HEEELLLO! New chapter time! It's going… to be… well, a SHOCK! But enjoy!

So when I touch down, call the amateurs and cut 'em from the team…

It was a sunny day on the Island of Cryptids when Magcargo decided to take a leisurely walk around the island to take in the sights. After all, he has been living on the island for over a week now… so might as well familiarize himself with his surroundings. He hummed to himself as he walked over to the beach… to just walk along the waterside, of course! If there was one thing Magcargo had no intention of ever trying… it was swimming.

Magcargo's eyes walked over to the edge of the beach to gaze into the water, searching for any fascinating cryptids that might pop up, "It's such a nice day today… actually… scratch that! Every day on this island has been really bright and sunny! Not a single dark cloud in the sky!" He silently cheered internall as he saw a Luvdisc swimming in shallow waters. It was a rare sight… and he was thankful he got to see some Water-Pokemon without being forced to actually… go into the water. It distracted him from the overly physically-taxing challenges that Magcargo always struggled in.

He then slowly squinted as he noticed bubbles beginning to form in the water, "Holy Arceus, is that a Manaphy?! I didn't know their mating season happened this time of the year… maybe, I should tell Magearna about this. I mean, she should be friends with all of the Legends and the Mythical Pokemon, right?!" He gasped as something seemed to be emerging from the water. It was a purplish hue. "OMIGOSH! IT'S H-"

He froze as the figure that emerged from the water ended up to just so happen to be Sableye, who looked to be out of breath from being underwater too long, "O-oh, it's just another person on the other team. This is the worst moment to not memorize the entire National Pokedex because I literally don't know who he is… wait…" He paused, gasping in realization, "WAIT… what am I even saying?! Shouldn't I be helping him?!"

He quickly crawled into the water… or well, in his case, 'slowly' since Magcargo weren't known to be agile creatures. He groaned as he could do nothing but watch as Sableye struggled to stay afloat. He hissed out in pain even at the slight touch of water… so it looked like there was not much he could reallyt do. "Don't drown! Drowning is deadly, and while I think it would be interesting to have the first contestant casualty on this show, it is inhumane and really really scary, in hindsight and doh, I should be focusing on crawling faster than talking, r-"

"AAAAAAAH!" Sableye yelled at the top of his lungs, waving his arms around… only to blink as a life preserver was tossed onto him from a close distance… before continuing to yell, "AHHHH, I'm being eaten by a donut!"

"That's a life preserver! Grab on it!" Chansey came into view, walking over to the beach from the opposite direction of Magcargo, nearly out of breath. "You shouldn't have went swimming if you knew this was going to happen, Sableye…"'

Sableye let out a loud groan as he struggled to swim to shore, grabbing onto the life preserver Chansey threw at him, "I got a sudden stomach ache, hehe… also… I forgot how to swim…"

"Well… you're lucky I was at the right place at the ri-" Chansey started only to turn to Magcargo's direction in realization. "Oh wait, you're also here! Hello! You're on the other team, right?"

"Uhhmm… I am…" Magcargo eyed the nurse with a casual smirk. "I was going to help your teammates over there…" His eyes darted over to the now-beached Sableye, who was lying on the sand to rest. "But you know… Magcargo struggles are real. I'm not exactly the fastest Pokemon out here… and I'm not really good at water…"

Chansey nodded at this, "I understand. I appreciate the sentiment, given that well… you're on the other team. So, it's a bit unprecedented that you're claiming that you're not going to take advantage of Sableye getting himself hurt… on that note…" She turned to Sableye with a stern look, "Sableye, you have to be more careful next time… have you eaten recently?"

Sableye groaned, barely able to mutter out, "Only… had… Indeedee's secret stew… to eat… it was dry…"

"Dry soup? Made by Indeedee! That sounds delicious!" Magcargo commented, surprising the two members of the Shuppet. He cocked a brow in confusion, "What?! His dishes are really chewy and have an exotic taste! It reminds me of the cafeteria food when I was a kid. Ah, the memories! Don't tell me you guys don't feel the same?!"

"Well… I have vague memories…" Chansey answered with a sheepish expression. "They weren't good memories…"

"I don't know what cafeteria food tastes like…" Sableye admitted, struggling to sit up. "Is it supposed to be bitter and dry and lacking in any life or passion..? T-the trash from the dumpster tastes better…"

Magcargo blinked in confusion, "W-wait?! You eat from the trash?! Why though..?"

Sableye looked embarrassed, scratching his ears as he struggled to answer. "Uhh… I-I don't know? It'd be a waste to let… good food get to waste, right? It's not like… there was any food to eat… I just lived on the streets, without remembering having a home…"

Chansey and Magcargo both exchanged a concerned look, with the nurse walking over to the gremlin, to put a hand on his shoulder, "Sableye… trash is not for eating… I know you're a ghost type but you should be more mindful of your own health, unless you want to die twice… and err… do you not remember having a mother or father… or is that a touchy subject?"

Sableye gaped at this, before sighing quietly, "I didn't even know I already died… shucks… but I'll be more careful, Chansey… and uhh… I don't think so…"

Chansey frowned at this… feeling sympathetic towards the gremlin's plight while Magcargo looked to the side awkwardly, not knowing how to really react to Sableye casually sharing his real life struggles. "Well… I'm just glad you're safe, Sableye…"

"T-thank you…" Sableye muttered, rushing over to hug the nurse, who just laughed warmly. He then rushed past her to play with the sand while Chansey kept her eyes on him.

"Wow, you're really reliable like Oricorio! She's our team leader, by the way!" Magcargo exclaimed, impressed. "I guess being a nurse means you're really really calm under pressure and know what to do, in times like this! This must be why Vanilluxe kept talking about you after you patched him after the first challenge!"

Chansey blushed in embarrassment, twiddling her fingers awkwardly, "W-what?! I-I don't…"

"I mean… you somehow have a life preserver coincidentally as if you knew Sableye was about to drown!" Magcargo pointed out with a gasp. "Do you… perhaps… have E.S.P.?!"

"W-what?! I don't believe s-so…" Chansey answered, grabbing a hold of her first aid kid sitting on the sand. "I h-have my first aid kit, which has things for emergencies like this, including an inflatable life preserver… you never know…"

"Wow! You're really prepared! Vanilluxe was telling the truth after all!" Magcargo complimented the nurse, making her flushed expression intensify. "I wish you were on my team! Having a nurse would've been pretty cool!"

"W-what did Vanilluxe even say about me?! I'm well… not that great…" Chansey murmured, eyes shifting to the side. "If you want to consult a professional, I can direct you to Magearna… if you think I'm an expert, then she makes me look an amateur!"

Magcargo snorted playfully, rolling his eyes, "Pshaw, everyone has something they're good at. And if you're asking me, I think you're better than Magearna alre-" He noticed the nurse's expression sadden, smiling weakly, "Uhh… n-not that I think Magearna's terrible. I just think you're more approachable than her right. Heck, I haven't even talked with her at all!"

"Uhmm… maybe I should arrange a meeting between you two. I mean, Magearna's a better person than I am!" Chansey insisted with a sheepish expression. "So uhmm…"

"Well, I think you're a good person either way!" Magcargo commented before gulping, "Unless you're one of those shady doctors who secretly harvest the organs of your patients. If so, warn me first!"

"Uh well… I hate to disappoint but…"

"You're a black market organ harvester?!" Magcargo interrupted the nurse before she could finish talking, mouth agape. "WELL, if it's for a good cause, then I am in no place to judge. We all have our dark secrets and if your dark secret is your hidden relations with the black market or the mafia then I'm fine with that. I mean, I think you're a good person and-"

"Magcargo, I don't harvest organs," Chansey corrected, deadpanning. "I don't… actually have experience with surgery. But Magearna's a different story… she is also a licensed surgeon. She's such a grea-"

"But I wasn't asking about Magearna," Magcargo interrupted yet again with an unsatisfied look. "I was asking about you! I mean, Magearna's great and all but-" Noticing Chansey's dampening mood, he sighed, chuckling nervously, "O-okay… you know what… I-I'll talk to Magearna, if you want!"

Chansey's smile returned as she tilted her head to the side cheerfully, "That would be great! Maybe, your friend Vanilluxe would want to get to know her as well!"

"Uh… I'll tell him… and Klinklang too!" Magcargo said, starting to get lost in his thoughts as Chansey smiled warmly to his direction. "Eerrr… what about Sableye?! Is he alright..?"

" Oh, he's playing in the sand right now!" Chansey answered, gesturing to the gremlin… whose whole body was somehow buried beneath the sand as he just smiled nonchalantly, unaware of his current position. The nurse blinked in shock. " S-Sableye… how did you..?"

"Swimming is really scary because I'm a fire and rock type and I don't know how to swim. That, and I'm really really heavy. So seeing Sableye nearly drown gave me chills. I'm glad he's okay. Though, it makes me wonder if Nihilego would even force us to swim in a challenge?!" Magcargo admitted with a shudder, though a smile remained on his face. "But I'm NOT worried, since uuhhh… you know what they say… swimming is easy, it's just… a few hours of learning, right?! Like riding a bike, like baking a cake, like taking a long time in the bathtub…"

His left eye twitched as he laughed nervously, "It's easy!"

Chansey sighed as her eyes darted to the side awkwardly, "I'm not used to being well… praised. So uhh… that was very very awkward…"

Meanwhile, Marill was tapping her foot on the ground impatiently as she waited at the intern compound for Gallade to return. They were severely understaffed since justifiably, there were rarely any applicants, given the fact that Total Pokemon Island shows were perceived as more dangerous in recent years.

"Where is he?!" She thought aloud, looking around frantically but there were simply no signs of the Psychic/Fighting-type anywhere. "Don't tell me he didn't get the memo… we're supposed to be setting up for the challenge already…"

She face-palmed as she slammed her clipboard on the ground. "I can't believe this… you can't trust the help these days…"

"Are you talking behind my back?" A cold voice chimed in from behind her. The blue mouse sweatdropped as she quickly turned around to see who was trying to sneak up on her, sighing in relief as she saw Indeedee emerging from the trailers, holding a closed cardboard box. "Don't tell me you are…"

"Indeedee! Oh… it's just you!" Marill exclaimed.

"Just me? What is that supposed to mean?" Indeedee asked, grabbing a knife from his apron pocket as a glint appeared on his eye. He chuckled dryly, wiping it on his apron before putting it back into his pocket. "You know I am overqualified for this job. Treat me better… I know you won't but I'd like to dream, huh?"

Oh please… you were the likeliest to be around here" Marill retorted. "... why are you even here?"

"He's here to help me obviously!" Whimsicott chimed in, walking out of the trailer, carrying another set of boxes. "Moving a lot of boxes you know… don't know where to put them but I'll probably put them into the editing room for safekeeping… or the kitchen!"

"You can't do that." Indeedee said, glaring at the cottonweed. "I need my space."

"Well, I need these safe!" Whimsicott argued. "Someone had been breaking my cameras and breaking into the editing room to ruin the footage these past few days! I can't just let that happen. I could barely stitch together an episode 3!"

"I'm sure nobody would care… has anyone even watched these types of shows recently?" Indeedee asked rhetorically, rolling his eyes. " I'm sure viewership is low. Nobody would care if the editing is bad or if there's scenes missing."

"EXCUSE YOU?! You're saying that to the #1 Total Pokemon fan out there?!" Whimsicott huffed, narrowing her eyes. "... okay… maybe top 10, if we're stretching it. There's some weirdos online who are way more hardcore on this… I think I fought with some PurplePokemonFan… don't remember their username but I had beef with them on an online forum once…" She shook her head at this. "But yeah! I don't care if nobody's watching… these people are competing in this game for weeks… it'd be disrespectful to not just let their stories be told, you know?!"

Marill tensed at the cottonweed's words as her hands went to her forehead. "... yes… Whimsicott has a point there."

"I still don't see the point." Indeedee admitted, shrugging.

"Uh-huh? I mean… I should be asking that to you, when it comes to your terrible cooking!" Whimsicott rebutted.

The cook dropped his cardboard box on the ground, which made a crunching sound, crossing his arms. "Okay, I regret even trying to help you with this… take that back."

"I-Indeedee, you dropped the tapes! T-those are fragile!" Whimsicott gaped in shock as she stared at the cardboard box that looked like it was about to collapse, from the amount of force Indeedee used to drop it on the ground. "H-how are we going to have flashbacks in future episodes when you just… DUMPED the material!"

"... I apologize. I wasn't thinking straight." Indeedee sighed, shaking his head as he looked mildly apologetic.

"I'm glad you feel sorry but that's not going to fix this!" Whimsicott said, exasperated as she turned back to Marill, who was still standing there. "Whatever… I had back-up cameras anyway."

"You had… back-up cameras?" Marill queried, eyes widening.

"Yeah! I needed to make sure I had footage from all angles!" Whimsicott chirped, nodding. Noticing the blue mouse's expression turned uneasy, she arched a brow. "Hm… that does beg the question… what are you still doing here, Marill? I thought you're supposed to be setting up the challenge or something?!"

"I'm waiting for Gallade… he's always missing, when I need him…" Marill explained. She sighed, bobbing her head in disappointment. "We really are severely understaffed… and it shows."

"I'm not surprised! The staff is what? A Total Pokemon fanatic, a psychotic academic, someone who gives absolutely no fucks and a Teddiursa simp!" Whimsicott affirmed. "All people who wouldn't care about danger… or anything at all honestly. I don't think Lopunny even read the application..."

"I despise that title." Indeedee scoffed sourly. "Firstly, I'm not just an academic, I am-"

"You're not even arguing against the psychotic part!" Whimsicott giggled. "Oh, maybe you should've signed up to be a player instead. Maybe, you can bond with Gourgeist and Empoleon with your neurotic behavior and lowkey serial killer vibe!"

"Uh-huh…" Indeedee muttered. He turned to the blue mouse. "Marill… maybe, it's time to try and get new hires… perhaps, even… lie about things a bit.

"I did post job applications online again… since Gallade has been terrible at his job." Marill said. "Maybe… I'll hide the Total Pokemon part to get more applications."

"If it works, it works!" Whimsicott said nonchalantly before returning to a wide grin. "ANYWAYS… Indeedee… since you fucking dropped your box, I'm going to play these in your kitchen and you can't even try to argue. Consider this the beginning of your drawn out redemption arc!"

"Ugggggh… fine…" Indeedee groaned in defeat as he lifted up the box again. "Don't be surprised if I 'accidentally' break it."

"I know you won't! You're very particular about keeping things tidy and organized. If anything, you'd place it in the furthest place possible so you don't accidentally run into it!" Whimsicott pointed out. The Psychic-type face-palmed… he can't really disagree with that logic. "Anyways… Marill, the challenge's going to start in a few hours so might want to start preparing!"

"I will…" Marill said, waving farewell as Indeedee and Whimsicott head into the woods to put the boxes in the mess hall kitchen.

The blue mouse's expression darkened as soon as both were out of sight and earshot. "... now… where did I put those again..?"

Meanwhile at camp, it was then immediately revealed where Gallade was hiding all along. He was fanning a resting Teddiursa, who was lying down on a pastel pink beach blanket in the middle of camp, wearing sunglasses. The Blade Pokemon looked completely unbothered, just conforming to the cute little bear's demands. She was just… too adorable and Gallade was an avid fan of hers before the game so he took it upon himself to make her entire stay enjoyable.

"Gallade, fan faster! It's getting a bit hot in here, OwO!" Teddiursa mused, fanning herself playfully.

"On it!" Gallade said, nodding as he waved the leaf fan more vigorously.

"Now, that's like it~ Oooh… fan it a little bit to the left, maybe?"

"Yes!"

"You're such a sweetheart!" Teddiursa giggled into her paws. "I wish you were actually competing in the game unlike some of the uncute players on my team, cutie!"

"Wow… Teddiursa… that is… a compliment I do not deserve… you are like a maiden angel sent from above, to bless us common Pokemon whi-" Gallade spouted before the little bear deadpanned, putting a paw to his mouth.

"Talk less, maybe? Fan more!"

"Yes! I will! The sound of silence is golden in your presence and-"

"Errrr… what is even going on here?" At that moment, Oricorio walked in on the scene, from the direction of their cabin. She crossed her wings, confused by… what was even going on. "Teddiursa, are you letting this poor intern give you special privileges? You know, that's not fair, right?"

"Life's not fair, girly!" Teddiursa said, sticking out her tongue. "You need to make do with the things you can get and Gallade offered to help me around! That doesn't make me a bad girl, uh-huh!"

"... Vivillon would be jealous of this type of treatment…" Oricorio commented, looking unamused. "But… don't you think that… I don't know… you're being… a bit bossy, just telling him to fan you when he probably has work to do?"

"Don't worry! That's what the other interns are for!" Teddiursa assured.

Oricorio blinked before looking genuinely confused. "... what other interns? I only saw him… and the single cameraperson… and Indeedee… and that new Lopunny in the infirmary."

"Really?" Teddiursa asked, unbothered. "Weeeell… hmmm… if you had to choose between me and the game, you'd choose me, right?! This game's not cute anyways… in fact, it can be VERY VERY ugly… oh so ugly… like not even in aesthetic way that would make me _ cutely… it'd just really age me until I'm all wrinkly, saggy and old… like nobody wants that, right?!"

Oricorio deadpanned, still unconvinced. "Teddiursa, I think that logic is very selfish. I know you're the cutest person… or well… you think you're the cutest person… but that doesn't mean that you can just take advantage of people's kindness. It's not-"

"Oh, I can tell that people really LIKE you, Ori! You're just so adorable!" Teddiursa interrupted, giggling.

"Excuse me what? Is that supposed to be a compliment?" Oricorio asked, skeptical.

"If you want it to be, duuuuh! But Oricorio, you need to lighten up! It's still early in the day! There's still time for Gallade to work on the challenge! You don't have to be so bossy!" Teddiursa teased.

"B-bossy?! N-O! NO! I'm not bossy. I'm just being firm!" Oricorio defended. "I just… wanted to intervene and-"

"I think you should focus on your own team and mind your own business, mhm!" Teddiursa said, expression flattening. She turned to Gallade, tone serious. "You know what… Gallade, she has a point though. You can go do your job now! It was so fun to meet a parasocial fan in the flesh in the game anyways. I feel seen… like I'm Magearna!"

"W-what!? Teddiursa, are you telling me to stop… helping you?" Gallade asked.

"No obviously. I'm just telling you to do your job first THEN help me, duuuuh! Easy compromise!" Teddiursa explained, looking to the side. "Besiiides, I don't want to look like I'm too forceful~ I'm cute, not cunt!... or whateevs! I'm such a ditz sometimes."

"... o-oh… but… Marill would be mad at me if I went to her this late…" Gallade admitted with a guilty expression.

Teddiursa and Oricorio exchanged a look, with Teddiursa being actually shocked. "UHMMMMMM… you said you were free!? You forgot to tell me that you actually had important things to do!"

"You're important-"

"OOOKAY! I love all of my fans and besties and friends and worsties but girl… you have a job. Do it." Teddiursa said flatly, crossing her arms. "I may be a bossy as bitch, but I'm not going to be fucking blamed because you are too much of a simp, okay?"

"..." Gallade pouted, feigning tears. "But… what would I do now?!"

"Your job?" Teddiursa suggested.

"... I was hoping you wouldn't say that…" Gallade laughed nervously as he looked down in disappointment. He turned around, muttering to himself. "Job this, job that… it's always working to keep working… awww shit…"

As soon as Gallade was gone, Teddiursa started grabbing her things, removing her sunglasses, humming to herself… though, she stopped when she noticed that Oricorio still hasn't left. "UHHHHM… Ori, what are you still doing here? Don't tell me you're gonna lecture me for being a mini-Magearna to Gallade! Like firstly… he asked! Secondly… I obviously agreed cuz it's really really rare to have someone do things for you, with no strings attached, you know?!"

"Uh-huh… that doesn't sound like… a very good explanation… but I'll let it slide if you don't try to… do it too much." Oricorio said, crossing her arms.

"Promise OWO! I'll only call for Gallade if I need his help 100%, definitely!" Teddiursa said, nudging the bird playfully. "I'll just have to see if Sable or Floatzy wanna help me out, y'know?!"

"Errr… so… uhm… are you a..?"

"Are you a what?"

"... celebrity?" Oricorio finished, unsure with herself. "That Gallade talked like he knew you personally…"

"Oh! That's kinda over exaggerating things. I'm just that cute… but I guess I am sorta an influencer… but T-B-H… I prefer gaming way more… it's more of a me thing, while posting on my socials is kinda…" Teddiursa paused, brows knitting together as she looked disgusted for a quick second. "Hmm… feels a bit fake~"

"Wait… uhm… really?" Oricorio said in disbelief. The little bear's whole personality… was very very unnatural so the cheerleader was not really sure what the little bear was trying to prove. "Isn't your cuteness thing a… bit?"

"It is!" Teddiursa said, winking.

"You're just admitting it?" Oricorio commented, shocked. "I thought you'd be…"

"Girl, don't act like I don't see you clocking my shit." Teddiursa pointed out flatly. "BESIDES… you know… even girlies like me get tired of grinning and bearing it all the time, you know!? HMMM…" She looked around, narrowing her eyes. "Okie dokie… no cameras around so I guess I'll just veg out… or pig out! Either, or!"

"Errr… I'm still confused." Oricorio remarked.

"It's not that complicated!"

"As the 'temporary' cheer captain back home, I took it upon myself to… burden myself with the pains and grievances of the whole cheerleading squad." Oricorio explained, wings on her lap as she looked to the side. "So… I'm a bit of a minder so when I heard Teddiursa and Gallade just… doing THAT in the middle of camp, I was rightfully worried that Teddiursa might be taking advantage of people but W-T-F… Teddiursa might be harder to understand than I initially thought."

She sighed before forcing a smile, clapping her wings together. "But that's nothing no bonding time can't fix!"

"OwO… that was a bit of a mask off moment with Oricorio but well, I'm honestly glad to have some moments of… being real!" Teddiursa admitted, expression actually grounded for once… though her eyes were still glistening brightly in a comically exagerrated fashion. "I meeean… I am always a cutie but like… I was not always a cutie, you know? I had a very messy messy life and people try to act like they know me so I took the narrative and made it my own!"

Magearna yawned to herself as she sat up on her bed, just having woken up from a deep sleep. She quickly turned over to the bunk bed next to her's, looking up to a half-asleep Musharna, "Good morning, Musharna! I see you're still… asleep? At least, you're not floating, I suppose…"

"I'm awake," Musharna replied, surprising the Mythical Pokemon, floating down from the top bunk. "I don't sleep that much, you know… though, I guess you're right that I have a sleep-floating problem…"

Magearna blinked, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly as she nodded in confirmation, "Y-yes… you do have that problem. I'm still quite confused with how you could do that though…" She snapped her fingers as she looked at the tapir thoughtfully, "Is it the side-effect of your lethargy?"

Musharna snorted at Magearna's words, rolling her eyes, "Not everything has a reason for it, girl. I float while I sleep, since who fucking cares? I mean, if Unfezant was still here… then sure, she would probably get pissed and annoyed but she isn't so whatever I do in my sleep is fine, by everyone… aside from probably Empoleon but he's not sleeping here."

"Well… it's a bit… distracting," Magearna commented, sitting up on her bed, leaning forward closer to the tapir who winced, "T-though, I wish not to offend you obviously."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that…" Musharna murmured, closing her eyes as she yawned. "We just have a lot of free-time on this island. It's pretty good for catching sleep but you know what, let's talk about something and see if it's enough to keep me wide awake. Any ideas?"

Magearna blushed in embarrassment, shocked that the lethargic Psychic-type wanted to actually talk to her, "Err… m-maybe we can talk about the game! I mean, we did a pretty great job last round, voting Pikachu off… which was actually far more complicated than I expected, to be perfectly honest with you."

"Hmmm? It wasn't too complicated honestly," Musharna countered, shrugging nonchalantly, eyes gazing over to the nearby dresser. "I mean… you told me about Pikachu's failed attempt at scheming… and Pikachu was expendable so whether it may be him or Bayleef out the gate, nothing changes. We take out the weakest link out the gate. Though… how did you know Pikachu wanted me gone though?" Magearna smiled weakly in reply, putting her hands on her lap.

"Well… actually, about that…" She started, hands balled into fists on her lap. "Pikachu came to me that afternoon… it was a few minutes before I came to you. And he suggested voting you off, because all you do is sleep. And well… I didn't want to expose our alliance so I agreed with the idea…"

"Hmmm… I guess that… checks out," Musharna said, voice quieting to a hush.

"Y-yeah… I initially wanted Bayleef gone but that really helped me with my decision. Teddiursa actually wanted to keep Bayleef to not risk Empoleon going mad," Magearna continued to explain. "So yeah… I'm actually shocked it was unanimous since well… I expected Bayleef to stick with his friend… but I guess he changed his mind?"

"I mean… Empoleon has him tied around a leash or something…" Musharna pointed out with another yawn. "So… I think something has to be done about that sooner or later."

Magearna gasped, putting a hand to her mouth, "Are you saying..?"

"Obviously… I mean, it was inevitable, right?!" Musharna answered, staring intensely at her. "Empoleon may be the strongest player on the team… but he definitely needs to be taken down a peg… and if we can't afford to lose our strongest player… then we should aim for his greatest ally instead."

"I'm… not sure about that honestly," Magearna admitted with an insecure look as she quickly grabbed her pillow for a hug. "Like… wouldn't Empoleon be really angry with us and-"

"Magearna, weren't you onboard with booting Bayleef last round?" Musharna interrupted, starting to get impatient.

Magearna fidgeted at Musharna's words, starting to feel more uncomfortable, "W-well… Teddiursa made a really strong case so I'm not fully sure… besides, they're only two people. We have the majority, regardless… so we can keep them in the game longer."

"That'd pretty much mean Floatzel's the target… you know that, right?" Musharna remarked skeptically. "Mmhm… that doesn't… give us… op- zzzzz…" The tapir's eyes flitted open and close as she fell asleep, floating in front of Magearna's bed. Magearna frowned as she clapped her hands repeatedly to wake her back up.

"H-hey! Don't just fall asleep while you're in a conversation with thee… it's not only rude but can be quite surprising!" She expressed, smiling weakly. She sighed in relief as one of Musharna's eyes opened. "Oh thank goodness! You're awake again!"

"Mmm…" Musharna mumbled, closing her eyes again, to Magearna's disappointment. "We can… talk about this after the round…"

"M-Musharna… M-Musharna?! Oh no, are you asleep again?!" Magearna asked the sleeping Pokemon, groaning loudly as none of her pleas stirred her companion from her sleep. "T-this is such a hassle to deal with…"

"Magearna… is really suspicious… hmmm… I suppose that's just proving the theory I had during the first challenge honestly…" Musharna commented, smiling confidently at the camera, eyes half-shut. "I… am quite not sure how to use this information… hmm…" Her smile widened even further, "What am I even saying? I know exactly how to use it!" She raised a hand to point at the ceiling only to groan, from exhaustion.

"Ookay… maybe after another nap… I need my rest… it's very…" She trailed off as she slowly pulled herself back to sleep.

"I don't get why Musharna likes to sleep a lot… but I don't think I'd want to find out why…" Magearna gulped in the confessional, looking to the left then to the right, "Please don't air this…"

Bayleef let out a long sigh as he stared at his full bowl of soup, his nervous expression deepening. Strangely enough, the soup seemed to be staring back at him—bubbles forming ominously on the surface. It had a sickly pale greenish hue, with a half-eaten carrot bobbing in the mix. He shuddered involuntarily at the sight of it. "Gosh…"

"I'm still amazed that food can look this… awful," Floatzel remarked, pushing his own bowl away with a grimace. He shook his head in disbelief. "I'd investigate it, but…" He gulped, recalling the image of Indeedee licking his knife with a creepy calmness. "Ugh, that Indeedee probably killed someone with that knife!"

Bayleef tried to muster some optimism. "At least it looks better than yesterday's…" he began, but his attempt at positivity quickly crumbled as a bubble popped right in front of his face with a loud plop. "N-Nevermind… this is still a safety hazard!"

"You don't have to tell me that twice!" Floatzel huffed as he grabbed his glass of water, taking a quick drink. "I'll live off water, if I have to!"

"What are you two doing?" A loud voice boomed from behind them. The duo looked up to find… GOURGEIST?! They expected it to be Empoleon but nope, it was Gourgeist who somehow imitated Empoleon's voice to a tee. The pumpkin tilted her head to the side as she dipped her tendrils into Floatzel's soup to his digust. "Ohhhh, this is lukewarm~"

"What are you doing?" Floatzel asked, deadpanning and crossing his arms judgementally. "You're ruining my soup…" He trailed off before clearing his throat, "If it wasn't ruined and expired already…"

Gourgeist rolled her eyes, taking a seat in between the two boys. "Oh please~ I was just having fun! Besides, you guys weren't even interested in eating your soup so whatever, no harm, no foul huh?" She scoffed as she noticed the two Pokemon look away out of sheer intimidation. "Aww, don't tell me… you two are still scared of me because of the last two challenges! I'm just a girl!"

"I wasn't!" Bayleef sputtered out, wiping off sweat forming between his brows.

"Nope, you're sounding pretty intimidated right now!" Gourgeist teased, flicking soup off her tendrils. "I expected you to be more bold after all those times with Empoleon, but I guess he's not teaching you anything, huh~?" She smirked playfully, her eyes gleaming with mischief as she watched Bayleef's reaction.

"T-that…" Bayleef sputtered out, head sinking down as he struggled to make any interjection.

Floatzel punched the table, pointing at the pumpkin in frustration, "Can you stop making Bayleef uncomfortable? He's already having a hard time and you're just making it worse!"

"Oh, I'm sooooo sorry. You're such a white knight, Floatzel~" Gourgeist said. "I wish I had someone to protect me from people like me… oh wait, I don't need one, because I have thick skin~"

"WHY YOU-"

"Floatzel… it's alright. She's… she's right…" Bayleef murmured, to Floatzel's shock. "I'm not really that brave… or confident. I'm probably just letting Empoleon push me around. It's honestly a miracle I'm still here. Even Pikachu was more assertive than me while I just… vote for whoever I'm told to vote…"

"Bayleef, I believe you're being too hard on yourself…" Floatzel said, giving the dinosaur a concerned expression before turning to glare back at Gourgeist, "And I think you're being too judgemental for someone who doesn't even know us that much!"

"Oh, I know so many things, Detective!" Gourgeist exclaimed, her eyes wide with an almost eerie intensity. "Things you couldn't even begin to imagine!"

Floatzel opened his mouth, raising a finger as though to ask something, but paused. He let out a long sigh and lowered his hand. "You know what… I'm not even going to ask."

"Aww, your loss!" Gourgeist sang, scooping up Floatzel's bowl and downing the questionable soup in one gulp. She licked her lips with satisfaction, eyelashes bouncing up and down playfully. "Mmm… delicious! Now, where were we? Oh, right—Bayleef, I think your whole vibe with Empoleon is steamy."

"Uh… thanks?" Bayleef murmured, shrinking back in his seat.

"Can you please explain why you're just sitting with us for no apparent reason?" Floatzel asked, folding his arms and leaning back in his chair with a skeptical glare. "Unless… you're here to gloat about winning the last two challenges. Or—" His eyes narrowed sharply, "You have something planned…"

Gourgeist giggled, leaning forward to gently rub the weasel's cheek with one of her tendrils, making the weasel back away in discomfort. "Oh, Floatzel, don't be so dramatic! I'm not scheming. I just wanted to check in! Things are about to get so intense, after all… and, well, my old bestie Pikachu just got voted off. Can you believe it?"

Bayleef let out an audible "Huh?" at this, turning away quickly as his cheeks grew visibly pink. "I… I didn't know you and Pikachu were that close," He mumbled.

"Oh, we're tight… like this!" Gourgeist explained, clasping her tendrils together. "What did he even do to deserve that!? You two better explain things!"

"I don't think we need to explain anything…" Floatzel grumbled, rolling his eyes.

"Awww, so you don't trust me?" Gourgeist pouted, feigning tears.

"Should we?" Bayleef mumbled.

Gourgeist sighed, shaking her head as she mumbled, "Well, that's too bad then! I guess you don't want to find outwhathappenedwithDra- WAIT… spoilers!"

"What did you just say?" Floatzel questioned.

"It's nothing! I'll just go now!" Gourgeist said, floating off her chair as fast as she suddenly appeared. She gave the duo one last nonchalant wave before rushing for the door.

"What… was that about?" Bayleef whispered, head leaf drooping in disappointment. "That was… so fast and confusing."

"Gourgeist is a confusing person… and I don't think I'd ever understand her…" Floatzel muttered, tipping his hat over his eyes. "She makes Sableye look… completely innocent and that's not even an easy thing to see."

"Yeah…" Bayleef agreed.

"Last time… Pikachu was voted off unanimously… and I somehow survived another vote… I'm still shocked and didn't think I was going to make it past two eliminations but well… it happened." Bayleef commented before sweatdropping, looking to the side awkwardly. "I'm thankful though. I want to make the most of this opportunity… wish me luck… I guess."

Dedenne scoffed as he watched the… confusing scene of the Shuppet from the table on the other side of the room, "What are they talking about? Do you think Gourgeist is trying to form a cross-team alliance in front of our faces or did she forget we were here…" He turned to Vivillon and Vanilluxe sitting next to him. The butterfly was just admiring her reflection in the mirror while Vanilluxe was jotting something down on a small notebook. "So uhh… anyways, are you two going to eat?"

"What do you mean? What's there to eat? The food is HORRENDOUS!" Vivillon yelled loudly, but not too loudly to attract Indeedee's attention. "I'm better off STARVING and ruining my gorgeous figure rather than dying because of food poisoning. The world is not yet prepared to lose a dazzling diamond like me."

"Ever the paragon of humility, I see…" Dedenne mused playfully.

Vanilluxe chuckled at this, jotting something down on his notes, "I mean… Vivillon is really… vivid-llon? So she has… the right… to be…" He slowed down, upon noticing the dissatisfied looks of his teammates, "HEY, I was experimenting, okay. I wanna use original puns for the game!"

"Well, full fucking offense but your puns have been very very cringe," Vivillon exclaimed with a huff. "You should've known better… I MEAN, get a better personality. I'll even let you copy mine~"

"B-but… that's impossible!" Vanilluxe snapped back, concerned, "I mean… aren't my puns very very funny? Don't they make you laugh, even if it's in an ironic way? Ironic jokes are still jokes in the end after all!"

"I kind of… agree with Vivillon here… but less offensive," Dedenne affirmed with a shrug. "I don't care much about jokes but yeah… they are very… bland? That's a nice way to put it…"

Vanilluxe sighed as he closed his notebook shut, "I uhh… appreciate the comments, I suppose. I'll just think of funnier puns!"

"Or don't," Vivillon suggested, deadpan.

"H-haha… you're so funny, Vivillon. Maybe, you should learn to become a comedian too!" Vanilluxe exclaimed, laughing nervously.

"..." Vivillon replied coolly, "That's not a good idea though…"

"Butterfly, you're so funny?" Vanilluxe tried to reason. "I always knew I needed a partner!"

"What kind of pun is that even?" Vivillon questioned.

"But… butterfly? G-"

"Aaaand you explained the pun…" Vivillon drawled, rolling her eyes. "I literally have the money to hire better comedians than you. How disappoi-"

Dedenne quickly covered the bug type's mouth, smiling sheepishly, "UHHH… what she meant to say is… she's not into comedy. Sorry for the misunderstanding. Vivillon is just very very bold and can tend to use the wrong words sometimes…"

Vivillon grunted as she removed the hand from her mouth, "EX-CUSE-"

"If you make Vanilluxe hate you, he'll vote you off," Dedenne whispered. "So if you want to survive, you have to suck it up."

"... I hate how you're right…" Vivillon murmured, annoyed.

"Vivillon may be… a pompous bitch, but hey… she's not that bad. I mean… I like her enough. Skwovet either likes her or just wants to steal her things and Oricorio genuinely wants to know more about her. So obviously, she was a natural fit for the alliance we had," Dedenne explained, leaning back onto the toilet seat. "But obviously, she has to be likable or we'll be neutered by the other six votes in the team. I can't say it's working though honestly… but hey, at least she's trying?"

Dedenne quickly decided to change the topic, noticing Vanilluxe's mood dampening, "UHHH… why did you decide to be a comedian, Vanilluxe?!" Vivillon was about to interject but stopped as Dedenne turned to glare at her to stop. "We are both basically dying to know!"

Vivillon nodded reluctantly, avoiding the ice cream's piercing stare, "Y-yes… I agree. It's barel- err… mildly intriguing how commo- normal people go about their life."

Vanilluxe's face lit up with the butterfly's words, chuckling warmly, "R-really?! WELL, I'm always HAPPY to share! This story dates back to the ICE ages!" Groans rang out from the duo, making him feel sheepish, "O-okay… I'll try not to be too punny 'cuz I obviously can't reuse them too mush! OKAY, that's the last pun!"

"Basically, I'm just an ice cream cone from Driftveil and well… there was a GUITARIST!" Vanilluxe continued, pausing as he gathered his thoughts. "He was a Toxtricity!"

"Guitarist? I thought you were going to say clown or something…" Vivillon commented flatly. "N-not that I hate clowns for not being rich obviously. I am soooo understanding and kind, uuuggh!"

"Well… he was from Opelucid and he was soooo good with his words," Vanilluxe explained. "I know this might sound disjointed but he inspired me to take up comedy, even if it might be different from singing and playing an instrument. He really touched the hearts of all those people who listened to him… it was sooo inspiring. So, I wanna do the same too! He even said my jokes were funny!"

"Oh, that's sweet?" Vivillon intoned.

"Yeah! So I hope I can make people laugh like he makes people smile! That was really cool… and no, that wasn't a pun, by the way!" Vanilluxe said with a laugh. "AND, if you're asking… why didn't I become a guitarist? I can't sing and can't play a single instrument! And well… hehe… he told me I can become anyone I want even though I was edible!"

"Uh… that sounds… so out of context," Dedenne admitted, smiling sheepishly.

"I know right. I didn't know I was even edible until he mentioned it!" Vanilluxe revealed, nodding. "I know I'm ice cream but I didn't think I was like… a literal ice cream? I don't know. I heard of Casteliacones…" Vanilluxe shuddered at the thought, before returning to a smile as he faced his teammates. "So, that is WHY I decided to become a comedian. Sorry, if it's not too flashy!"

"Err… it was certainly interesting, I suppose," Vivillon remarked plainly.

"What about you, Dedenne? What do YOU think?!"

"Uh…" Dedenne stammered a bit before adding, "I think it was pretty cute."

"THANK YOU SO MUCH!" Vanilluxe exclaimed, breaking into tears.

"Are you okay? You're crying… and it's kind of gross…" Vivillon commented, voice softening to a murmur.

"This is probably the first time you guys listened to me in full, without any rude interruptions!" Vanilluxe spelled out with a wide grin. "So, I'm really happy. These are tears of joy. I hope you guys are more receptive to my future jokes, cuz spoiler alert… they are a HOOT!"

"Uh… we can't wait?" Dedenne commented, laughing nervously. Vivillon, on the other, just paled at this announcement, barely able to keep herself together for the sake of the game. "Aren't we, Vivillon?"

"Uhh… y-yes… I suppose so…"

"Ugh, I hate this game," Vivillon commented, deadpan. "I should've been able to buy everyone's trust with money but apparently, that's disingenuous. So I guess, I have to do it the way poor people do? And it's really gross already…"

The general amiableness of the contestants in the mess hall was quickly interrupted by the loud blaring horn of the loudspeakers, "HELLO! TESTING TESTING… DOES THIS WORK?! IT'S TIME FOR THE CHALLENGE, SO FECKING HEAD TO THE SPECIAL CHALLENGE AREA ON THE BEACH!"

The remaining sixteen castaways gathered in front of the hosts at the beach, standing with their respective teams. Skwovet and Dedenne exchanged a shocked look, noticing that Pikachu was not anymore with the Shuppet, but chose to say nothing.

"HELLO everyone!" Nihilego exclaimed, waving wildly. "I am a new host now. I'm more soooo excited to get through these challenges! Am I right, Poipole?!" The little Ultra Beast just nodded, flashing a thumbs up. "I hope you're all ready for this SHOCKING challenge already~!"

Groans rang through the crowd at Nihilego's joke. Though, Vanilluxe was notably the only one laughing at this, accidentally making it snow all over his team from his laughing, "HAHAHAHAHAHA! Good one! SHOCKING, shocking! I can tell that this challenge will have electric types since they're a SHOCK!" Noticing the snow gathering around his team's feet, he laughed nervously. "OKAY, oops… that was an accident. Sorry…"

"Ahem, anyways…" Nihilego continued, clapping her hands together making the ground shake. The smaller contestants all grunted as they struggled to stay put as something was rising to the surface of the sand. The contestants mostly avert their eyes while some couldn't contain their anticipation, just jeering at the sight happening before them, coughing as sand is blown to the air. The dust settled to reveal two rows of seats with a gap in between, facing a lone podium with Nihilego's face plastered on the front. The left side has a Shuppet banner overhead while the right side has a Trubbish banner. "EVERYONE, take your seats… it's time for some shocking truths."

"I knew it!" Vanilluxe cheered as he followed his team to take a seat at their designated area.

After a couple of moments and tripping, courtesy of Sableye, the two teams were all seated on their respective seats. Nihilego faced them, excited. "I hope everyone's prepared because we have outfitted everyone with a really super special shock collar just for this challenge!"

"Super secret shock collar?!" Cramorant squawked, her wings flailing in a panic as she frantically patted her neck. Her feathers brushed against something cold and metallic clasped tightly around it. "WAIT—how long have I been wearing this thing?!"

"Well… we had some help…" Nihilego revealed as Indeedee, somehow appeared next to her. She turned to the chef, bowing politely. "Thank you for doing this, Indeedee! I'm glad that the introduction was long enough to be the perfect distraction!"

"No problem…" Indeedee answered flatly. "My job is done. I'll be cooking dinner…" And with that, the chef left the area as quickly as he arrived, confusing the contestants even further.

"So… what's the challenge exactly?" Gossifleur asked, cocking a brow in confusion.

"From the looks of it… it's less physical than the previous two so…" Musharna started, half-asleep, "I think I'm liking it already. Though, I do hope Nihilego takes our suggestion and give us that long-awaited sleeping challenge, mmm…"

Dedenne scoffed at this, "Is everyone forgetting that Nihilego basically forced us to wear shock collars, without anyone knowing. This is nuts!"

"I know right!" Skwovet agreed before a mischievous grin formed on his face, "Indeedee should really teach me about how he did it…"

"AHEM! STOP FUCKING TALKING! I haven't even explained the challenge yet!" Nihilego interrupted the camper's conversation, mildly annoyed. "The challenge is simple… it's a truth or truth or truth or get fucking shocked challenge. The name of the game is 'TRUTH OR SHOCK'! It's simple, I will be sharing a random fact about a certain camper and it'll be as embarrassing or concerning as possible. The person with that secret MUST press a button!" The campers all looked in front of them to find a red shiny button. "If they don't, their entire team will be shocked and they lose a point so that's gonna be sad. First team to six points wins the challenge. So basically, that's the gist. So is everyone ready?!"

Groans and voices of complaint carried throughout the crowd of contestants as Nihilego shrugged it off as Poipole pushed as a medium-sized screen next to the podium, with it blaring to life, with the title of the challenge visible on it.

"A challenge where we're forced to tell the truth?!" Magearna stared at the camera, worried. "Okay… I don't like the thought of it… I'm not fully sure of how it'll go… doh… I'm already getting nervous and it hasn't even started yet…"

Gossifleur tapped her chin thoughtfully, "I wonder how Indeedee managed to put a collar on eighteen people without being caught… I should ask him… if he doesn't come after my head, of course!"

Skwovet forced a shaky smile as he fished through his tail, pulling out various items in a desperate attempt to distract from the clear nervousness etched on his face. "Well, gee… this sounds fantastic! A challenge where we're forced to reveal something about ourselves… Am I even ready for this?!"

As he groaned, a roll of tissue paper tumbled from his tail onto the floor. Letting out a startled squeak, he hastily picked it up and ripped off a piece to dab at the beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "I mean, I'm definitely nervous, but I can't just… let it show, you know?"

He let out a jittery laugh that quickly dissolved into a wistful sigh. "The thing is… I'm not great at keeping secrets. I'll probably spill everything without meaning to. Here's hoping this challenge isn't that… eye-opening!"

"OKAY. It's time to start. We'll alternate between teams, starting with the Shuppet then Trubbish then vice versa!" Nihilego started, waving her tentacles around with a singsong voice.

"First question… Which Shuppet ate trash from the dumpster?" Nihilego asked. All eyes quickly fell on Sableye, who laughed nervously.

"W-what?" He stammered out, twiddling his fingers awkwardly. "Why is everyone look at me? Does my face look funny?"

Magearna deadpanned, tilting her head to the side, "Come on… it's obviously you… unless Floatzel or Bayleef eat trash… which I doubt."

"..." Sableye groaned audibly as he pressed his red button. "I mean… t-the question was phrased as if it was bad, hehe…"

"UHMM, it is. Trash is gross, UWU!" Teddiursa pointed out, crossing her arms. Chansey nodded in agreement, concerned.

"..." Sableye doesn't respond, avoiding the judgemental stares of his teammates. "I-it's not bad once you try it, haha…"

"Uhm… well… I don't think it's good for your health at all, Sableye…" Chansey pointed out with a sheepish smile.

Sableye tilted his head in confusion. "Not to sound uhm… completely stupid but… uhm… I'm not even sure what counts as healthy or not… is uhm… drinking rain water healthy or is it just as bad?"

Teddiursa's face turned green as she gagged, "Can you please not talk about disgusting stuff like that!? It's messing with my cutesy vibe… like it's… rancid, Sableye!"

"That's one point for the Shuppet… and I'm with Teddiursa there," Nihilego declared, cringing at Sableye's words. "BUT MOVING ON with the Trubbish… which Trubbish has attempted and succeeded in robbing a bank?"

"... uhh… Skwovet?" Oricorio whispered to the squirrel expectantly. "That's you, right?"

"WHAT? I mean… I haven't robbed a bank yet, but it sounds INTERESTING, I guess… but I'm not that interested in going to jail," Skwovet denied, rolling his eyes. He smiled weakly as Vivillon and Gossifleur gave him a disbelieving look, "W-what?! It's not me! Just because I have sticky fingers doesn't mean it's mean!"

"OMIGOSH, who did it then?! I don't wanna get shocked!" Cramorant yelled, bracing for impact. Being quadruple-effective to electricity was giving her the chills. "Like hurry up, the other team did it. So like, tell the truth already!"

"Eating trash is less serious than robbing a bank… and from what Nihilego said, they succeeded so I doubt that they're interested in revealing themselves," Klinklang pointed out matter-of-factly.

"W-wait… P-p-PLEEEEEAAAAASE!" Cramorant's voice cracked into a shrill shriek as the entire team was jolted by a sudden shock, courtesy of no one stepping up to confess. In the background, Gourgeist giggled as she semeed unfazed by the electric shock, raising a hand with a wide grin.

"HAHA, it was ME ALL ALONG!"

"W-what?! Then, why didn't you confess?!" Dedenne questioned, annoyed.

"I wanted to KNOW how it feels to be shocked!" Gourgeist explained, expression unchanging. "It's slightly underwhelming. I expected it to be more painful, but I guess I shouldn't have expected a lot from this show in the first place."

"You're a heckin' psycho wuh the fuh?!" Cramorant exclaimed with a whimper. The shock wasn't notably strong but she was hit the hardest given her typing. "I-I don't think I can sleep tonight…"

"That's the pooooint!" Gourgeist pointed out.

"H-hey… trash isn't that bad… right?!" Sableye attempted to defend himself with a weak grin. "R-right?!"

"This challenge has been very uninteresting thus far… where are they going to release actual secrets?" Musharna yawned, eyes closed. "I'm getting sleepy already… which isn't bad but I'm sooo bored. Where is the crying, gaslighting and screaming? I didn't sign up for a borefest…"

Cramorant pouted at the camera, "Gourgeist is a jerk…"

"Things are just going to get even juicier. Next question for the Shuppet… which Shuppet cheated on their lover on their anniversary?" Nihilego asked.

"T-that's… oddly specific…" Chansey commented, smiling weakly. "W-well… it's not me. I've been single for my entire life…"

Floatzel face-palmed, assessing his team's expression. "You better confess to this… since this just sounds like disgusting behavior! Why even do that on such an important day!? That just sounds terrible!"

"They won't confess if you intimidate them!" Magearna pointed out, frowning, only to be surprised to see Teddiursa cutely press her button, "T-Teddiursa, it was YOU?!"

"WHAT?! It wasn't like we were that close," Teddiursa said with a nonchalant shrug. "AND HEEEEY, you didn't have the whole thing. I was cheated on FIRST, hmph! Don't bully me UwU"

"U-uhmmm… h-hang in there?" Bayleef said.

"Thank yuwu!" Teddiursa said with a giggle.

"..." Floatzel's eyes narrowed for a bit but he sighed, brushing it off.

"Shuppet now has TWO points. It's the Trubbish's turn. Which Trubbish… accidentally went on a date with their teacher, thinking they were a student?" Nihilego asked.

"Gourgeist, is it you again?!" Cramorant asked, glaring at the pumpkin. "I don't wanna get shocked again!"

"It's not me," Gourgeist revealed, fiddling with loose strands of hair. "I wouldn't make such a stupid misunderstanding. HECK, I would've asked if they were a teacher first sin-"

"NO, we don't need to know!" Vivillon cut her off with an annoyed look.

"If it's not Gourgeist, who else could it be then?!" Skwovet asked, confused. "SOMEONE, PRESS THE BUTTON SO WE CAN GET A POINT ALREADY!"

Magcargo sighed as he hit his button with his head, "Since we're losing…" His teammates gave him an intrigued look, "In my defense, I didn't push on further after he told me he was a teacher! And that was when I was what? 15 years old so it's been years ago too!"

"I guess that's an age old mistake, huh?!" Vanilluxe asked rhetorically, illiciting groans among his team.

"You like men?" Dedenne chimed in, arching a brow.

Magcargo nodded, unfazed. "Yeah! Is there anything weird with that? I don't think it's that serious… well… other than them being a teacher. I was so embarrassed that I didn't show up to class for a whole week and I wrote an entire apology email before I even thought of coming back! It's not one of my best moments honestly!"

"When did you find out they were a teacher?" Cramorant asked, visibly intrigued. "On your first date or..?"

Magcargo blushed in embarrassment at this, "Well… it's embarrassing but he looked different when he was teaching and when he was just… in casual wear. The vibes were different so… I uhm… might've asked him out and we went to one 'date' but he realized I was one of his students and had to tell me that… again, not one of my proudest moments!"

"That sounds embarrassing indeed…" Klinklang commented, nodding in solidarity.

Magcargo stared at the camera nervously, "Well, I regret pressing my button since now, people are going to judge me for making such a rookie mistake! I didn't even bother to do a background check and was just… drawn to someone's charm and amazing looks!" He chuckled as he started reminiscing. "But I guess that's the spice of life and being young to make mistakes just like that!"

Floatzel sat in the confessional with an inquisitive expression, "I don't know why Teddiursa would just… cheat on a loved one and not bother to elaborate other than saying they cheated on her first… we don't even know either of them that much… Teddiursa just seems like the type of person to have so many layers covering the coating that's her actual personality that once you peel through a few layers… it's still hard to tell if you're talking to the real Teddiursa."

He sighed, shaking his head as he straightened his collar. "... some people are just… complex. No amount of investigation can tell you that…"

"Next question… which Shuppet wrote an anonymous erotic novel on a private forum online?" Nihilego asked ominously.

Chansey broke into a nervous sweat, her gaze fixed on her red button. "I'm older now… so… I can own up to this… right?" She thought to herself, trying to summon her courage. But just as resolve began to build, her eyes shifted to Magearna, who offered her a warm, reassuring smile. Chansey's face instantly flushed beet-red, the words she wanted to say caught in her throat. "…," She just gaped in front of them, finding herself at the loss for words.

"OKAY, who writes erotic novels among us?! And can they share a copy?!" Teddiursa raised her hand with a faint blush on her face. "Asking for a friend, of course. I'm a cutie! UWU"

Empoleon grunted, silently folding his arms, "It was definitely not me…" He turned to Bayleef, scaring him a bit, "Was it you… or not? It doesn't make sense for it to be you personally."

"W-what?! Why would it be m-me?!" Bayleef stammered, blushing in embarrassment. "I don't even r-read that much…"

"It's usually the quiet ones!" Floatzel pointed out. "Besides… I can see you adopting a few hobbies to escape from the stresses of real life…"

"I-it's not me!"

"Then, who could it be?! Chansey? Magearna? Seems unlikely, if you ask me," Teddiursa mused, rolling her eyes. "Maybe, it could be Musharna but I highly doubt it when she's always sleeping."

"W-what if it's you?!" Bayleef accused then… ZAAAAAAP! The dinosaur groaned as the shocks were administered. "O-okay… nobody wants to confess?!"

"I mean… it's really embarrassing in hindsight?" Magearna pointed out, eyes knowingly shifting to Chansey who was still flushed.

"Well… it's a point we lost…" Empoleon grumbled to himself silently.

"BOOO, is nobody going to confess?! Sheesh, you guys are pussies or something. The score is at 2-1 right now. Let's move on to the Trubbish again for question number 3!" Nihilego started, gesturing to the screen next to her. "Which Trubbish… is currently recovering from a substance addiction."

Vivillon cocked a brow, "Isn't that just Cramorant since she's quite obsessed with her phone?"

"W-what?!" I'm not that obsessed, oh ehm gee!" Cramorant snapped back, glaring at the butterfly. "OKAY, maybe I was like… addicted but like, it's totes not the substance Nihi is talkin' about lawl…"

"Then, who else can it be then?!" Vivillon complained with a shrill groan. "We need to tie things up if we even want a chance of winning!"

"Well… whoever's secret this is… I won't judge them for their past life decisions…" Oricorio chimed in solemnly.

Gourgeist giggled to her appendage, rolling her eyes playfully, "I will! It's more fun that way… oh before I can forget…" She mindlessly pressed her hair on her button with a grin, "Yeppers, it was me. It was soooo boring and that addiction literally lasted for like… a DAY!"

"Ookay? Trubbish get their second point? I have no idea why Gourgeist can casually have some really interesting secrets and be fine with them being revealed, to be honest," Nihilego remarked bashfully.

"YEAH, you robbed a bank AND you're a recovering addict?!" Dedenne exclaimed. "What else are you even hiding?!"

"I mean… not much, to be honest," Gourgeist just shrugged, unabashed by her secrets being exposed by herself. "I mean… we're winning and that's what matters~"

"Technically, it's tied," Dedenne corrected.

"We still have a pretty good chance!" Oricorio encouraged her teammates, waving her pom-pom wings around. In the back, Vanilluxe could be seen noticably sweating as he just nodded in agreement while his eyes went to the side.

Gourgeist stared at the camera, eyes as big as saucers, "I have a lot of secrets… but the WALLS have eyes!" Abruptly, she began shrieking, convulsing spontaneously.

Chansey smiled sheepishly, squeezing her cheeks in embarrassment, "I… did some really really embarrassing things. I'm really thankful I found Magearna or else, I don't know what would've happened to me. I'm so embarrassed. I can't believe Nihilego's airing out all of these secrets!"

She paused, leaning her head on the side, "Though, I am a bit curious… what is MAGEARNA's secret?"

"Next question: Which Shuppet still wets their bed?" Nihilego asked.

"Bayleef, I'm sorry… but I think that's you," Magearna commented, smiling sheepishly. "Uhhmm… no offense? But you seem to be the type…"

"Nonsense, I'm Bayleef's bunkmate and he hasn't fucking peed the bed at all," Empoleon defended the starter with an apprehensive look. "I personally think it's one of you six."

"It's not me!" Floatzel chimed in, "Do you really think I'd be the type of person to wet the bed?"

"Then, who the fuck pees their bed?!" Empoleon asked, starting to get annoyed. "This might literally be the only challenge we might beat the psycho pumpkin in!"

"Y-you're still caught up on that?" Bayleef sputtered out instinctively.

"We're not losing a third time!" Empoleon snapped, face-palming to hide his annoyance. "I'm literally really tired of los-" BZZZZTTTTT! He screamed out in pain as electricity shocked him and his teammates. "OKAY, what the fuck?! That wasn't even that embarrassing of a secret!"

At that moment, Musharna's eyes slowly opened as she yawned, bored, "Electric shocks woke me up… what happened?"

"Nobody would admit they still pee in the bed!" Empoleon exclaimed, waving his arms around.

"Oh… that's me…" Musharna admitted, eyes half-open. "It takes too much time to… go to the bathroom…"

"Why didn't you press the button then?!"

"I was asleep…" Musharna defended, annoyed. "This challenge is really helping me catch up on my sleep." Noticing Empoleon's left eye twitch, the tapir rolled her eyes at this, "Calm down, I won't fall asleep again. Don't worry…"

Meanwhile, Nihilego asked the Trubbish, "Which Trubbish is notorious for being held back for skipping out on school too many times?"

Silence. They all started exchanging a look. Vanilluxe laughed nervously to himself. Surely, it wasn't him. He didn't complete school… but he was technically never held back. Klinklang and Dedenne both went over to Gourgeist who just shrugged in confusion.

Thankfully, the pressure didn't last as Skwovet groaned, pressing his button, "Yeah yeah, it's me. Who fucking cares?! I got us another point! Woooo!" He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, laughing nervously. "Don't say I didn't do anything in these challenges…"

"Hmph… I suppose you are not completely deadweight after all." Vivillon said arrogantly.

"Gee thanks… really appreciate it…" Skwovet muttered, already regretting his decision. He WANTED to keep it under wraps but he just crumbled at the pressure and didn't want to be the cause for his team's first loss.

"Uh… that was fast. Trubbish are now in the lead 3-2," Nihilego announced, rolling her eyes as Empoleon groaned loudly in reply. "Only three more points left and they win the challenge but let's wait a see!"

"Back to the Shuppet… which Shuppet hoards their clipped toenails?" Nihilego asked, slightly gagging at the secret she just revealed. "I might already know the answer and context to this… but it's still pretty gross."

Sableye laughed at this, picking his nose, "I dunno… it doesn't sound too gross. Toenails have a certain fl-" He gulped as everyone groaned at his words, "O-okay… maybe it's a bit gross BUT I don't hoard toenails! I have l-limits!"

"Musharna, is it you again?!" Empoleon glared at the lethargic psychic type, who cocked a brow in annoyance. "WHAT?! I mean, you still wet your bed."

"Mmmhm… but I don't collect toenails," Musharna argued, rolling her eyes. "If anything, I'd rather collect something useful… like body fluids." She laughed as everyone just started gagging. "Mmmm… see… that's exactly the reaction I expected… so predictable."

"Then who else could it be!? I don't even have toenails!" Empoleon said, lifting his feet up for the rest to see.

"Gee, I appreciate the defense but I don't appreciate seeing your stinky ass feet…" Teddiursa said, retching.

Meanwhile, Floatzel laughed nervously to himself as he eyed his button. He collected toenails as EVIDENCE, but of course it was going to be difficult explaining that so he was a bit unsure of pressing the button. Unfortunately for him, shocks were quickly administered as they lost another point, "AAACK!"

"UGH!" Empoleon groaned in annoyance, waving a fist at the sky.

"W-we still have a chance!" Bayleef tried to be optimistic but the tears flowing out of his eyes said otherwise as he whimpered at Empoleon's outburst.

"We better win this…" Empoleon grumbled to himself.

Musharna stared at the camera, deadpanning, "Empoleon is this close to snapping. I can't wait to capitalize it. I mean… sure, he's the strongest person on the team but he's starting to get on my nerves. I want him gone."

Floatzel glared at the camera, crossing his arms, "OKAY… to defend myself… I don't just collect toenails because I had creepy plans for them or anything. I just save it as evidence. It can be used as DNA samples and you never know when those would be handy! I also collect hair samples, fingerprints and signatures, thank you very much!"

Skwovet glanced nervously at the camera, his gaze darting back and forth. "Alright… no need to sugarcoat it. I wasn't exactly star student material, so yeah, no shocker I got held back a bunch of times. But hey, I'm not in school anymore, and honestly? I don't think it was worth my time. It never really focused on my actual skills."

With a quick motion, he reached into his tail and pulled out a magnifying glass, putting it over his eye. "And there you have it—a little glimpse into me… I guess?" He chuckled awkwardly, the sound fading into a nervous gulp. Suddenly, his eyes widened, and he rushed forward, frantically covering the camera with his paws. "Okay, that's enough of that!"

"Next question of the day… which Trubbish is accidentally mistaken for a robot?" Nihilego asked.

Klinklang deadpanned as he pressed his button easily, "That wasn't even a secret?"

"HEY! You didn't exactly give us much to write about in your application," Nihilego argued. "So consider that a freebie question…"

"THIS IS UNFAIR! Where is OUR freebie question!" Empoleon piped up, glaring at the hostess, making her flinch.

"UGH! Fiiine, which Shuppet is such a sore loser?" Nihilego questioned, rolling her arms. To her surprise, nobody quickly pressed the button. "Okay wow, that wasn't even a secret?"

Empoleon's eyes narrowed, "What kind of freebie question was that?!"

"Uhmm… Empoleon, press your button," Musharna suggested flatly. The penguin blinked in confusion as he pressed his button… only to gawk as Nihilego flashed a thumbs up.

"WHAT?! I'm not a sore loser!" Empoleon argued, hitting a wing on his button repeatedly in annoyance.

"Uh-huh… sure you aren't," Nihilego drawled sarcastically. "Either way, that leaves us at 3 points for the Shuppet and 4 points for the Trubbish. The next question is going to be intense."

"Wow, my heart is suddenly beating really fast and I don't like it…" Dedenne commented with a blank expression.

"Yep… Trubbish's turn again. Which Trubbish flirted with their teacher willingly to get them to invite them to their house to get blackmail, kiss their daughter in their teacher's bedroom closet and spread the blackmail anonymously on the school website?" Nihilego asked, eyes wide.

Gossifleur gasped at this, "Wow… that's very… disjointed?"

"Okay, would someone confess to something… this… crazy?" Oricorio queried only to be interrupted by Gourgeist pressing her button with a bored expression. "WAIT?! It was Gourgeist again?!"

"I was bored," Gourgeist explained, rolling her eyes, leaning on her podium. "It wasn't too interesting. But hey, it made the Sunday more interesting, I suppose."

"Okay… I don't know whether to be thankful or scared…" Vanilluxe laughed nervously, staring at the pumpkin. As she turned to glare at the ice cream, he whimpered in response, flinching back. "Y-you know you're my pump-kin, right?! I w-would never say bad things about you!"

"You just did," Gourgeist remarked plainly, expression darkening.

"L-let's not argue and keep the momentum going, okay!" Oricorio said, putting a wing between the two to separate them even further.

"Y-yes ma'am!" Vanilluxe said out loud with a bashful expression. Gourgeist doesn't react, just shrugging with a blank look.

"I didn't even know you went to school…" Gossifleur admitted, twiddling her fingers awkwardly.

"I was like an exchange student. There for a moment… gone by the next~" Gourgeist said ominously, letting out chilling laughter.

"Gourgeist already pressed the button thrice!" Poipole exclaimed. "Wow, I didn't know she had so many secrets."

"More like, her team is so normal and vanilla that they don't have that much," Nihilego whispered with a sneaky giggle, turning to the Shuppet.

"OKAY, Trubbish only needs 1 more point to win. So next question… lying about your identity when signing up… which one of you Shuppet did that?!" Nihilego asked before admitting, "To be honest, we didn't know until we reviewed the footage." The Shuppet all blinked in confusion at the surprising question thrown at them.

"UHHH… isn't this too…" Chansey started, twiddling her fingers awkwardly. "Too… personal? I mean, what if they're hiding their identity because they're on the run from a secret villain or something… I don't want to force anyone to reveal that…"

"Hell no, we need this point," Empoleon said. "THOUGH, who the fuck would even lie about their own identity?"

"Mmm… interesting indeed…" Musharna said with an amused expression.

Absolute silence as nobody pressed their button. A certain contestant grunted to themselves, while trying their best to remain composed. Unsurprisingly enough, the Shuppet were delivered a special gift: Electric shocks!

"UGGGGGH! This is making my fur all frizzy…" Teddiursa complained, tugging at her ears.

"I mean, it's Nihilego's fault for even putting a randomly heavy secret from out of nowhere…" Musharna pointed out dryly. "Though, Gourgeist revealed all of her shit… so guess we suck…"

"Gourgeist knows how to blackmail? Ooooh, how fun!" Gossifleur commented with a clueless expression.

"This challenge has been pretty tough on us Shuppet… it's pretty unfair that the other side has softball questions, just because one of them is an unabashed psychopath though," Magearna complained with a childish huff.

"Potential last question of the day… which Trubbish hates pop music so much that they-"

Vivillon groaned, pressing her button, "SEE! I did something. Do we win?!"

Nihilego deadpanned in silence, "... okay, that felt really anticlimactic… uhh… I wish we could add more questions but we only have room of so many…"

"This wouldn't have happened if you didn't choose three secrets from Gourgeist!" Dedenne pointed out, rolling his eyes. "Not that I'm complaining since we WON!"

"Uhh… yeah… in a really… wow ending, Trubbish wins IMMUNITY!" Cheers spread throughout the Twinkling Trubbish, who celebrated their third win in a row. "Though… sorry to say, Shuppets… but you're heading to another campfire ceremony." The Shuppet erupted to a chorus of groans, with Empoleon's being the loudest among the group.

"You'll have the rest of the afternoon to discuss… so prepare yourselves… HAVE FUN~" Nihilego urged as the challenge came to a close.

"WE. FUCKING. LOST… AGAIN!" Empoleon growled and glared at the camera, hitting the side of the confessional in frustration, leaving a small dent. "How the fuck?! Is my team so useless?! At this point, it's not even funny. HELL, it's beyond insulting. Nobody's pulling their weight… and that fucking psycho pumpkin even got her team half of their points. Is this game even fair?!"

He face-palmed, breathing heavily as he attempted to calm himself down. "I need… to be patient. I can't just fucking flip out again… I d-don't want to be fucking voted off, just because people get too sensitive about my justified outbursts."

Dedenne scoffed, leaning back in the confessional with a calm smile, "Winning all of these challenges are really good for team morale and it helps demoralize the other team even further, to crush their hopes of winning… so hey, it's very good for us and well… bad for them? But does that matter? While it might start to get repetitive… for now, I literally don't care."

The alliance of Musharna, Teddiursa, Magearna, Chansey and Sableye were gathered inside the girls' side of the Shuppet cabin to discuss the vote with the door locked so no intruders could listen in on their conversation. Musharna was lying on her bed, face-first into her pillow but still awake. Teddiursa and Chansey were sitting on Unfezant's former bunk with Teddiursa checking her nails often. Magearna was leaning on her arm with a intrigued expression while Sableye was leaning on the door for 'extra measure'.

"I can't believe we lost again!" Teddiursa complained, squeezing a pillow in annoyance. "Like, I admitted my secret and everything _ Now, I feel like I shouldn't have revealed it then UWU!"

"... I believe that well… everyone has a reason to not have revealed their secrets back there so I shan't hold it against them…" Magearna admitted, returning to her more formal way of speaking. "Hm… and if we were to base our decision on who got us a point in the challenge, Empoleon, Teddiursa and Sableye are exempt from being mentioned as boot options!"

"I mean… it's not like I was going to target any of those people…" Musharna whispered groggily.

"Y-yeah… I was just defending the people who didn't press the button to reveal their secret!" Magearna argued with a bashful look, almost knocking herself off-balance.

"Okay?" Musharna decided to refuse to press further, mumbling incoherently to herself.

"So uhh… like… it should be between Empoleon and BayBay, right?" Teddiursa queried, cocking a brow. "Like… I wanna say that Floatzel should be out of the mix cuz he's like totes cool or whatevers lulz~"

"I mean… Empoleon may be annoying… but he's still the strongest member on the team," Chansey remarked with a sheepish expression. "So I think this means… we should just vote for Bayleef… does anyone have any problems with that?"

Teddiursa shrugged, leaning on the nurse's shoulder, "I'm not too close with him personally and well, the alternative would be Floatzel so like… I'd rather not do that…"

"Bayleef is pretty nice," Sableye chimed in before blushing in realization, "Oh wait, we were talking about boot targets, hehe… well, uhh… Floatzel is a bit rude to me… so there's my ten cents to this conversation… or was it fifteen cents, hehe… he?"

"Uhhmm… Floatzel is cool!" Teddiursa defended with a pout. "Though, he's obviously not as cute as me and if it's between him and Bay, it should be Bay!"

"But Floatzel keeps saying I smell bad and suspecting that I'm up to something!" Sableye pointed out, groaning as nobody responded. "H-hey, I think I did a good-ish job getting rid of my stinky smell. Don't be too hard on me for that, haha…"

"You eat trash," Teddiursa reminded him with a blank expression.

"I didn't know that w-was a bad thing!

"It definitely was…"

"C-can we not fight among ourselves?!" Chansey blurted out, putting a hand on Teddiursa's shoulder. "I'm sure we can reach a decision eventually!"

"I'm just doing my best to keep my bestie safe, tee hee~" Teddiursa explained, removing the hand on her shoulder. "Like uhhh… where we stand now… I think Sableye's the only one here leaning Floatzel, right? Unless somebodies has somethingz to share with the entire class. I really appreciate honesty, if that were the case U_U"

"Well… I do want to just vote Bayleef off honestly," Magearna said, shrugging nonchalantly. "That seems to be the most viable option. How about thee, Musharna?"

Musharna groaned as she lifted her face off her pillow, "Mmm? Oh… sorry… almost fell asleep back there… uhhh… who are the options? Bayleef and Floatzel, with an outside chance of Empoleon? Ugh… I do want to just nip the problem in the bud already by voting Empoleon off since he haunts my nightmares or something… but judging from how things are going… it's not going to happen?"

"He's just too strong!" Chansey affirmed with a nod.

"What if we have a shake-up though?" Musharna queried, arching a brow, intrigued.

"Shake… up?" Magearna replied, tilting her head to the side, accidentally hitting the wall. "Oof… I forgot there was a wall there…"

"Haven't you all watched other versions of this show… and that Pokevivor shit too?" Musharna asked her companions, getting a resounding no as a response, making her sigh loudly, "Wow… you really are missing out. It's a good time waster. Maybe, I should suggest it to you guys after the game… but we're moving off-topic now. In some of those shows, there was something called a 'swap' where the teams changed… so I'm suspecting that there might be a swap here too and we might not even be on the same team as Empoleon then… so wouldn't it better to not risk that chance?"

"... what if it doesn't happen though?" Magearna countered, folding her arms. "We can't base our decisions off a possibility… this sounds like something Pikachu would do, personally."

"... Pikachu was indecisive… but me? I'm hundred percent determined for this," Musharna answered, starting to detect a bit of hostility coming from the Mythical Pokemon. "So… I would really prefer if everyone trusted me on this one…"

"... I have a lot of doubts regarding your decision…" Magearna stated out plainly, deadpanning. "Isn't it better… to not risk it? I mean… we could easily stay on these teams until the merger and if we vote Empoleon off, we could be losing all of the future challenges and be down to nothing… I… don't want to risk that."

"Lady Magearna has a good point!" Chansey commented, with Teddiursa shrugging indifferently next to her. "I think we should save the Empoleon vote on the backburner for now."

"... okay?" Musharna remained skeptical, as she quickly grabbed her blanket to cover her body. "I guess… we'll just do Bayleef then… mmm, I can go take a short nap then…"

Magearna smiled warmly at this, clasping her hands together, "Oh, that's great! This means… meeting adjourned?"

"Yaaaaah!" Teddiursa exclaimed, falling on her back on the bed, spreading her arms out, surprising Chansey. "This meeting is boring. See y'all at the vote!"

"This is my first time being in an alliance, so, uh… I'm not exactly sure how to act," Sableye admitted, scratching his chin. For a fleeting moment, a spark of clarity crossed his face, only to vanish just as quickly. "Wait… this is my first time in any kind of competition like this, so of course I don't have alliance experience!" He let out a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his head.

Sableye's smile wavered as he sighed. "Well… uh… I'm just glad I'm not going to be the third boot. B-but… I don't really know what comes next. Maybe… maybe I can talk to Floatzel and clear the air?" His hands came together, mustering a hopeful smile. "Yeah… I'll do that. And… everything will be better after that, right?"

Sableye waved goodbye to the group before unlocking and stepping through the door, Magearna floating after him. As the two disappeared out of the cabin, Musharna's expression shifted into a sly smirk. Hastily, she threw off her blanket and floated from the bed, gliding toward the one Chansey and Teddiursa were still sitting on.

"Oh good, you two haven't left yet," she said, her voice calm but tinged with urgency, her barely opened eyes scanning the pair.

Teddiursa tilted her head curiously, her wide eyes gleaming with interest, while Chansey blinked in confusion. "I have something to tell you both," Musharna continued, locking her gaze on Chansey. "Especially you, Chansey."

"W-what?" Chansey stammered, startled. Her eyes darted to Teddiursa, who simply shrugged with an amused smile. Groaning in exasperation, Chansey pressed further, "What do you mean, Musharna? You're making it sound like it's serious. If it was so important, why didn't you bring it up during the meeting?"

Musharna shook her head, her tone growing sharper. "Magearna was there—it would've been too risky."

Teddiursa let out an exaggerated, cheeky "Oooooooh!" into her paws.

"Teddiursa, shut up. This is serious," Musharna snapped, narrowing her eyes.

Teddiursa giggled mischievously, rocking side to side. "I mean, your tone definitely makes it sound super juicy, so yeah, I'm already hyped to hear this gossip~."

Chansey groaned, burying her face in her hands. "I don't like where this is going…" Her mind raced with thoughts, dread creeping into her expression. "T-this isn't about La—"

"Don't trust Magearna. That's all," Musharna interrupted, her voice low and ominous, her face darkening. "She's bad news. I'm serious. I think… I think she was the subject of the last question. You know, the one about lying… about her identity."

Chansey's breath hitched, and Teddiursa's grin faded into a curious but uneasy silence. They expected Musharna to tell them to deviate from their plan as a group but this? It sounded like it was more than just the game.

"What are you talking about? Lady Magearna is a noble person who would never lie about her own identity!" Chansey defended her idol, putting a hand to her chest. "Do you even have proof for your suspicions?"

"I'm with Chansey here, Mushy! It sounds… very very serious!" Teddiursa affirmed, biting into her fingernails as she looked to the side. "I thought you were going to give us the best pitch to vote Empoleon off… not THIS!"

"Uh-huh… I'm sorry… but… let me ask you this… don't you think Magearna's… not acting like the real Magearna," Musharna pointed out.

"I don't know what you're even talking about! Magearna's Magearna!" Chansey snapped back, clenching a fist. "W-what are you even trying to say?! That she's faking her whole personality?"

"... I'm just saying… don't trust her… you'll see eventually," Musharna finished ominously, floating out of the room, confusing the remaining duo even further.

"W-what?!" Chansey stammered, her words tumbling out as her head spun. "What does she even mean?!"

"I dunno, UWU! But hey, maybe things are about to get interesting again?" Teddiursa remarked, tapping her chin with a mischievous grin.

Chansey groaned, pressing her palms against her temples. "Why are you like this? This isn't interesting—it's frustrating!"

"Hey now, don't worry!" Teddiursa chimed, leaning over and patting Chansey on the back with an exaggerated cheerful tone. "Everything's gonna be alright. You'll see!"

Chansey sighed, her shoulders slumping as she reluctantly nodded. "Let's… let's just wait and see."

Klinklang and Vanilluxe exchanged an unsure look before turning to face a… frightening sight. It looked like a cake, but upon closer inspection, the frosting was made of mush and the toppings weren't strawberry, they were meat chunks and raisins. On the other side of the 'cake' was Magcargo, who had a wide grin on his face. He had the bright idea to ask Indeedee to make a cake to celebrate their win as a team, inviting everyone. Unfortunately for him, only Klinklang and Vanilluxe were available but that wasn't enough to keep him down.

"Thank you for coming!" He remarked, smiling cheerfully. "Unluckily, everyone else was unavailable. They… uhhmm… well… had surprising things to do when I told them that there was going to be cake made by Indeedee. I wonder why… Indeedee's great at cooking. Maybe, I should've invited him too to this celebration party, don't you think?!"

Vanilluxe paled at this, sputtering out, "W-what?! You didn't tell me there was going to be…" He gulped, looking to the left then to the right, in case the chef appeared from out of nowhere before leaning closer to whisper, "Uh… this is mush appreciated. B-but Indeedee's food is… not good."

"What do you mean? It's sooo good!" Magcargo looked unfazed, oblivious to the truth. "It's probably one of the best food I've had for days! Don't you agree, Klinklang?!"

"I plead the fifth," Klinklang deadpanned coldly. "Though, I do thank you for the invite. Winning three times in a row was the ideal scenario, for sure."

"MMMHM! That's why I wanted to celebrate! It's these little moments that make you appreciate the game after all!" Magcargo reasoned as he chuckled to himself. "I mean, we signed up for a reality tv show that might ruin our personal relationships and be a waste of time in the end but hey… at least, we can say we have these moments, right?"

Klinklang shrugged with a blank expression, "I suppose you do have a point… though, I prefer minimizing unnecessary celebrations sometimes, since it's…" He paused before shaking his head, "But for now, I will oblige in celebrating."

"I knew you would like it, Klingy! I… I can call you that, right?" Magcargo's eyes were shimmering brightly as he gazed at the gear's eyes, who leaned back uncomfortably. "Okay… maybe, I'm moving too fast with this friendship. But I'm glad you're up for this. Hehe, see! You're not as cold-hearted as everyone thinks!"

"... people call me cold-hearted?" Klinklang queried, intrigued.

"Well, Skwovet said it once. And Oricorio and Vivillon too…" Magcargo answered, looking up thoughtfully before snickering, "But they don't know you too much so they're judging you too early!"

"..." Klinklang's eyes narrowed, mumbling, "Thank you for the information. I shall use it to the best of my abilities, to improve my relationships with the team."

Vanilluxe chuckled loudly, chiming in, "I don't think Klinklang's the coldest person on the team. I mean, I am the ice cream Pokemon here!" He examined the reactions of his companions, sighing at their blank stares. "W-what?! I know it was LITERAL. But I'm trying out new types of jokes, okay!" He groaned, "Okay… fine… I'll try to think of other jokes…"

"Uhmm… you should keep trying, for sure!" Magcargo commented with a sheepish expression. "I mean, this is why practice makes perfect. I'm sure you can keep trying until you can perfect your comedy routine. Maybe, we might even have a talent show challenge, where you can showcase your talents and it would be a good red-"

"Breathe," Klinklang reminded him. Magcargo nodded in affirmation as he stopped talking to take a long break. "I still wonder how you can even talk so much without any problem or any thinking required."

An embarrassed expression formed on the snail's face in reply, "I just get too fired up and passionate about every topic I can hear. Some people mention that I'm a chatterbox but I didn't think it was too much of a problem, since I think that's just an overexaggeration. I don't talk much. I mean, in my opinion, I think I talk too little!"

"You definitely talk too much… but I guess that's your charm," Klinklang said matter-of-factly.

"Aww thanks!" Magcargo replied before leaning forward to smell the 'cake'. "Anyways, now that we're done talking… is everyone prepared to eat cake?!"

Klinklang paled at the announcement, "... can we just keep talking? I don't think I'm hungry yet."

"Oh, really?" Magcargo blinked in confusion before smiling again, "That's fine. What do we talk about? Fashion? Comedy? Best friendship? Why am I insecure about the fact that I don't have hands? The one time I accidentally joined a cult of nudists?"

Klinklang looked confused at everything he said, not knowing how to react before gathering his thoughts, "How about… we talk about the game?"

"Aw… I really did want to share all of my anecdotes…" Magcargo deflated in disappointment before perking back up, "But sure, let's talk about the game! Here's some gossip… I heard that Marill and Indeedee…" He paused for dramatic effect before gasping, "Are in a romantic relationship… bonus points since it's forbidden since Marill is part of a really strict f-"

"That's not what I meant," Klinklang interrupted, shaking his head. He perked a brow at the snail's words. "Though… where are you even hearing these rumors?"

"Pshawww, if I told you, it wouldn't be a secret anymore!" Magcargo looked completely unfazed. "But uh… if that's not what you meant… what do you mean? Are you talking about the eating habits and sexual orientation of everyone here or something?" Vanilluxe winced, nearly choking on the water he was drinking at the time. "W-what?! I thought knowing those were NORMAL!"

"No, it's not. Don't tell me, you secretly followed everyone to find out about all of that," Klinklang accused skeptically.

"W-what?! No obviously! I asked nicely!" Magcargo explained… barely, since Klinklang and Vanilluxe both still exchanged a look of confusion. "OOKAY! Let's uh… change topic since I think I can now feel the awkwardness in the room… it's so thick!"

"I'm a certified chatterbox…" Magcargo admitted with a straight face, not even bothered. "I mean… talking to people and getting to know them is really fun! Klinklang and Vanilluxe are pretty much my closest friends here. Klingy… well, if he lets me call him that, is someone I really trust a lot. I'm almost sad we keep winning since I wanna see the amount of damage can deal like boom, pow! We're like a really effective dynamic duo, huh?! Oooh, what would be the name of our partnership? Klingcargo? Magklang? Magklincaklango?! There's so many to choose from!"

Klinklang gazed at the camera nonchalantly as he confessed, "Magcargo and Vanilluxe… are both generally positive people… yet, they are also some of the emotional people here so I feel that would be the source of their downfalls. Fortunately, I believe by having… a mutual partnership would benefit both parties as logic and emotion combined can be a massive force, if you know what I mean."

He sighed, staring at the camera with cold eyes, "Though, I do wish Magcargo had better taste in food…"

At the time, the mess hall was considerably empty as Dedenne, Oricorio and Indeedee were the only ones present. Dedenne was... trying to eat his 'Berry-Filled Pancakes' that looked like a soggy piece of bread with red filling, while Oricorio watched him eat, just drinking a glass of water. Indeedee watched from afar as he swept the place clean.

"Uhm... err... how's the pancakes?" Oricorio asked.

"They look... unique..." Dedenne lied, eyes darting over to Indeedee who was watching intently. "I don't think I've seen... anything... quite like it..." His face turned green as he put a balled fist to his mouth. "Have you tried them?"

Oricorio shook her head, breath hitching, "No. I'm not really hungry right now. Besides... I saw Magcargo walking around with a massive cake... that did ruin my appetite a bit. That's why I didn't join his 'party'."

"I'm shocked. Aren't you obsessed with keeping this team together?" Dedenne pointed out, stabbing his pancakes with a lot of force. "I mean... makes sense, you're not just the leader of this team, you're also cheer captain or whatever."

"I already told you... it's only TEMPORARY!" Oricorio huffed, covering the red flush forming on her face. "By the time this game is over, the old Cheer Captain would've recovered so... I'm only filling in her spot!"

"Mhm..." Dedenne said sarcastically.

"But you're right," Oricorio admitted, running her wings together. "I feel bad opting not to attend, since I do want to promote team unity but I just feel like it would've been haphazardly planned, since Magcargo only told me last-minute... and you know... cheer routines need a lot of work, I'm a bit of a perfectionist so I would feel even worse if I just told him how to improve the occassion."

Dedenne nodded firmly, twisting his fork into the pancakes. "I guess that makes a lot of sense. I didn't attend since Klinklang, Magcargo and Vanilluxe don't sound like a type of party I'd want to be with... besides, there's no room to hide with only 4 people attending. I usually just slink in the background, enjoying myself while drinking punch. I don't think Magcargo even has that for his get-together."

"He has the right ideas... just not sure about the execution. He does really enjoy Indeedee's cooking and err... different tastes for different people, I suppose!" Oricorio stated with a sheepish smile. She then tapped her chin as she locked her gaze on the Pikaclone. "Hmm... but other than that... Dedenne, I heard that you were trying to pull Vivillon into our group? I'm surprised!"

"Well, I thought she'd make a natural fit!" Dedenne explained.

Oricorio narrowed her eyes as she arched a brow, "Hmm..? We haven't exactly seen each other eye-to-eye... I feel like she hates me..."

"Oh, she doesn't hate you! That's just how she usually acts!" Dedenne reasoned, wagging a finger as he pushed back his glasses. "She's not really the type of person to visibly show affection... so she shows it through other ways and uhm... she might be abrasive but that's how she shows she cares."

"A-ah! That is... not too surprising to hear!" Oricorio murmured, tapping her beak thoughtfully. "I guess I'll try to pull her in for a chat, Dedenne!"

Dedenne nodded, sighing in relief. "I'm glad to hear!"

"Vivillon is the type of girl who would be kicked off the team for lack of team spirit..." Oricorio admitted, putting her wings on her lap as she smiled awkwardly. "But... I want to give her a chance to prove herself, since Dedenne talked about her in high regard so he might've seen something I didn't... and I know that she just has a lot of untapped rage in her! If she channels that rage into her competitive spirit, she might be a powerful force!"

Skwovet had decided to spend the afternoon by the beach, gazing out at the waves to pass the time. The hours dragged on painfully slow after their team's immunity win, and he wasn't exactly in the mood to share a space with Klinklang after their misunderstanding on a prior day. He even avoided making eye contact with Floatzel as the weasel strolled by on his way to the docks.

"So far, so good… heh… see, Dedenne? I can keep my promises," Skwovet muttered to himself, a small, satisfied smirk spreading across his face. Over the past few days, he'd resisted every urge to swipe anything from his teammates, even Vivillon, so the squirrel felt a sense of achievement just from that.

"Tch… what are you even doing?" a sharp, haughty voice called out from behind him.

Skwovet's smirk vanished instantly. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was, but he did anyway. Sure enough, Vivillon was standing there, wearing her trademark judgmental glare.

"Don't tell me you're trying to waste away after you gave back my things," She grumbled, her tone dripping with disdain. She paused, glancing off to the side with her eyes shut tightly. "Which, by the way… I suppose I am grateful that you have some morals after all!"

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Skwovet asked flatly.

"Oh… hmph… I don't have anything else to say! Dedenne just told me to THANK you for returning my things!" Vivillon explained matter-of-factly. "Nothing more, nothing less."

Skwovet arched a brow, unsure how to react to this information. "Ah… I see. So Dedenne told you to thank me? Makes sense… anything else you want to share or are you just going to talk about how much you hate pop music."

Vivillon scoffed, retching. "Don't even bring that up! Pop music is the pinnacle of soulless drivel. It's uninspired, repetitive garbage with no story, no weight, and absolutely no artistic merit! My distaste is not only justified, but necessary."

"Okay okay! I won't! No need to go on another rant, Ms. Drama Queen!" Skwovet said with an amused tone.

Vivillon rolled her eyes and turned to leave but paused mid-flight. She pivoted back around, her expression deadpan. "Since you've taken the liberty of poking fun at my 'secret,' I think it's only fair I get an explanation for yours.

Skwovet's grin vanished instantly. He stumbled back, his feet splashing into the edge of the water. "Uhh… e-excuse me? I don't think Dedenne gave you permission to interrogate me! Who do you think you are, Floatzel? It's not even that serious! I admitted it, so… yeah, we're done here."

Vivillon's eyes narrowed, her curiosity only growing. "Now I'm really intrigued… Are you still being held back? How old are you, anyway?"

"I'm nineteen," Skwovet replied, crossing his arms defensively. He hoped the straightforward answer would make the butterfly lose interest.

But Vivillon's reaction was far from what he expected. Her jaw dropped. "N-nineteen? That means I'm only a year older than you! I'm shocked! I thought you'd be younger, considering how immature you act sometimes—"

"Me?! Immature?!" Skwovet snapped, his fur bristling with irritation. "You have no room to talk about maturity when you've been acting like a stuck-up, unapologetic bitch since the moment you got here!"

Vivillon flinched slightly but quickly composed herself, frowning as she straightened her posture. "Ah, I see. Well, if you think your little outburst is going to faze me, you clearly don't know who I am. I'm a celebrity."

Skwovet's eye twitched as he clenched a fist. "What does that even have to do with anything?! How is that relevant to this conversation?!"

"Hmph," Vivillon scoffed dismissively, brushing off his words. "Clearly, this discussion is a waste of my time. Goodbye."

And with that, she flitted off without another word. Skwovet stared after her, mouth agape. He sank to his knees in the sand, still processing the whole interaction. "What? WHAT?! What the hell was that?! She's pissing me off, and—"

He clicked his tongue in frustration, his hands balling into fists. "Alright, that's it! No more holding back! I'm going to rob her blind!"

Floatzel was just sitting on the docks, letting his feet touch the water as he gazed at the distance thoughtfully. While he spent most of his time on the island searching for answers, he wanted another change of pace for the day, feeling a bit guilty that he did something hypocritical at the challenge: Let his team down by not revealing his… sort of embarrassing secret. Sighing, he kicked the water in frustration. "I can't call myself an ally of justice if I can't even be trusted to reveal my own secrets…!"

Floatzel's ears perked up as loud footsteps echoed behind him. He assumed it was Teddiursa coming to fill him in on the vote, but to his surprise, it was Sableye. The gremlin-like Pokémon fidgeted nervously, tugging at the frayed edges of his clothing, his gaze darting around as if unsure where to focus.

"You! What are you doing here?" Floatzel demanded, his tone sharp.

"I… I just wanted t-to talk, Floatzel!" Sableye stammered, extending a hand toward the weasel, which he firmly slapped away .

Sableye recoiled, clutching his hand as though it had been struck harder than it was. "Oh… s-so you don't trust m-me enough for a handshake?"

"I'm sorry but I don't think I can even trust you." Floatzel explained bluntly, crossing his arms over his chest. "I don't know anything about you, and if anything, that last challenge just made you look even weirder. Eating trash? Seriously? That didn't exactly help your case. It just made you seem like an even bigger creep."

Sableye gulped, putting his hands to his mouth. "I'm so sorry! I s-swear that I'll stop eating trash n-now that I know it's bad for you and not really normal! I thought it was…"

"You thought it was normal?" Floatzel repeated the gremlin's words, puzzled. "What is that supposed to mean? Didn't you learn this from your parents or at school?"

"I don't remember my parents." Sableye answered casually, oblivious to the weight of his words. "And uhm, I don't really know what happens at schools either. But judging from Skwovet choosing to skip classes a lot, I think it's not that fun, right?"

"Sableye… what?" Floatzel gave the Dark-type a skeptical expression. "Can you at least try to explain why you're here?"

Sableye rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, slouching a bit. "O-oh! I just wanted to clear the air since you thought I was up to something and uhm, I don't think I'm up to anything! I didn't really make any plans or anything… so I'm confused why you're so suspicious of me, in the first place! Did I do something wrong and you caught me in the act? I might need help understanding since I'm really confused…"'

Floatzel face-palmed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Sableye… you're really hard to understand. I appreciate the gesture but I don't know if I can still trust you. You don't have any parents… or any memories… who are you?"

"I… I don't know…" Sableye muttered, bowing his head down. "B-but… all I know is that uhm… I just want us to get along… okay? Is that enough?"

Floatzel sighed, tipping his hat to conceal his expression. "That sounds like… something my old friend used to say… I guess… I'm not going to press you further without any evidence."

Sableye let out a sigh of relief, placing a hand on his chest as a genuine, warm smile spread across his face—one that, for once, didn't show his sharp teeth. "Thank you, Floatzel. I really appreciate it. I wouldn't trust me either, but… the fact that you're willing to, uhm, g-give me a chance… it means a lot."

Floatzel blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the sincerity in Sableye's voice. Mixed feelings swirled in his chest, but he quickly looked away, grunting. "Don't thank me. This isn't about trust—it's about fairness. I can't go around accusing people without any real proof. Indeedee already chewed me out for snooping around the mess hall without permission, so… I'm trying to take a calmer approach. Patience, you know?"

Sableye nodded earnestly, his eyes glimmering as he shuffled closer. Without warning, he wrapped his arms around Floatzel's back in a sudden, awkward hug. "Well, I don't care what you say! I'm still really grateful, h-hehehe… I thought you were super intimidating, b-but you're ac-"

Before Sableye could finish, Floatzel stiffened and quickly pushed him off, his expression notably disgruntled. The Water-type let out an exasperated sigh, straightening his collar as he muttered, "Don't… get too close. I never said I trusted you yet."

"Oh…" Sableye's voice dropped, disappointment flickering in his tone. "I guess I'll just… go for now then…"

"Yeah," Floatzel replied flatly, refusing to meet the gremlin's gaze as he looked off into the distance.

Floatzel sighed wistfully as he put his hat to his chest, "Sableye is someone I can't completely trust. Nobody could… just say they don't have a mom or a dad… or literally anything. What has he been doing for his entire life then? It's like there's a huge hole in his entire backstory, where his childhood should've been and I'm sorry but that's not something I could just ignore. I'm going to keep my eyes on him… but…" His voice trailed off as his eyes became foggy. "... I'll try to not be too harsh on him. I already made myself look like a fool for doing this… I don't want to disappoint anyone else…"

As soon as Sableye left, Floatzel slumped forward as he played back his conversation with the gremlin in his head. He wanted to try and trust someone for once… but there were way too many unanswered questions that it was very hard for him to even completely trust the other Pokemon. In the real world, he wouldn't be caught dead telling his real name to anyone but his trusted friends and it was no differnet in this game.

He shook his head as he tried to move on from that conversation. He still had elimination to worry about and he hasn't put much thought into it, since they'd lost.

And it seemed like he wasn't going to get the quiet alone time he desperately craved as a girlish voice called out to him from behind. "You have room for two more?" The weasel turned around to find not only Teddiursa… but Chansey, approaching. The nurse had an anxious expression as she looked like she didnt' want to be here in the first place.

"Teddiursa… and Chansey? What are you two doing here?" Floatzel asked, cocking a brow.

"Welll… here's the thing… Musharna came forward to tell us that Magearna might be acting sus!" Teddiursa explained. "And Chansey here… thinks Musharna is talking bullshit so she wants to check up on everyone, to see if Musharna is trying to sell the same shit to everyone!"

Chansey blushed in embarrassment as she looked to the side, "It wasn't exactly like that… b-but well… I just don't know why Musharna would just draw suspicion to Lady Magearna for no reason. i find it highly suspicious… and deeply concerning."

"I was suspicious of Magearna too, you know?" Floatzel pointed out, crossing his arms. "I mean… why would a Mythical Pokemon even think of joining a competition like this for no reason? I believe she has ulterior motives… I'm shocked Musharna reached the same conclusion."

Chansey drooped down in disappointment, "You too? I don't know why both of you are so suspicious of Magearna… when she's everything I've dreamt of…"

"T-B-H… none of us have the same relationship with her like you do!" Teddiursa pointed out, patting the nurse on the back sympathetically. "I mean… I'm not really that sus of her… but I dunno why she'd play in this show AND be beaten by a pumpkin in Hide & Seek… AND dodgeball!"

"Magearna has other strengths!" Chansey shouted, hands balling into fists as she closed her eyes tightly, "Like… she's one of the nicest Pokemon out there. While other Mythical Pokemon do nothing but just… watch while we suffer, Magearna takes a proactive approach and helps out those in need. She… she would never act so suspicious!"

Floatzel sighed, not wanting to hurt the Normal-type's feelings, "... well… I'm going to try to approach this vote with an open mind. She's innocent until proven guilty."

"Thank you… that's all I wanted to hear, Floatzel!" Chansey said, nodding gratefully.

"No problem. Is that all you want to share or..?" Floatzel asked.

"Hmmm… for one, you have to tell us about your fingernail collection!" Teddiursa suggested, playfully giggling into her paws. "That sounded completely unhinged coming from you!"

Floatzel's face flushed a deep red as he scrambled to his feet, his legs trembling awkwardly. "H-How did you even find out?!" He stammered.

"Process of elimination! Empoleon's too obvious when he has something to hide! Sableye wouldn't hide that type of secret. Magearna is Magearna. Chansey is Chansey. Bayleef didn't look particularly worried when the question came up… and obviously, it wasn't me or Musharna! So that left you!" Teddiursa explained.

"I can explain! It's not for anything creepy! I was saving it as evidence!" Floatzel sputtered out, fingers twitching over his hat. "I know that Nihilego called it a 'collection' but it's not something I started, because of an interest in nails or anything! I collect fingerprints and signatures too and-"

Teddiursa waved her paw flippantly as she tilted her head to the side cutely, "You don't have to explain anything, Floatzy! Your secret is safe with us! Besides, it's so adorable seeing you so riled up! You're always so calm and collected that I legit wanna squeal when you break that facade!"

"Calm and collected? Is that how I look..?" Floatzel wondered aloud as he straightened his posture.

"That… and a bit loud at times!" Teddiursa added.

"I see…" Floatzel muttered, deadpanning.

"AHEM… anywaaays, let's go back to the topic" Teddiursa stated.

Floatzel leaned closer as Teddiursa and Chansey shared their plan for the vote. Unfortunately, the scene transitions before we can see the final outcome of their discussion.

"... if I were to call anyone a friend on this island… it would be Teddiursa…" Floatzel admitted, flushed… before correcting himself, turning to the side, "BEGRUDGINGLY! I mean, she's the fakest person on the island with her overly cute shtick. So it's surprising we're not going for each other's throats, but I suppose it's because I know more about her, than Sableye, who is still pretty SHADY as fuck… but that's just me. I was a bit skeptical about... her cheating on her ex but I'll have to look into that, on my own time..."

Sweat was trickling down Bayleef's face as he attempted to make eye contact with a disgruntled Empoleon as they started to make their way to the campfire ceremony as the sun begun to set in the distance. Though, he struggled to find the words to say, finding confidence in one second, only to lose it in the end. As he opened his mouth to try and say something, to see how Empoleon was feeling about losing, he was thankfully saved from the awkward moment by Musharna who floated right behind them with a bored expression.

"Oh… thank Arceus, I finally caught up with you both…" She muttered, eyes fluttering open and close. Turning to Bayleef, she rolled her eyes, "For somebody who's scared of his own shadow… you're… surprisingly a fast runner. It was… really hard to get to you, guys."

Empoleon cocked a brow, scoffing impatiently, "Why are you here? Is this a fucking common trend to come and talk to me, so close to the vote?! It happened last round and now, it looks like it's happening again…" He paused, sighing as his tone softened, "N-not that I mind obviously, it's been a long fucking day…"

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Musharna turned to the penguin, intrigued as she moved closer. "Hmm… if I were to wager a guess… Magearna?"

"Bingo, it was fucking her," Empoleon confirmed… before his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Why the fuck are you talking to me though? It's not like we were fucking close… and I haven't forgotten about what you did during the challenge either…"

"Hmph… it's not my fault I was born lethargic…" Musharna defended with a haughty look.

"You fucking slept past your own secret," Empoleon pointed out.

"Anyone could've done that…"

"No, I believe you're the only person that could make that mistake," Empoleon grunted, starting to get annoyed but pinching the bridge of his nose to try his best to keep calm and composed.

"Maybe so… but don't hold it against me… there's bigger fish to fry," Musharna started, eyes darting from side to side, examining her surroundings for any onlookers that might be listening in before sighing in relief, "Oh okay… we're alone…" She then narrowed her eyes in a glare as she turned at the duo suspiciously, "Unless one of you two aren't the real Empoleon or Bayleef…"

Bayleef's eyes widened as he sputtered out, "W-what are you…"

"OKAY, I know you guys won't understand anyway…" Musharna sighed in exasperation before continuing, "But anyways… Empoleon… Magearna wants Bayleef here gone, just so you know."

Bayleef whimpered as he took in this information, "O-oh no… I s-survived two votes… b-but I don't want to be the third boot!"

"I mean… you're… yourself, so I mean… it's not like it's not justified," Musharna admitted with a blank expression. "But don't worry… I don't want that to happen. I have another idea."

"... what are you even talking about?" Empoleon looked rather intrigued, but still remained skeptical at the same time.

"I want Magearna gone," Musharna expressed plainly. "Sableye, Magearna and Chansey are set to vote for Bayleef… but if you can get Floatzel onboard, we have the numbers to stage a coup and topple Magearna out of the game. And if Teddiursa votes with them, it'll tie… and I'm confident that Teddiursa's not the type to throw her game away for someone she barely knows."

Empoleon and Bayleef exchanged an uneasy look before turning back to Musharna as she continued explaining, "Magearna's controlling this tribe right now. She's the reason why Pikachu and Unfezant left. Without her interference, it would've been Bayleef out of the gate… so I do hope that you consider… since it's Bayleef's life on the line."

"I'm not sure about tha-" Empoleon grumbled to himself before sweating as Musharna turned back to his direction. "So… all we have to do is vote with you against Magearna?"

"Obviously… we need every vote we can get and this might be the only opportunity we can get to take her out!" Musharna remarked.

"B-but I thought you girls were c-close…" Bayleef looked confused as he inserted himself into the conversation, trying to pretend he understood everything he heard.

"Well… we were… but I have a creeping suspicion that… Magearna's lying to all of us… and by lying, I don't just mean… lying for the sake of the game," Musharna said ominously. "I'm talking about… a grander scale of lying… she's lying about EVERYTHING."

"... We'll think about it…" Empoleon muttered, crossing his arms.

"I mean… the vote's soon… so not much time to think…" Musharna stated matter-of-factly.

Empoleon rolled his eyes, face-palming. "You know what I mean."

"Uh-huh, yeah sure," Musharna replied, smiling casually before floating past them, turning back for a split second, "Let's see when the votes are read then." And with that, she floated onward, leaving the duo behind to ponder their decision for the vote.

The camera zoomed out to show the vast expanse of trees as the time changed from afternoon to night… time for the third campfire ceremony of the season.

For the third time in a row, the Shining Shuppet stayed seated on their respective stumps, facing the raging fire of the fire pit and Nihilego, who held a tray of confections with a haughty smirk. Situated next to her was Poipole who was stoking the fire with a stick to keep it lit for the entire ceremony. Everyone was tired… they didn't expect to lose THRICE. But it was the reality they lived in… and soon, someone was going to be the third person voted off of the game.

"Welcome Shining Shuppets… to your third campfire ceremony. I almost feel bad at how much you guys suck…" Nihilego attempted to console, but ended up sounding more condescending as a result. "I have here… seven gooey marshmallows… these are a symbol of safety… if you receive one… good job… you're still in the game for more fun and suffering. But if you don't receive one… I'm sorry to say but your journey in the game is officially over."

"You've all casted your votes… and they were tallied by our resident vote tallier: Marill," Nihilego continued, expression sympathetic yet charismatic at the same time. "Whoever receives the most votes will be the third person voted off of Total Pokemon Ultra Revival. So… let's get this party started!"

The somber mood of the ceremony quickly dampened the hostess' mood as she groaned as she quickly grabbed a marshmallow, preparing to throw, "Arceus, the mood is garbage right now… so let's just get this over with. First marshmallow of the night goes to…" She waved her tentacle around to entice the attention of the contestants, "... Empoleon."

Empoleon smirked as he easily caught his marshmallow with ease, stuffing it in his mouth boastfully. "Chansey!" The nurse smiled sheepishly as the marshmallow landed on her lap, grabbing it and enjoying the confection in her mouth in relief of her safety.

"... Sableye!" The gremlin cheered, celebrating his safety before pausing to smile bashfully in realization that he was holding up the campfire ceremony, walking over to grab his marshmallow. "... Floatzel." The weasel sighed in relief as he followed after the gremlin, casting him a skeptic gaze as they passed by each other.

"...and Teddiursa," Teddiursa gasped faux-cutely as she opened her mouth to catch the marshmallow, to Nihilego's annoyance as it flew past her head again, making her pout childishly.

Magearna. Musharna. Bayleef. They were the last three Shuppets left marshmallow-less. Bayleef looked just as nervous as he did in the past campfire ceremonies, having received votes in all of them. Musharna looked confident as she looked on with a yawn. Magearna's eyes darted from left to right in confusion at how she was in the Bottom 3 from out of nowhere.

"Three Pokemon are left without a marshmallow… I'm sorry to say this but… all three of you received votes," Musharna cocked a brow in confusion at Nihilego's declaration. Somebody voted for her?! It couldn't be… right?! As she narrowed her eyes, Nihilego continued, "But safe with one vote is… Bayleef."

The dinosaur sighed in relief as he nervously skittered over to the hosts to receive her marshmallow. Sableye looked confused at this, tilting his head to the side.

"Only one marshmallow left… and two people…" Nihilego announced to the jeering Musharna and the concerned Magearna. "Both of you even have names that start with M… so I guess it's fitting? Or something like that…"

"This has to be a joke…" Musharna muttered, gazing at the last marshmallow greedily. "Who even voted for me..? And how…"

"..." Magearna's concerned expression quickly turned into a frown at Musharna's words. "I see…"

"The final marshmallow goes to…"

Musharna glared at Magearna, who averted her gaze awkwardly.

Chansey's eyes turned to Teddiursa for support.

Empoleon crossed his arms with an intrigued expression.

"... Magearna." Nihilego announced, hurling a marshmallow towards the mythical Pokemon's direction. Musharna gaped in shock at Nihilego's announcement, "Sorry, Musharna… you're done!"

"W-what!?" Sableye gasped in shock, looking around for answers. He voted for Bayleef, thinking his whole alliance was going to vote with him… but somehow, it was Musharna eliminated. "Musharna, what's happening?!"

"OKAY?! What?! Empoleon..? Bayleef?! Did you…" Musharna's eyes were wide open for probably the only time in this competition as she turned to the two starter evolutions for answers.

"I… voted with you…" Bayleef revealed with a sheepish expression. His eyes then widened as he turned to Empoleon, who just shrugged indifferently.

"Hey, I didn't fucking care about who left here… and well… it just so happens that I don't like you more," Empoleon explained, smirking cockily at the tapir.

"Are you guys fucking dumb?!" Musharna yelled threateningly. "I can't believe this… you CAN'T trust Magearna!"

Magearna gasped at Musharna's words, confused, "W-what?! I don't…"

"Very funny… I can see through your act. You're not even Magearna… so just-" Musharna started to reveal only for Nihilego to interrupt.

"Musharna, now's not the time to start a fight. You're out of the game! Time to follow Poipole to the docks and leave the island…" She said… before a sympathetic expression formed, "I'm sorry."

Musharna's glare and disgruntled expression… quickly morphed to disappointment as she cocked her head down to the ground as she followed Poipole out of the area, leaving the seven remaining members of the team with Nihilego. Sableye was the only person to wave goodbye to her, still confused by what happened.

Magearna was pacing back-and-forth in front of the cabin before she was about to head to the campfire ceremony but she was quickly intercepted by a smirking Teddiursa, joined by Chansey and Floatzel. Confused, she cocked a brow.

"What are you guys doing?" Magearna queried in confusion. "I… I'm thinking about the vote… I think I'm having second thoughts…"

"Is that second thought voting for Musharna, by any chance?" Teddiursa asked to confirm, winking cutely.

Magearna blinked, surprised. "How did you..?"

"Let's just say… it's a gut feeling~" Teddiursa said vaguely, giggling into her paw. "Us four… vote for Musharna, the worst that can happen is a tie, which I doubt, seeing as Empoleon might be losing his patience with Mushy~"

"... are you sure?" Magearna stared at her teammate skeptically.

"Why are you asking me when I have a HUGE feeling you were going to ask us right before voting?" Teddiursa rolled her eyes, cheekily, patting the steel and fairy type on the head gently. "We have your backs here. Musharna was actively trashing you so like… she's definitely not too fond of you."

Chansey nodded, affirming, "S-she told us not to trust you… but obviously, I was never going to take that advice since you're Lady Magearna! I can always trust you!"

"..." Magearna closed her eyes thoughtfully at this. Chansey twiddled her fingers, starting to get second thoughts, only to be reassured by a smirking Teddiursa. Floatzel looked indifferent, not really appreciating Musharna dropping her so-called friend under the bus, something only a VILLAIN would do, in his opinion.

"I'm in…" Magearna said simply with a long sigh, making a determined expression.

It was at that moment that their decision for the night was firmly set in stone.

"So like… why save Magy even though she's sus?! Well, it's EASY. I need Floatzel to stay safe since he's like my pseudo-number one obvi!" Teddiursa explained, smiling cheekily at the camera. "If I took out Bayleef… that just means Floatzel would be in even bigger danger… so by keeping Bayleef… he's such a vote sponge and all… he'll be the target every round while Chansey, Floatzel and I can maneuver through things more smoothly. So like… Sableye and Magearna are pretty much filler votes for my side right now…"

She winked at the camera, blowing a kiss, "But they don't have to know that obviously!"

Gossifleur and Cramorant were spending their free-time on their cabin's porch. They were both invited to a 'celebration party' by Vanilluxe but declined to have some crucial girl bonding time between themselves. Cramorant giggled, waving her phone right in front of the young flower's face cheekily.

"I'm soooo surprised that you haven't heard of a phone before… like really?!" She remarked, leaning on the side of the wall, tilting her head in confusion. "You're like… joking right?!"

Gossifleur blinked, smiling sheepishly, "I'm serious… I haven't seen… a mobile phone before at all…"

"Wow, you really need to be educated then, oh ehm gee!" Cramorant announced, pointing at the sky with a determined look on her face… before scratching her chin bashfully, "Uh… hopefully? Uhmm… I actually don't know how phones work, tee bee eeeeeccch!"

"Maybe you can ask Klinklang?" Gossifleur suggested politely. "He looks like he knows a lot!"

Cramorant groaned, face-palming. "I don't like him too much… like at all, awks…" She rolled her eyes in exasperation, "Like… I tried bonding with him in the past few days and like… he's a massive jerk… no offense obvi. Don't rain downvotes on me for saying the truth!"

"Errr… downvotes?" Gossifleur blinked, confused.

"You don't like… need to know. I'll be real. The internet can be a really toxic place most of the time," Cramorant admitted with an indifferent shrug. "But yeeeeah… uhh… all you need to do is like… phones are used to like… look up information, talk to people even if you're like so far away from each other… and you can even play fun games on it! So phones are really great!"

"Wow… phones are that great?" Gossifleur tilted her head to the side. "Maybe, I should steal a phone for myself!" She giggled lightheartedly, to Cramorant's growing discomfort. "What? Do you have a cat biting on your thumb… though… what is a cat? You know what… I think I said the wrong variation of that idiom…"

"Uhh… did you just say… steal?" Cramorant pointed out shakily.

"I want to be a bad girl!" Gossifleur explained, eyes glimmering with interest.

"Why though?"

"It's simple! I heard that bad girls have all the fun!" Gossifleur explained. "And well… people tell me I'm so sweet… but I do want to have a brand new image!"

"What… brought this on, lol?"

"Well… I had a conversation with Vivillon during the first challenge and well…" Gossifleur answered, to the bird's chagrin. "Let's just say that it opened my eyes to reality. I want to be just like her! Oh… and dare I mention that Gourgeist's unpredictable nature does bring a lot of intrigue and danger I've never had before in my life… I love it!"

"... this is so sudden…" Cramorant stated matter-of-factly, groaning afterwards as she eyed the grass-type pleadingly. "Vivillon and Gourgeist are like… a bad influ-" Her eyes narrowed as a familiar squirrel was closing in on her companion, face-palming, "Skwovet?! Like, are you seriously going to jump at Gossifleur?!"

Skwovet groaned as he was discovered, jumping off the roof of the cabin and landing with a thud, "I was just listening in…"

"And probably steal all our stuff?!" Cramorant added with an aggravated look.

"Okay… not really! Maybe if Vivillon was around but…'' Skwovet mumbled before shrinking even further at Cramorant's intense glare, stammering out, "H-hey! It's not like I'm trying to rob you guys blind… it's just… an impulsive thing of mine…"

"That's what they always say!" Cramorant intoned in disbelief. "Awks… and I doubt that your only reason for being here was to like… listen in on our girl talk… though, that's still real rude el ehm ey ow…"

"OKAY fine… I was just… wanting to join in on your conversation but didn't know how so I just climb on top of the roof to listen in!" Skwovet explained, crossing his arms. "So uhh… can I join?"

"If you must know, we're having some crucial girl bonding time so you're not allowed here! No boys allowed!" Cramorant scoffed, jabbing a wing on the squirrel's chest in an attempt to be intimidating. "So li-"

"No, he can stay," Gossifleur interrupted, eyes still glimmering with interest.

"Why though..?"

"He can teach me how to be a bad girl!" Gossifleur explained with a firm nod.

Skwovet blinked as he sweated at the flower's words, "Say what now?!" He smiled weakly, scratching the side of his neck awkwardly, "I don't know what you even mean with that… but I don't…"

"It's not too hard. You will teach me how to do bad things and not be nice all the time!" Gossifleur explained.

"... I don't know how to… feel about this…" Skwovet commented, deadpanning. "Me? I don't even know… huh… what?!"

Skwovet groaned in defeat as the grass type continued to stare at him expectantly, "FINE FINE… I'll teach you how to be 'bad'?! Even though I didn't take you to be… that type of person, Gossifleur…"

"I'm just very very interested!" Gossifleur stated.

"Awks… this will be a long game…" Cramorant muttered, sharing a nervous expression with Skwovet.

"O-okay?! So uhh… how exactly do I get started?"

"Teach me how to curse!" Gossifleur suggested.

"I don't want to get in trouble…"

"You're Skwovet…" Cramorant reminded him. "You always get in trouble for all your… shit."

"True… but this is a different thing…" Skwovet pointed out, laughing nervously.

"I'll be honest… at first, I did not have high hopes… I tried persuading Sableye but he was busy…" Gossifleur admitted with a sheepish expression. "But Skwovet steals from Vivillon a lot… so he's basically a bad boy… so I want to learn all of his ways… I mean… I'm so used to being the good girl, the sweetheart, Ms. Congenialty… I'm not at home right now so I want to let loose for once!"

Musharna looked disappointed as she floated on the boat, on her way to a famous resort in Alola. She didn't expect to be eliminated this early and even after an hour of mulling it over, she didn't know WHY she was even voted off.

A sympathetic Poipole patted her on the back, "You may be eliminated but you won't forget these memories!"

Musharna turned to him with a blank look on her face, "Gee… thanks for reminding me… now, I don't think I can even go to sleep, knowing I did shittily in this…" She groaned, rolling her eyes, "I knew I should've had a public call-out against Magearna."

"You live and learn!" Poipole continued to reassure with a bashful gaze, leaning closer. "And uhh… I'm on your side… since I know the truth… which is honestly a shock and I wouldn't have known if Marill didn't show us th-"

"... I'm eliminated… does it matter?"

"It's for CLOSURE. Magearna's actually-"

Musharna's eyes widened at what she heard, "WHAT?! Okay… I expected something else but this is… SOMETHING, for sure."

"Yes… it is…"

"..."

"..."

Poipole smiled weakly, flashing a weak thumbs-up, "Now that you know… do you feel any better?"

"Probably not… I'm too sleepy and angry at the same time… not exactly a good combination…"

"Aww…" Poipole dropped in disappointment but is propped up by Musharna, who rolled her eyes at this.

"Don't worry… I'm over being out."

"Oh thank goodness!" Poipole sighed in relief as he went to steer the ship to the resort.

Musharna drifted toward the edge of the boat, her expression flat. "...Well, that was a bust," She muttered, her tone laced with mild frustration. "Guess that means Magearna wasn't the one we were looking for after all…" Her gaze shifted upward, locking onto the glowing moon, her eyes fully open. "...Mmm… no matter. I'll find a way, one way or another…"

With those resolute words, the boat pushed off from the shores of the Island of Cryptids, vanishing into the moonlit horizon.

Marill was typing something in a room, as she reviewed the intern applications that she had received for the past week.. Taking a small sip of coffee from her tumbler, she was focused on completing her work. Though, midway through, she noticed a familiar figure from the reflection of her laptop screen. Deadpanning, the blue mouse turned around, arms crossed.

"Gourgeist…" She started, trying to mask her confusion with a serious look. "... what are you doing here… and how did you even get in here?!"

"Hey… I just wanted to talk… so I invited myself in, seeing as we're already best friends, at this point…" Gourgeist's voice was ominous as she slowly approached Marill with a blank stare. "... I think you already know what I'm going to say… right?!" She tilted her head to the side… then tilted it… the entire 180 degrees. "So… are you willing to hear me out?"

"... I don't know what you-" Marill could do nothing but yelp as Gourgeist grabbed her small body to whisper something into her ears. Her eyes widened as her hands balled into fists, "W-wait… how did you…"

"Let's just say… I have an outside source…" Gourgeist mused playfully.

"... fine… close th-" Marill started, groaning in exasperation as the pumpkin extended her tendrils to close the door she came in from. "Ugh… I know that this is your thing… but it still scares me…"

"I know. I scare myself too!" Gourgeist said as the scene zoomed out, showing them starting to have a serious conversation with Marill's eyes darting all over the room in suspicion of anyone watching.

Ominous music played as the camera panned over to the security camera in the room, blinking in a red ominous light. But one thing was for sure…

Someone was watching them.

"Gourgeist… is really confusing… I should know, seeing as I actually read her application…" Marill commented, shaking visibly in the confessional. "She's lucky… that I have… a problem of mine I want to deal with… but I know I shouldn't… go far with this. I don't know what she's even capable of…"

She sighed, holding her head, "Why did it have to happen to this random show that's not even leading in views?! It… doesn't make sense!"

Outside the game, a different kind of movement was taking place. A restless crowd had gathered in front of a towering building belonging to a prominent media company, the creators of various reality shows. The mob, armed with picket signs, chanted slogans that rang out into the night: "NO TO TPI!", "CANCEL ULTRA REVIVAL!", and other similar messages scrawled in bold, angry letters.

Among them, a lone Carracosta stood apart from the mob, gazing up at the illuminated logo of the company with a mixture of disdain and determination. He wore a dark blue cardigan over a white sleeveless shirt and had various bracelets on both arms. Though he wasn't part of the demonstration, his sentiments weren't far removed. He clutched a crumpled flyer in his hand, his grip firm as his eyes flickered with resolve.

The flyer read: "Total Pokémon Ultra Revival (NOW HIRING INTERNS)", the words blazoned in bright, bold red.

His eyes narrowed as his mind replayed the moment he found the poster. It had been plastered over a bulletin board already crowded with Missing Person posters. The insensitivity of its placement had struck him like a punch to the gut. But instead of anger, the moment sparked something deeper—a calling.

Carracosta smirked, his teeth bared in defiance. "Total Pokémon Ultra Revival…" He muttered, determination evident in his tone. He glanced back at the chanting crowd, their cries of protest growing louder, before shifting his gaze to the company's looming entrance. "…Here I come."

Tucking the poster into his shell, he turned on his heel and began walking purposefully toward the building. As he approached the entrance, the rhythmic sound of his heavy footsteps cut through the mob's clamor. A young Polteageist journalist from the crowd noticed him and called out, "Hey, are you with us? Are you here to shut this down too?"

Carracosta paused for a moment, glancing back over his shoulder. "Not exactly," He replied with a small smile. "But don't worry… they're not getting away with this."

"Uh-huh!? And how exactly are you going to do that?! We need the TEA on that, Mr..?"

"It's Jacob. Jacob Duncan." Carracosta replied before he stepped into the building while the crowd's shouts grew louder.

The tension in the room was palpable as Staravia stood in her living room facing her two closest friends. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, but her announcement hung in the air like a thunderclap as her two friends have been waiting for AGES since Staravia sent them a text to come immediately. Staravia had always been the dramatic type so they weren't quite sure what to expect.

"Dienne… Harmon… I hope you're not too shocked, but I signed up as an intern for Total Pokémon Ultra Revival!" She revealed, her tone light and excited.

Pawmot, also known as Dienne, froze mid-breath, his gaze darting from Staravia to their other friend, Harmon the Passimian, who was sitting rigidly on the couch. Both wore identical expressions of disbelief.

"Kiara… are you serious?!" Pawmot finally managed to stammer, his voice laced with concern. "This is dangerous! Do you even know what you're getting into? Maybe you should reconsider!"

Staravia tilted her head, flashing a knowing smile. "Di, I thought you were the one who always encouraged trying new things!"

Pawmot sighed, looking down at his paws. "I do… but this? Reality TV? It's a whole other ballgame. I don't want you putting yourself in harm's way for… this."

"Don't worry so much!" Staravia chirped, brushing off his concerns with a wave of her wing. "They promised the show's going to be super safe! I'll be in and out in no time."

Passimian, silent until now, leaned back with a skeptical look. "The pay isn't even that great," He said, arms crossed.

Staravia clasped her wings together dramatically, as she looked over to the side, starting to get lost in a daydream. "It's not about the money, Harmon! It's about getting my name out there. Imagine it: Kiara, the breakout star of Total Pokémon Ultra Revival! My big break is finally here!"

Pawmot groaned, rubbing his forehead. "Kiara… I appreciate the passion but… I don't think you know what you're walking into."

Passimian gave a resigned sigh, his voice low and steady. "Just stay safe."

Pawmot blinked at him in disbelief. "Harmon, you're seriously letting her go through with this?!"

Passimian shrugged, his tone pragmatic. "When Kiara sets her mind on something, there's no stopping her. You know that."

Pawmot opened his mouth to argue but faltered. His shoulders slumped as he turned back to Staravia. "Fine. But… if anything goes wrong—anything at all—you get out immediately. Don't wait around for things to fall apart."

Staravia fluttered her wings confidently. "Don't worry about me, Di. Nothing's going to go wrong!" She spun on her talons, already thinking about what to pack as she headed to her room.

Pawmot let out a nervous laugh, slumping against the couch as the tension drained from his body. "I'm usually the optimist, but… I can't shake this feeling."

Passimian gave his friend a reassuring pat on the back, improving the rodent's mood. "Relax. If there's one thing Kiara excels at, it's making the most out of a shitty situation. She'll be fine."

Pawmot managed a weak smile, nodding. "Yeah… you're right. She'll be okay!"

Bellossom moved with quiet determination, carefully slotting a letter into the rusted mailbox. Her delicate hands lingered for a moment before she quickly pulled back, glancing over her shoulder to ensure no one was watching. The scene wasn't remarkable, not the kind of moment anyone would stop to notice, but for Bellossom, it felt like a huge leap.

She needed this. She had to get on this show.

Her thoughts raced as she stepped away, her small figure disappearing into the shadows. The sting of rejection still lingered as she had just tried… and failed—to land a writing gig with another company. "We're not looking for new talent right now." Yeah right… Bellossom knew that there were some bias within the industry and she would never to work hard, if she wanted to break in.

So… she knew she had to start small, prove herself, and work her way up. As the night breeze rustled her petals, she clenched her fists, her resolve solidifying.

"This time," She whispered to herself, "I'll make it happen."

The waxing moon hung high in the sky, casting a silvery glow over the camp. In the distance, eerie howls of unknown Pokémon echoed through the still night, sending a shiver through the air. Most of the campers lay sound asleep in their bunks, their breaths steady and unbroken by the unsettling sounds outside.

But… not everyone was fast asleep.

A lone figure stirred in the shadows of their cabin, carefully peering around to ensure their teammates were deep in slumber. Satisfied, they moved silently, their footsteps light and deliberate, slipping through the cabin door and into the open night.

The camper glanced back one final time, their expression unreadable under the moonlight, before vanishing into the dense woods. The darkness seemed to swallow them whole, the only sound left behind was the soft rustle of leaves in their wake.

The camera lingered on the edge of the forest, as though holding its breath, before the scene slowly faded to black.

Vote Count:

Musharna - Chansey, Empoleon, Floatzel, Magearna, Teddiursa (ELIMINATED)

Magearna - Bayleef, Musharna

Bayleef - Sableye

Shining Shuppet - Bayleef, Chansey, Empoleon, Floatzel, Magearna, Sableye, Teddiursa

Twinkling Trubbish - Cramorant, Dedenne, Gourgeist, Gossifleur, Klinklang, Magcargo, Oricorio, Skwovet, Vanilluxe, Vivillon

Eliminated: Unfezant, Pikachu, Musharna

THE STORY

WOOT! This was a relatively fast chapter compared to the last ones and it can even be considered a pseudo-birthday chapter for me… even if it has zero relevance. The challenge was simple and pretty… fast-paced since it didn't need much moving around. But I can assure you all that the next one would have a LOT of moving around compared to the first few challenges… so stay tuned!

But anyways… this challenge was more on building plotlines since the bootlist is hopefully FINALIZED, at this point… or well, it exists, so we can have more ground for the next chapters. So woot! The boot was a bit obvious but the next eliminations would be more of a curveball… or not. I don't know.

THE BOOT (Musharna - 18th Place)

Musharna, like Pikachu, lasted longer originally in the headspace draft. Unfortunately for her, she became more expendable compared to the other players on the team. Yes… I said it, TEAM. Since, Shuppet was planned to lose ALL three challenges so the Trubbish weren't an option for the boot. It'll be clearer why eventually. She was fun to write, as a lethargic strategic, who fell into the unfortunate misplay of overplaying and stepping over the line, despite her poor position on the team. Empoleon did not like her for being a sleeper. And when she accidentally burnt Teddiursa and Chansey, her fate was sealed.

While I did like her and wished she could've lasted longer, the third boot is as far as she can go. She won't be forgotten and she's truly the first boot in this game that hit me hard… but the rest of the story's just going to get bumpier from here so keep your eyes peeled since the next few eliminations are already foreshadowed in this chapter.

Next Time… On Total Pokemon Ultra Revival

"Here we have… a cave!" Nihilego announced to the contestants who exchanged a confused look. Teddiursa raised her hand, intrigued. "Yes, Teddiursa?"

"Uh… when did we even have a cave X_X?!" Teddiursa questioned in confusion, turning to Floatzel and Magearna, who both had sheepish expressions.

"We always had a cave. I don't know what you're talking about," Nihilego averted her gaze as her mind went back to last night.

"Nihi, I think I accidentally blew up someplace on the island and suddenly, there's a cave," Poipole reported to his superior with a flushed expression, looking away and bracing for impact. "Uhm… I h-hope you're not mad…"

"YOU WHAT?!"

EPISODE 5: DIGGING FOR DISASTER

Musharna: PLEASE REVIEW… Okay… I'll go to bed now…

Pikachu: Do I beg the viewers to review..? But that's just feel too forceful and turn them off… but at the same time… I won't know until I try…

Musharna: Zzzz…

Pikachu: Y-you know what… r-review for better chapters?! Was that nice enough?!