got two big guys over dere. Keeping Sgt. Sternhole and Hulk for later won't matter if we send Letterkenny and Happy Feet. We'll be hosed."

Steve growled to himself as he glanced over and saw that Morris was putting the harness on Lee's body. Having this intel, he turned to Nick. "Ice boy, do you think you can handle Lee?"

"Uh…" Nick droned in surprise. The Penguin Pokémon wasn't sure of his own strength, if his performance in the first challenge was any indicator. Lee seemed to be strong, but he didn't know just how strong. "I uh… I-I don't know…"

Martin groaned, "Come on, now. Da mutt's a sissy, I doubt he has any real strength anywhere aside from his jaws."

Steve took a sharp breath. He was getting more and more fed up as the day progressed. He wanted to strangle the Morgrem, but he held off. Instead, he turned to Nick, "Well… I need to take on Roy, and Rane is handling the frathead, so either you go handle Lee, or we're finished."

Nick looked at the muddy harness lying on the ground and let out a sigh. He definitely wasn't confident, but he was the only real option left besides Lexico. "Okay… Fine," Nick decided.

000

"I hope this works out…" Nick sighed.

000

Both Nick and Lee were standing across the pit from each other, each having the harness on and a lack of confidence.

Lee, despite not wanting to be participating at all, steadied himself. He wanted to prove to his team that he didn't fall into the stereotypes that they were forcing on him. He knew that he was strong, but it seemed like hardly anyone else had the same view.

Nick, on the other hand, was just more of a chill guy. He wasn't really into showing off his strength or exercising, so his lack of physical strength really made him nervous.

"Alright, third round," Zekrom began, folding his arms. "In three… two… one… GO!"

-000-

Lee immediately turned around and started running, but he, of course, felt some resistance. Nick was holding onto the rope like an owner trying to control their pet. He could feel himself being pulled slowly, but did his best to stay put.

Lee growled to himself as he continued trying to pull forward. Nick was giving him more trouble than he assumed he would. One paw at a time, he inched forward, grunting with every step.

"Come on…" he grunted to himself.

Nick took a breath as he felt Lee steadily pulling him closer and closer to the edge of the pit. He pulled the rope back, which actually dragged Lee back as well. The Dog Pokémon was becoming exhausted, but he wasn't about to give up that easily.

Lee took in a deep breath and paused briefly, needing to catch his breath. He glanced over at his team and saw that KG, Simen, and even Roy, were trying to cheer him on and offer encouragement, while the other three simply watched on in silence.

Nick was still holding his ground, surprisingly enough. He honestly thought that he'd be in the mud by now, but he was actually holding up well. He started pulling on the rope a bit more, which was proving to be effective.

000

"Eiscue weigh an average of nearly 200 pounds," Simen expounded. "Boltund… only 75 pounds. So, the fact that Lee is even able to move Nick at all is impressive."

000

Lee was still trying to push forward, gritting his teeth as he kept trying to walk forward, only this time, he wasn't going anywhere.

Nick just continued to pull the Dog Pokémon back more and more, gaining a bit of confidence with each yank of the rope and each step he took. Lee tried to hold on, but he'd exhausted himself. With one last pull, the Penguin Pokémon yanked Lee into the mud pit.

"And the Conkeldurrs tie it up again!" Reshiram announced. "It's two to two… Let's see who'll come out on top."

As Lee tried to pull himself out of the pit, he saw that none of his teammates were even coming over to help him aside from Simen and KG. Being that KG was the only one of the two with hands, the Fire Croc was having difficulty hoisting his muddy friend out of the pit.

He glanced back, seeing the others just standing there, still. "Uh… A little help would be appreciated!" he shouted back.

Glancing at the other guys next to him and seeing that they weren't really moving, Roy huffed and rolled his eyes as he went over to help Lee out. Seeing this, Morris sighed to himself and slowly followed.

000

"I have no idea why the others are acting so damn cold to Lee. I mean, is it really just because he's gay?" Roy scoffed. "Jeez, what the hell is up?!"

000

"Boy did better than I expected, but still ended up failin'," Morris said exasperatedly. "Not a good look but… appreciate the effort."

000

"Welp, guess it's time for the real males to take control and get us back in the lead," Travis grunted, stretching his arms as Lee came back over with the others.

Overhearing this, the muddy Boltund just shook his head before moving away from the group. Seeing this, Stain stifled a laugh, "Aw… look, you hurt da widdle pup's feewings. Pathetic…"

"Uncalled for," Morris countered, coming back over. "He done did more than you probably would have, so that automatically makes 'im more of an alpha then you."

Stain scoffed, "He wishes…."

Simen prepared to go over to Lee, but was stopped by KG, who simply shook his head. "Give him some space… These pendejos have just been laying it on really thick for no reason…" he whispered.

Simen sighed in return, looking back over to the lone Boltund. He just didn't understand why some of the guys were just so adamantly against him.

"Alright, Roy you're up," Travis said, still cockily stretching. "Gonna wanna save me for the big guy."

KG deadpanned, "Ah, yes señor, after your… "desempeño sorprendente" in the last challenge against him… You'll definitely do well here."

The Electivire scoffed, "As if you'd do any better, short stuff."

"Of course I wouldn't," KG replied flatly. "I'm just telling you that you won't, either."

"Hey, hey, now. We don't need no damn negativity right now. We're tied," Morris chimed in. He looked at KG, "And considerin' that you probably ain't even gonna compete, I don't wanna hear a thing from you."

There was a bit of awkward silence before Roy awkwardly spoke up, "So… Am I going? Or…?"

000

"Whoever decided these teams… I hope your pillows are always warm," KG huffed, folding his arms.

000

"Jeez… Dose bozos really hate each other ova' dere," Martin cackled. "Almost like us, but… more intense. I love it."

"We don't hate each other, though," Dale argued.

The Morgrem's eyes went to Steve, looking at the Toucannon up and down. The Cannon Pokémon's eyes tightened in a glare. "Beg to differ," Martin retorted.

"Well, regardless of anyone's feelings… We've got a challenge to win," Steve declared. There was a brief confident cheer from Dale and Nick, while the other four all remained quiet.

As Steve stepped away to pick up the harness, he glanced over at the opposite team. His eyes tightened into an angry glare, a sharp exhale exiting his nostrils.

000

"Alright, round four…" Reshiram began. "Steve for the Conkeldurrs vs. Roy for the Machamps…"

Steve wore his same glare, ready to take on the Throh across the pit.

Roy gulped in nervousness, seeing the bird's expression. It was much more intense than usual and given the way the Toucannon was in the first challenge, he was worried that he would get it worse.

"In three… two… one… GO!"

-000-

Steve immediately took flight, flying in the opposite direction. Roy dug his feet into the ground and held on tight to the rope, trying to keep himself stable.

He grunted, "Oh come on, how is this fair?!"

"True…" Zekrom responded, looking up at the Toucannon. "Alright, brief pause!" he announced. "Steve! Get down! We need this to be fair!"

The Cannon Pokémon offered no verbal response, his eyes still holding the same intense expression. He didn't care that he would need to land. He simply followed orders and grabbed a hold of his rope.

"Okay… resume!" Reshiram called.

With Steve now on the ground, Roy thought that he would have an easier time, especially since they were further apart. However, it seemed like it didn't matter.

Steve held his ground and, using his strong wings, pulled hard on the rope while simultaneously moving back. Roy groaned as he continued trying to pull the Toucannon forward.

It was a stalemate for a few moments before Steve started to feel himself being pulled forward. However, he didn't panic. He simply observed Roy's actions, watching as he pulled harder and harder while moving backwards, slowly inching the Toucannon toward the pit.

000

"I've seen and played this game multiple times growing up, so I know some of the tips and tricks that guarantee victory," Steve gloated.

000

Roy continued using the same technique, pulling and stepping back to bring the Cannon Pokémon forward. However, as he prepared to do it again, Steve rushed towards the pit, knocking the Throh off balance as he fell onto his back.

Using this opportunity, Steve started to pull him again, dragging him closer and closer to the edge at a much faster rate.

Roy quickly got back up to his feet and held onto the rope to keep himself stable. The dirt and mud under the grass had been brought to the surface due to them trying to stay put, so the Throh had a few issues with his footing as he was pulled closer and closer to the pit.

With one final heave, Steve managed to yank the Judo Pokémon into the pit.

"And the Conkeldurrs pull ahead! The score is now three to two," Reshiram announced. "Just one more point, and the Conkeldurrs win it."

Despite having just earned his team another point, Steve wasn't satisfied. The Toucannon glowered back at the opposing team, his eyes settling on one person in particular…

-000-

Roy slowly pulled himself out of the mud, letting out a sigh. He shook his arms off and wandered toward his team, "Sorry guys…"

"Dude's a sergeant, I didn't doubt that he had a lotta power behind him," Travis replied with a shrug. He'd recalled what Steve had said to him back at the gym, so he'd come to expect this result when the bird's turn arose. "Plus, you're weak to him anyway, so that was just a freebie for them."

Roy blinked before giving the yeti a look of annoyance. As previously mentioned, Travis got taken down by an elbow to the gut earlier, but he was acting like he could handle Rane? Unbelievable. "Seriously..?"

"You're good, Roy," Simen sighed. "Can't win 'em all…"

The Throh smiled, nodding back at the Voltorb. His newly calm demeanor was soon replaced with more irritation as Travis started to jog in place, "Okay, I got this… I got this…"

"You'd better," Stain huffed.

KG and Simen exchanged looks before they looked back over at the other team, where Rane was putting on the harness. KG sighed, "It's over, amigo…"

000

Travis stood on the opposite of the pit, the harness wrapped around him in a snug manner. A smirk was fixed onto his face as he eyed Rane competitively. After his encounter with him and Steve at the gym, the Thunderbolt Pokémon took what Steve said to heart and kept working out for as long as he could in order to build up his strength. Now, despite his poor performance in the first challenge, his confidence was boosted.

Rane remained expressionless, not having much to really worry about, as far as he was concerned. He took on the Electivire before, and he could do it again.

"Alright… This is the deciding round!" Zekrom announced. "If Rane wins, the Conkeldurrs win immunity. If Travis wins, we move onto a sudden death round. Both sides ready?"

"Hell yeah!" Travis eagerly boomed, getting in a squatting pose. "I'm definitely ready this time…"

Rane simply blinked in response, confused by his level of confidence and enthusiasm. He soon shrugged it off, though.

"Alright, this one's for all the marbles," Zekrom began. "In three… two… one… GO!"

Travis immediately started trying to run backwards, but didn't move from his spot. He kept trying to pull, but with each yank, it looked like Rane wasn't moving. The Electivire growled, trying the pull with all his strength, "Come on, dammit! What are you? Made of concrete?!"

Rane looked down at the bouncing rope as Travis continued trying to yank him into the pit. The Golisopod let out a sigh before grabbing hold of the rope and giving it one extremely hard tug. Travis was yanked forward, landing on his face. "What the hell?!"

Rane tugged on the rope once again, dragging the Electivire even closer to the pit. He quickly tried to get back up onto his feet, but the Hard Scale Pokémon immediately brought him to the ground once again. "Please…" he whispered to himself as he tried to stand once again.

With one final tug, Travis was forced into the mud pit. Rane approached the pit, peering down and seeing Travis emerge, coated in the wet dirt. He looked over to the hosts for confirmation, which came almost immediately.

"And the Candid Conkeldurrs win immunity!" Reshiram announced.

The members of the team let out cheers, aside from Rane, who simply shrugged his shoulders. As Travis pulled himself out, a look of sincere disappointment etched onto his face, his team let out groans and irritated grumbles.

000

Travis held his head for a few moments. After a moment, he took a breath, "Damn it…"

000

All of the players gathered in front of the hosts once again.

"Alright, you all worked hard and put forth your best efforts in today's challenges," Reshiram began. "However, one team managed to come out on top. So, a big congratulations to the Candid Conkeldurrs for winning our first immunity challenge," Reshiram began, giving them a small applause. "You all did very well."

"We appreciate that," Steve stated with a nod.

A few members of the Mighty Machamps either rolled their eyes or scoffed, bitter at their losses. By their accounts, the team didn't beat them. Rane beat them.

"Easy to 'ppreciate it when you have only one or two guys doin' all of the work," Morris fumed, folding his arms.

"'Ey, we won fair 'n square," Martin shot back. "Ain't our fault y'all are too busy hatin' each other instead of winning."

None of the Machamps responded to the Morgrem's statement. Instead, they either glared at him, or exchanged disgruntled glares with each other, proving his point.

"Well, Machamps, we'll be seeing you all at elimination tonight," Zekrom followed, ignoring the brief exchange. "For now, everyone head on back to camp…"

With that, all of the players started heading back to the campgrounds.

000

Morris groused, "Great, jus' great. We done lost the first challenge and now we gotta send someone home."

He took a breath, "The only good thing 'bout this is that at least we can get rid of Stain."

000

"Wait… what?" Roy responded in confusion.

Having returned to the Sausage Link, Stain had immediately asked both Travis and Roy to meet him in his room before they could shower. Now that they'd lost, the Muk knew that he would likely be on the chopping block. He'd already spoken to Roy, following the pee prank, so now he felt a bit more powerful. "You heard me. We need to get rid of Morris. If we want to be in control, we've got to take him out immediately."

"But… Don't we need strength for challenges?" Roy inquired. "Isn't that what these competitions all hinge on?"

Stain sighed, annoyed that he'd have to explain this to the Throh. "No, the challenges are not all these dumb shows hinge on," he responded with a belch. "You've gotta have a strategy now, thanks to all these females and beta males who win these shows."

"Yeah," Travis concurred. "The online nerds have kinda fucked things up and now everyone has to actually think for these shows…"

"Right," Stain gurgled. "So, this strategy is for us to take out that dumb wannabe leader, take control, and then get rid of those other three pathetic betas they stuck us with…"

Roy scratched his head. Their plan didn't make much sense to him. "But, isn't it better to try and keep as much strength as we can so that we can avoid losing more?"

Stain rolled his eyes, "There have been plenty of times where strong people get voted out of their team and the team still functions fine. Just vote for Morris, and you'll see what I'm talking about."

Roy was still hesitant and confused. It just didn't sound right. Plus, who was to say that their plan would work?

"Plus, did you see how bad he did in the first challenge we did?" Stain continued, "He got destroyed like the dumb beta he is, and tried to redeem himself in the second challenge by going up against one of the weaker betas on the other team. He's pathetic and he needs to go."

Roy was still uncertain, but let out a sigh, "I mean… Okay, I guess?"

"Good," Stain replied. "Now, you've gotta go convince the weaker losers to vote for him as well, but don't even mention me."

"Yeah, everyone is just completely against Stain, so if you tell them it's his idea, then they won't do it," Travis added, folding his arms.

"Okay… What do I say, then?" Roy inquired.

"Tell them that Morris is trying to convince us to vote for one of them. Then, let them know you're planning on voting for Morris," Stain belched. "They're so stupid and insecure, they'll believe it. "

Roy opened his mouth to speak, but remained silent. He was new to these shows, so what did he know? "Well, uh… I guess I'll go shower first, and then I'll try to find them and let them know," the Throh replied.

"Mhmm…" Stain muttered.

The Judo Pokémon exited the room, leaving Stain and Travis alone. Whether or not the Throh would actually follow through was a question that they'd have answered at the ceremony.

000

"Ugh," Roy grunted. "I'm new to these shows and everything, but I'm of the mind that we have to keep the stronger guys in so that we can win all the challenges."

"Stain had told me about how alliances are needed in order to guarantee safety, but I don't know about this specific plan. If anything it'd be better to vote out Simen, as much as I like the guy. He's just a ball, so he probably won't be able to do a lot of things for the team," the Throh explained. He then let out a sigh, "But, if the team gets stronger without Morris… Then so be it."

000

"Lee… amigo… Please, come out," KG replied, standing outside of the Dog Pokémon's door. "The other guys are a buncha bastardos. You shouldn't listen to them!"

"Yeah, Lee! It's just the second day!" Simen added. "Things could get better!"

Neither of them received an answer. KG pressed his head against the door and could hear faint sobbing from inside. He let out a sigh, "I don't think he's gonna talk to us…"

"Maybe he just needs more space," Simen suggested. "Let's just leave him alone for now. We need to find Roy anyway and see if we can get rid of Stain."

KG looked back at Lee's door before letting out a sigh once again and nodding back. The pair left to try to find Roy, leaving Lee's door alone.

-000-

Inside, the Boltund was sobbing into his pillow. So many emotions were flooding through him: anxiety, sadness, disappointment, fear, hate... It was all too much to handle on the first day of the competition.

Having seen other shows, he had expected trash talk and maybe a few slurs here and there. However, the fact that he felt like he couldn't breathe without someone belittling him and making him feel like a disappointment or less of a male was just mentally draining for him.

"I… I don't wanna be here…" he whispered, sniffling to himself. He clenched his eyes shut as tears streamed down his face. "I-I just…"

He suddenly heard a knock at his door, startling him. Assuming that it was Simen and KG again, he just remained quiet. He just wanted to be alone. No, he needed to be alone. Given that there was no other knock, he assumed that they'd left.

He was wrong, as he could hear the turning of his doorknob. He rolled over, now irritated that someone was coming in without his consent. However, his look of irritation turned into one of confusion as he saw who was entering his room.

"S-Steve?" the Boltund stammered, sniffling.

The Toucannon closed the door behind him, letting out a sigh. Approaching the Boltund's bed, the bird asked, "How're you holding up?"

Lee was still confused and taken aback by the Toucannon's abrupt visit. He could've sworn that he didn't like him because of well… the same reason a few of the others were treating him poorly. Acknowledging his question, Lee rubbed his eyes, "Not good." He sniffed, "What are you even doing here?"

"I needed to check up on you…" he stated softly. "I uh… I saw and heard everything they were saying about you…"

Lee huffed, tears still in his eyes, "Yeah, I'm pretty sure everyone heard. I just don't get why some of them are so damn negative towards me. I haven't even done anything, yet Travis is claiming that I make him uncomfortable, Stain and Martin are just assholes, and Morris is just… I don't know… "

The Boltund felt a wing draping around his back. "Some… Some people are just pieces of shit like that… They get pleasure out of spreading negativity and making others feel down. The key is to always fight back. I know it can be tou-"

"What do you know!?" Lee suddenly cried, startling the Toucannon. "It's always a struggle! No matter what, as soon as people see me and learn that I'm gay, I just don't get left alone! Me and my friends almost always have to fight people who start shit with us for no reason. And it's almost always people your age that have something to say if we ever post anything online…"

The Boltund turned back around and lied down. Steve let out a sigh. He could completely understand Lee's sadness and anger, as he felt the same way for a long time. He told himself that he wouldn't tell anyone else, but seeing Lee broken this early in the competition was just sad.

He let out a deep breath, "Son… I'm gay, too."

Lee's ears perked up upon hearing that. The Boltund slowly turned back around, a look of shock on his face. "Y-You're what?"

"I'm not repeating myself," Steve stated firmly. "Just know that I do understand what you're going through and how you feel. I've felt it for decades. People denying you service… trying to fight and/or kill you… harassing you… I've seen a lot of it and dealt with a lot of it."

Lee suddenly felt guilty about what he said, his ears flattening against his head. "S-Sorry…"

Steve shook his head. "No need for apologies. Like I said, I get it. What I don't get… is why you're not just fighting back? Why are you breaking down this quickly over a bunch of morons who could never please you, let alone a woman…?"

Lee stared down at his paws. "It's just… Back home, it's not all the time. There's plenty of people that defend me. I can go days and weeks without dealing with any bullshit, but it doesn't make it hurt any less when it does happen. Here, it just feels like it's constant jokes at my expense or the guys looking down on me and having no faith in anything I do because of how they see people like us. And failing both challenges certainly didn't earn me any credit."

Steve stifled a laugh, "Sorry about that… but at least you're making an effort, unlike some of the people on your team of dipshits."

Lee chuckled a bit at the Toucannon's apology before looking back down at his paws.

Steve smiled as he could feel the Boltund's mood increase. "Look, I know that most of your teammates are shit, but I don't need to see you breaking down again, alright? You are a soldier… A fabulous soldier," he teased, puffing his chest out slightly as he pretended to dust it off.

Lee playfully scoffed at the display, "Woow, really?"

Steve shrugged with a smirk before wrapping a wing around the Boltund again. "You'll be alright, kid. Just don't give up…"

Lee smiled, "Thanks…"

000

Lee sighed, "I guess… I guess I just got really overwhelmed. I just wanted to prove that I'm worthwhile and that I'm not a liability just because I'm gay, but… I don't have to prove anything to anyone."

"I never expected that out of everyone… Steve would make me feel better," he commented. "He's right, though. Stain, Travis, Morris, Martin… None of them are worth the time. I've really just gotta ignore them and live my life."

000

"I saw the kid isolate himself from that sorry group of 'men', and it reminded me of how I was when I was younger," Steve explained. "No one deserves to be treated like shit just because other sad bastards are worried about what they stick or don't stick in others."

000

"Wait, so you think we should focus on eliminating Morris?" Simen inquired as he and KG stood outside of Roy's shower.

"Uh… yeah. He said that he wanted to vote one of you guys out and I uh… I don't agree," the Throh replied, feeling very awkward at the moment.

"Wait, he wants to eliminate one of us? Not Stain? The one he's been complaining about all day?" KG asked, becoming a bit irate.

Roy replied, "Yeah, uh… Something about keeping the team strong or something. U-uh, sorry dudes, but this is very uncomfortable. Could we talk about this after I'm out?"

Simen prepared to respond, but KG took over, saying, "Nah, it's okay. You're fine, Roy. Thanks for the head's up."

The Fuecoco started stomping out of the bathroom, with Simen quickly rolling after him.

000

"Okay… I guess that was easier than I thought," Roy commented.

000

Morris was sitting on the couch in the living room, drinking from a water bottle. He was very disappointed with the results of the day's challenges, but he was at least glad that they could get rid of Stain. Sure, Simen had no limbs, but he seemed to be smart; Lee definitely was a fighter, which he appreciated; and KG, he felt, had a lot of potential. Plus, as obnoxious as Travis was, he and Roy were reliable for their strength.

With two out of three of his worries settled down, this left Stain as his main problem. The faster they got rid of him, the better the team would be, in his eyes. Just then, Steve flew from around the corner, heading upstairs. Shortly after, a still muddy Lee came to the front in order to get a drink before he showered.

Seeing him, Morris wanted to check in with him and see where his head was at. Given the sour treatment he dealt with, he could see Lee voting for either Travis or Stain, but he wanted to be sure that it was Stain.

"'Ey Lee, come 'ere a sec…" Morris called.

The Boltund, who was now holding a bottle of Pecha Soda in his teeth, let out a sigh. He didn't want to talk to the 'racist', but knew that there would possibly be issues if he didn't.

Putting the bottle down, he inquired, "What is it?"

"You're voting for Stain, right?" he asked.

Lee rolled his eyes, "Yeah. I am…"

"Okay, good. Jus' checkin'," Morris replied. "I know you done felt disrespected and all that, so I just wanted t' make sure we're all on the same page."

"Yeah… the bastard needs to go," Lee growled.

Morris nodded as he kicked his feet up onto the couch. Seeing this as his sign to leave, the Boltund grumbled to himself before grabbing his bottle and heading back to his room.

On his way there, he bumped into KG and Simen, who immediately acknowledged him. "Lee! You're out of your room?"

Lee exhaled, putting down his bottle. "Yeah. Sorry, guys… I just… I needed some time to myself."

"No, no, we get it," Simen replied. "We're just glad you're okay."

Lee smiled before glancing over and seeing that KG was wearing the same expression that he had on earlier that morning. He sighed, "What happened?"

"Uh…" Simen droned.

000

The elimination ceremony took place on the other, secluded, part of the beach. This area was circular, somewhat closed off by the vegetation. There were multiple boulder-like seats spread about in the sand, with four wooden lamp posts spread in a square formation around the vicinity. A large, sandstone podium sat in front of all of the seats, as this would be where either Zekrom or Reshiram spoke. A rocky path, lined with more lamp posts, led all the way to the water, where there was a dock sitting.

All of the members of the Mighty Machamps gathered at the vicinity, taking their seats. None of them looked amused, though they were intrigued by the setup.

Eventually, Reshiram and Zekrom arrived, with Zekrom taking the spot at the podium. He cleared his throat, introducing, "Welcome to your first elimination ceremony. I'm sure most of you know how this works."

Reshiram spoke up, gesturing to the rocky path, "Once you're voted out, you must travel down the Rocky Road to the Dock of Descent, where a boat will take you away."

"Yep," Stain deadpanned, letting out a louder burp than normal. "Take you away to a resort with food and stuff. Probably why so many bitches sign up. They just want a free vacation…"

"Wait… What!?" Roy exclaimed in surprise. "You go to a resort if you lose?!"

Zekrom sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "STAIN, please just…"

The Deep Black Pokémon took a deep breath, deciding to get back on track. "Okay, to vote… You guys will travel down that path," he said, pointing to a different path. "There, you will find a tree with a camera attached to it, as well as a stool. Simply say the name of the person you want gone, and return to your seat."

"Now, based on how the challenges went… I can only assume that people have mixed feelings about each other," Reshiram commented. "So, we'll see how this goes…"

000

"Stain… I hope nothing but the worst for ya," Morris commented. "You're the reason why a lotta gals don't trust us."

000

"...Told ya you'd regret it," Stain stated.

000

All of the players finished voting and were now waiting for the results. Morris glanced at Stain, who kept a neutral expression. The Barbaracle huffed, rolling his eyes.

Eventually, the hosts returned, only this time they were accompanied by Ahku. The Iron Hands was there, holding a platter of-

"Uh… Are those Alolan Rolls?" Simen inquired, eyeing the familiar pieces of bread on the platter.

"Yes, they are," Reshiram confirmed. "You'll be going to dinner shortly after this, so we thought that your symbols of safety should be something to whet your appetites…"

Just as she said that, a few stomach growls were heard, causing her to chortle to herself.

Zekrom shook his head with a smile, "Now, onto the votes. When I call your name, you're safe…"

The guys all exchanged looks, anticipating their names being called.

"KG…"

The Fuecoco smiled as he was tossed an Alolan Roll.

"Lee… Roy… Travis… Simen…"

Lee caught his roll with his mouth, while Roy cupped his hands to catch his, and Travis caught his with one hand. Simen didn't have any hands to catch his, so KG caught it for him.

"Stain… Morris… You guys are on the bottom," Zekrom declared.

"No shit, Sherlock…" Stain flatly retorted, holding in a burp.

"...Anyways…" the Deep Black Pokémon replied. "Morris… You seem to be rubbing people the wrong way with the things you say, and your challenge performances leave a lot to be desired thus far."

Morris sighed, "Figures…"

"And Stain… I honestly don't have to say why you're here," Zekrom flatly stated.

The Muk rolled his eyes. As if he cared about what any of these people had to say.

"Nevertheless… the player going home is…

…

…

…

…

…

…Morris."

The Barbaracle's eyes widened as he shot up. "WHAT?!" he exclaimed. He turned to his now former team. "Y'all chose to get rid of me over that pile o' shit that ain't ever gonna help y'all?!"

"I'd rather handle a lazy misogynist than a racist bigot," Lee huffed.

Roy and Travis' eyes widened upon hearing that, as did Morris', who was shocked and confused. "Racist? What are you talkin' 'bout?" he asked in bewilderment.

"Oh, so you didn't come at me and Simen aggressively and act like I wasn't allowed to speak?!" KG growled. "You're just gonna act like that never happened?!"

Hearing that, Morris facepalmed. He took a breath, composing himself. "Lemme make this clear… I ain't a racist… I ain't homophobic… I ain't no misogynist…"

"Then can you explain why you said what you said and acted how you did?" Simen inquired, wanting to hear his side.

The Barbaracle sighed, but obliged. "I'd heard 'bout a rumor that got spread around about how if ya treat Paldean folk poor, they show more energy and strength," he explained. "I was tryin' to make ya be more fierce, and ya did at some times."

The Fuecoco scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. "Cabrón, you expect me to beli-"

Travis suddenly burst into laughter, getting everyone's attention. Confused, Roy asked, "Dude… What's so funny? It's messed up."

"Dude, that rumor is related to the bedroom," Travis explained. "My bros read it before, tried it out, and it failed. They got their asses kicked."

"Wait… What?" Morris replied. "The rumor was fake?"

"So, you're not only a racist… You're a damn idiot, too," Stain laughed

Morris glared at the two cacklers before looking at the remaining four, who were all wearing confused expressions. "So, you all voted for me because you thought that I was a racist?"

"Well, not just that…" Simen expounded. We were gonna vote for Stain, but then Roy said that you were trying to target one of us and well… Survival of the fittest."

"Wha-No I wasn't! I was tryin' to get rid of Stain! I even checked in with Lee to make sure before we had to come here!" Morris defended himself. He looked at the Throh in question, "Roy! What the hell!?"

The Throh immediately pointed to Stain and Travis, "They told me to do it! I thought it was stupid, but I don't know what's right or wrong for these damn games!"

Stain chuckled, "Shoulda decided to work with me, loser…"

Morris glared at the Sludge Pokémon before his eyes twinkled with realization. "Well, I hope you realize that now everyone on the team knows that you and Travis can't be trusted, so… I'll be seeing y'all soon enough."

Travis' smile slowly faded as he looked around and saw that the other four were now looking at him and Stain. The Muk, however, remained unfazed. "Yawn…"

"Morris, it's time for you to go," Reshiram instructed. "Head on down to the dock."

The Collective Pokémon scoffed before starting his walk toward the dock, where he could see a motorboat begin to pull up.

000

"What a buncha…" Morris growled. "All they had to do was talk to me! Though, I guess I get why they didn't. If I thought someone was a bad guy, I wouldn't wanna…"

He sighed, "Arceus dammit…"

000

The two hosts turned their attention to the remaining Mighty Machamps. "Alright, head on to the Mess Hall. We'll be there shortly with dinner," Zekrom instructed.

The six males began making their way back toward the camp, leaving the couple and Ahku at the ceremony area.

Reshiram turned to a camera, "And with that, our first contestant has been eliminated…"

"...and all because of a provocative rumor that was misinterpreted, thought to be a personal attack, and Stain…" Zekrom sighed, rubbing his head. "I feel like this is going to be a long season…"

"Possibly," Reshiram replied with a sigh of her own. "For now, though, we've got to go pick up dinner for the contestants. So, thank you all for watching and we'll see you all next time on Total… Pokémon… Maelstrom!"

000

Votes:

Morris - 6 votes (KG, Lee, Roy, Simen, Stain, Travis)

Stain - 1 votes (Morris)

000

Mighty Machamps - (KG, Lee, Roy, Simen, Stain, Travis)

Candid Conkeldurrs - (Dale, Lexico, Martin, Nick, Rane, Steve, Tate)

000

And with that, Morris is gone. All a big misunderstanding, plus Stain being petty. Lots of possible developments to be made. Roy needs to learn how this game works fast before more cool people get eliminated. Steve is gay? Rane proving to be a force to be reckoned with already? Dale acting as a mediator and being uncertain about the alliance? Lee and Steve friendship? Stain… actually having an alliance? What could possibly go wrong?

With Morris, he but he was always gonna be an early out, but I didn't want to have the first boot just be the one with the 'obvious gimmick'. Morris can have his moments where he doesn't really get social cues and doesn't really show that much care when he sees something bad happening. It can happen, but it wouldn't happen much. He's all about hard work, dedication, and actually putting in effort, hence why he and Stain would obviously clash. And since Stain grabbed some extra bodies, we had to bid him farewell.

With him gone now, we'll see how things fare for the Mighty Machamps, because now the other guys know the truth. Anyways, see ya guys, BYE!

000

Elimination Order:

14th - Morris Cirria (The Southern Boy)