NOTE: Special thanks to Autonomous Orange, Bronzern, CDW, CriticaLee, Dark Amphithere, Dark Arcanine 33, Dearest Milo, GiratinaEmpress, InfernoMaster64, Jalengu, J3tro, Kai the Raichu, kalosianlitten, KingOfkinghts, LiveLaughLoveTourmaline, LordCharizard, maycontestdrew, Nihilego Fanatic, Premasaur, pyroau, RoyalAbsol, Shuckle Master, Singular Scissor, Soul of the Witch, SuperDaikenki, Sweet brisk, TheGrimTroupe, Tricky Magic, Unknown Writer 96, watyrbottleperson, WryterWarrior, Zeryas, and everyone else, for making this story possible.


The last glimmers of sunset faded into twilight, darkness stewing over the vast ocean surrounding the only island for miles. Embers simmered from the only light source in sight, a modest campfire pit, whose crackling flame gave way to sound amongst deafening silence.

Sitting around the inferno, each atop a stump, were three figures, each of wildly different shapes and sizes. One, a simple weed with legs. The second, a purple scorpion. And the third, a sleek, black mammal with lunar markings. Their expressions were reminiscent of statues; set in stone from their own brimming anxiety, as they stared down the fire before them…Then turned said look onto the man just beyond it.

The man was some sort of rodent, namely a beaver, with beady black eyes and a pair of buckteeth. He had a wide, sort of flabby body with layers of well-distributed fat, providing a nice, natural coat. Using his webbed paws, he adjusted the bright red bowtie wrapped around his neck, before plucking out a comb from his short, puffed up tail, running it along the fur on his head and showing off the massive, almost exaggerated pompadour he wore with all the confidence in the world. In fact, that was what set him apart from his species; confidence. For such a universally insulted, goofy species, he seemed uncharacteristically prideful and self-assured. It looked downright uncanny.

To these three, this beaver was best known as Bidoof; their guide across this treacherous land they had reluctantly come to know as home. The man of the hour whose voice sang out to command them to act. And so many times before…Charon, who'd escort the souls of the dead to their rightful resting place, as he had done so many times prior. And these three had yet to face such a fate…

Holding up a slim wooden box, Bidoof placed it down onto the podium before him with a showman's grin. With the flick of the switches on the side, it creaked open, and he looked over his captive audience.

"Final three...You guys have come one heck of a long way to get here, haven't 'ya?" He opened, his cruel smile widening as he added, "Thirty-eight days…Seventeen eliminations…More injuries than most hospitals could even rationalize…And yet, somehow, you're the ones who are still here."

"The semi-finalists of Outcaster!"

The three exchanged glances; Oddish, Skorupi, and Umbreon, as they had come to be called. The sole survivors of this game's terrifying grip on their lives. The only ones to endure the hardships they had faced thus far. Those who would soon have to face a righteous jury, who'll so cruelly judge them for their sins in this game, if they could even call it as much at this point. And all the while, Bidoof only laughed, reaching inside that devil box of his as to further milk their dread.

"Unfortunately, one of you can kiss your chances of victory goodbye," he explained, pulling forth from the box a paper slip; one of three that laid within, "as always, you have all voted and made your decision. Whoever receives the most votes shall be removed from the island, leaving just two with the chance to claim their supposedly deserved prize."

His horrid snicker ran up the length of their spines, as their expressions hardened in determination. They had come so far. They wanted this more than anything, or so they had convinced themselves.

Unraveling the slip, Bidoof looked over the writing on it, and spoke, "The first vote…"

"Umbreon."

The Eeveelution, her blood boiling with disgust, narrowed a glare at this news. She had expected as much, of course; she and Skorupi had lost their chance at safety this day. They'd both be receiving votes from this tribal. And yet, the feeling of such a thing ruining her thus far perfect record in this game was a nasty pill to swallow.

"Second vote…Skorupi."

It was the meager scorpion's turn to flinch this time, as he and Umbreon exchanged a sparse glance. They had never interacted much; different tribes, far different personalities. There was never a point. And yet they'd both like to think there was a sense of respect between them for having made it this far.

But respect wasn't the name of the game, as they had come to know so well. They turned their attention to Oddish, who heaved a personal sigh of relief before meeting their gaze. It was all on him now.

The three turned their attention to Bidoof one last time, as he held out the third, and final, slip of paper.

"Now then…Our third vote…And the final member of our jury," Bidoof began, his smirk creeping upward, "is-"

And yet, in the blink of an eye, the sight of him was lost, as was everything that once was, as the television program flickered off with a single press of a button.

In the reflection of the screen was a woman, laying on the couch. She was a lean lioness, her red hair styled into an inverted bob cut. Diamond earrings and various bejeweled bands and bracelets decorated her body, topped off by those custom-made rhinestone sunglasses. She read, on first impression, as a woman of power. One who demanded respect from eye contact alone.

To her fans and enemies alike, she was known as many things…But for this story, Pyroar should suffice.

Her expression had hardened into one of hatred; if looks could kill, her TV would have begun to melt under the pressure of her glare. Her only aid in this time of need came in the form of the red wine she had so lifelessly been sipping from.

With another drink, her gaze began to wander. And just in the corner of her eye, she found the source of her frustrations.

A picture frame laying atop a table. In the photograph within was one of herself, a genuine smile across her face. And beside her, a man; a horse to be specific, with a rainbow mane and an equally confident posture. For now, Rapidash was all he would be known by.

And in that moment, where her eyes met his, all she could see was red, as her grip tightened around her drink. She pushed the photo away without so much as a second thought, its fragile frame falling from atop its wooden throne and crashing against the floor.

Had she bothered to pay it any mind after that, she'd have noticed the crack running down the center, right between their smiling forms.


"Five, four, three...Two…"

With the snap of a finger and the push of a button, a video camera sparked to life. Before it, and the camera crew just out of view, was a lush, massive island, with more trees than the eye could see, and mountains large enough to tear through the clouds. From the perspective of the wooden dock the camera stood atop, it looked truly unruly and beastly in nature. A relic of the "before times", when humans ruled the Earth, and Pokémon were little more than savages. Yet as the times changed, here it was, still standing, same as it always had been.

"Gooooooooooooooooood evening, world!"

Popping into frame came an armored woman, the striking golden exterior around the body of black and red standing out from the immaculate background behind her. She beamed at the camera excitedly, following up her greeting with, "And welcome...To the Orange Archipelago!"

Gesturing back to the island just behind her, and the others within view from the dock, she explained, "A series of isolated islands just off the coast of Kanto; home to hundreds of native flora, over a dozen unique biomes, and exactly one shiny Gyrados!"

Shifting in place, she grinned at the camera and gave a wave, continuing her explanation with, "I'm your host, Armarouge, and together with my sister…"

Armarouge noticed the empty spot by her side, and sighing, she walked a few steps off screen. Afterward, she came back, pulling in another figure with her; and in terms of appearance looked distinctly similar to the red hued knight, except her flames were shades of purple and she held a pair of fiery blue blades on either end of her arms.

This second figure sent a harsh glare the Armarouge's way- only to instinctively cringe back at the camera's gaze, as the crew centered its focus onto her. The violet hued knight glanced off awkwardly, desperate for a savior who wouldn't come, before admitting defeat with a sigh, "...Ceruledge."

Grinning in delight, Armarouge continued, "-We'll be bringing you television's next big reality series, right now, live!"

Armarouge excitedly clapped her hands together. Ceruledge meanwhile just…Awkwardly dinked her sword-like arms, the flames sparking from the impact but otherwise remaining painfully apathetic.

Clearing her through, the obvious head of the two began once more by saying, "In the coming minutes, twenty-six Pokémon from all over the world will be arriving here, at Valencia Island, where for the next eight weeks, they'll be participating in the competition of a lifetime!"

Armarouge excitedly nudged her co-host. Ceruledge looked uncertain, but flinched back at her sister's gaze, before groaning out, "Upon their arrival, they'll be divided into teams, and every few days, they'll play in challenges against each other."

"Which if they win them," Armarouge butted in, "they'll be fabulously rewarded!"

"Meanwhile, if they lose, they'll have to face the judgment of their team, where one sad sack will be sent home, never to return…" Ceruledge added…Before narrowing her eyes into a stern glare, clarifying strictly, "Ever."

Giggling, Armarouge nodded along, "This'll continue, week after week, until eventually, only one mon will be left standing, who'll then receive-"

"One-hundred and fifty million poké," Ceruledge deadpanned, "which is roughly equivalent to one million, one-hundred and twenty thousand, seven-hundred and three pokédollars-"

As she was explaining as much, a late briefcase was thrown from off-camera…Only to land unfortunately right onto the co-host's feet, causing her eyes to go wide in pain, screaming out, "Son of a bi-"

Jumping in front of her sister, Armarouge forced an even wider smile in the midst of her co-host's frustration, explaining with delight, "Yes, indeed folks at home...One-hundred and fifty million poké! Just imagine the possibilities; you could go on vacation, pay off your student loans, eat a five-star dinner, and throw half it into the sea, and you'd still probably be made for life!"

Rubbing her foot, Ceruledge groaned, growling out, "Or they'll be like most irresponsible, immature young adults who sign up for this sorta thing and blow it all in a week." Armarouge gave her a look for this, to which she could only shrug and say, "What? I'm just keeping it real."

Awkward silence between the two, as Armarouge uncomfortably shuffled in place under Ceruledge's intense attitude. After a moment the former forced a laugh, and carried on, "B-But hey, no judgement here! It's not our money!"

"Yeah, cause if it was," Ceruledge started, "I wouldn't be here right now-"

"-So how about instead of lingering on that thought, we start meeting the lucky mons competing for this fabulous prize!" Armarouge interrupted again, this time with a nearly deafening laugh, as she leaned in, grabbing her sister and pulling her close, "Chills, thrills, and a whole lotta bills! Who will crumble under the pressures of reality tv? What lifelong friendships will develop? And can we afford to film here the entire season?! Find out with me...Right now! On…"

Tightening her grip, she called out as dramatically as she could, "Total…Drama…Island!"

The camera lingered on the scene for a moment, much to the host's growing confusion. Armarouge threw up a brow, looking offscreen and calling out, "Where are the fireworks, guys? I thought we trained for this!"

After only getting a shrug in response, the host sighed, Ceruledge shaking her head and sending the camera a glare, "Alright, cut."

Bells rang out as production came to a halt, a trio of interns trying desperately to try and work out the kinks in the "dramatic entrance" machine before they'd continue filming. Armarouge and Ceruledge, meanwhile, stepped away from the scene, passing by an anole lizard with a headset on, who nodded to them as they passed.

"Filming again in two minutes on the dot," he stated calmly but firmly, a finger pressed against the side of the piece as he gave the passing hosts a side glance.

"Thanks, Cy," Armarouge whispered, to which the lizard merely nodded, before returning to his work. Cyclizar, as the designated assistant director on set, was more or less there to make sure everyone else was doing their job so production could run as smoothly as possible. As expected…He wasn't especially popular. That happens when your job comes down to telling people what to do.

As the pair of hosts stepped away, Ceruledge looked over the wandering staff, between the interns and the camera crew, the gaffers and grips, boom mic operators and lights; everyone had a role to keep things running smoothly. Yet regardless of position, they all shared one slight annoyance she had quaintly become familiar with…

"Okay, remind me again," she started, turning to her considerably more upbeat sister with a dull expression, "why do we gotta refer to each other by species exactly? In case the corporate drones have forgotten, we have names."

Armarouge, as she always tended to, had an answer ready to go, "Boss said it was to help us all 'stay in character', both on and off camera."

About as much of a non-answer as she had been anticipating, Ceruledge couldn't help but grumble, "Sure, whatever, but why even bother with the 'character' stuff in the first place? We're playing ourselves, so why the Hell can't anyone know who we are-"

However, with a hit of realization in the back of her head, sprouting out from her own distinct brand of cynicism mixed with an already exploding bout of apathy, she came to an answer of her own. One she found deeply annoying…Yet likely, especially as she slowly met her sister's apologetic gaze, which in her eyes, only acted as confirmation of the truth.

"...It's so they don't have to pay us royalties, isn't it."

Armarouge cringing back was all the answer required. "Sorry…"

Ceruledge groaned out as loudly as she could muster. She ran one of her blades along the top of her head, the light hiss against her armored scalp oddly calming the blooming fire atop with the newly found sparks. Reluctantly, she allowed herself to say, "It's…Whatever. Not like I need people to know I'm doing this crap anyway."

Frowning at this sort of response, Armarouge nudged her sister weakly, "Aw, c'mon sis, that's no way to look at this," she smiled sweetly, her gaze mixed warmly between nostalgia and anticipation, "I mean, we're gonna be on TV! That's exciting, right? We've wanted that ever since we were kids-"

But such sweetness was interrupted suddenly. "Correction; you wanted this," Ceruledge hissed out, her glare hardening as she explained, "I'm just here to make sure no greedy industry scumbags take advantage of you…" Though, as she said as much, her stare became wary, shaking somewhat as she turned away, "...And…I needed a job."

Armarouge looked over her sister in worry, reaching out, asking, "Sis, what do you-"

But before she could say anything else, the reappearance of a certain lizard between the two ended any sort of discussion. "Armarouge."

The pair of hosts flinched back, turning to see Cyclizar staring them down, writing down a note on his clipboard before looking up to meet their gaze. "Sorry to interrupt, but break's up; we need to start filming to keep up with the live feeds.

"O-Oh! Right!" Armarouge stammered out, nodding along with a hesitant smile, "Sorry, Cy, we'll get back in place in a second."

The lizard didn't respond, merely walking off; he had done his job, and as he had asked, it was time for the sisters to do theirs.

Sighing, Armarouge turned back to Ceruledge, hoping to finish their talk strong- only for disappointment to set in as she watched her sister walk away, having made the decision to not allow such a conclusion to occur.

"...Alright," Armarouge whispered to herself, shuffling in place awkwardly, "good talk."

Turning away, she gave a momentary glance to the sea. And as she watched the waves bounce up and down erratically, she couldn't help but ponder what the day- and Summer for that matter, had in store for her…


TPREBOOT
TOTAL DRAMA ISLAND


PROLOGUE NOTE

And so, here we have it; the beginning of Total Drama Island...Rebooted...With uh...Pokémon. Of course, as some of you know, this isn't my first rodeo; TPReboot used to exist in a different way, under a catalogue of stories that no longer exist on this website (but have been archived, so feel free to ask for those, though be aware of their potential as spoilers). In the current context, however, here we are, April 26th, 2023, with a new prologue for the story to come.

Some people can probably tell, but this used to be part of the original Episode #1...But I decided that this worked well enough as a hook to stand on its own. And of course, it gives me a bit more creative freedom on what do next time.

Regardless, this time around we met our hosts of this competition; sisters Armarouge and Ceruledge, along with some important side characters. If you recognize these four, good job, you're an oldie, and as you can no doubt tell, the original planned cast has been shuffled around, which'll certainly provide a unique experience from last time.

I plan to allow future notes to be longer, but for now...This is where we'll part. Thank you for reading, and hey...Don't forget to come back and review now, you hear me?

Ciao~


Bidoof: Welcome to the show, kiddies! Now get to reviewing already.