TPReboot: Total Pokemon Island - Chapter 1

Chapter Text

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

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

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

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

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

"The semi-finalists of Survivor: Sevii Islands!"

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

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

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

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

"Umbreon."

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

"Second vote…Skorupi."

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

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

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

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

The screen paused with the press of a button. Placing the remote down, the figurehead behind the desk turned to the two in front of him with a hardened glare. He was an imposing presence; large and bushy with shadowed greens and lean scales; a Sceptile, though one presenting in a particularly strong, powerful form befitting his high-ranking position…A Mega Sceptile.

And before him was a short figure; a beaver. And he looked positively nervous beyond belief, desperately trying to retain a professional smile to hide his nervousness.

"So…Your entire pitch," Sceptile began, his bodyguard, another armored woman with swords for arms, stepped up behind him, "is to just do…That…Again?"

The beaver blinked…Then shrugged.

Sceptile breathed in, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he spat out, "What do you take me for? A joke?! I'm above this kind of lowbrow, bullsh*t entertainment! I'm a made man who has earned my spot in this industry with hard work and quality entertainment! Do you really think I would just copy another show shamelessly?! Huh?! Do you?!"

Cringing back at his statements, the beaver looked on desperately, though soon found a potential in with- "...We could do it for a tenth of the budget."

Sceptile stared them down…Then felt his face twist into a wicked smirk!

The Orange Archipelago; a chain of tropical islands. Originating well over a dozen unique species of flora, and neighbor to the (far more expensive to book) Sevii Islands, the largely isolated sub-region is widely regarded as among the least populated in the modern world.

Which also means it makes the perfect setting for a little bit of reality entertainment!

"Five, four, three...Two…"

And so, the scene faded into a view of the lovely, picturesque body of water. Off in the background were several neighboring islands, which nicely decorated the warm blue water and bright sky. In the foreground meanwhile was a wooden dock whose glory days were long gone in favor of cracked wood and decay.

"Good morning, world!"

A man popped onto camera from below- or at least...He would have, but he looked to be having some trouble. Every time he tried to jump into view, only really the top of his head would make it into frame. He tried a handful more times- before groaning.

"Can you just-" the camera operator panned downward, revealing the man in question in full, "thank you."

The rather short and fluffy looking man was a beaver of sorts (not that those exist in this world but for your sake and ours, just go with it), with proudly displayed buck teeth. He looked to have dabbed up his front fur into a pompadour of sorts, which paired with his little red bowtie, certainly gave off a more refined, respectable look...In his eyes at least.

"Now where was I...Oh, right!" He cleared his throat, and threw on his best smile; showtime! "Welcome viewing world! We're comin' at you live from the Orange Islands, somewhere south of Kanto!" Every word he said was absolutely popping off the screen with infectious energy- he was excited, and for good reason, as he'd explain- "I'm your host, Bidoof! And we're here to drop season one of the hottest new reality show on television...Right now!"

Abruptly, the camera smash cut away to further down the dock, Bidoof walking into view. "Here's the deal," he carried on, "in the coming minutes, twenty-four Pokémon from all over the world will be arriving here, at Valencia Island, where for the next six weeks, they'll be participating in the competition of a lifetime!"

In the blink of an eye, a bright white light encased the screen. While momentarily disorienting, the screen eventually faded back into a view of the forest and beach along the edge of the island. Bidoof was currently reclined into a beach chair, sunglasses over his face and an umbrella suspended over him.

"Upon their arrival, they'll be divided into teams, and every few days, be forced to ruthlessly compete against each other for their very survival...Metaphorically." Laughing, he folded his arms behind his back and added, "The winners will enjoy luxurious awards, and a continued stay here in this secluded paradise."

And as if on cue, the umbrella above him shook violently, Bidoof's sunglasses falling in alarm. He tried to get out of the way- but it was too late. It caved in on itself, the umbrella encasing him in a newfound prison which only his muffled scream barely escaped from.

A flash of light illuminated the screen once more, fading back into a new sight- a campfire pit, a distant wide shot showing Bidoof stomping up to it (having seemingly broken out from the umbrella off-camera), before zooming back in just as he reached what looked like a makeshift podium made from a rusty oil barrel.

"Meanwhile, the losers will meet me here, at the dramatic campfire ceremony, where all but one will receive..." an intern, an anole green lizard with motorcycle parts- Cyclizar, walked forward, holding out a plastic tray of- "a marshmallow!"

Bidoof plucked one of the fluffy delights off the plate and flicked it into his mouth. "And whichever unlucky sap goes without one-"

One more flash of light returned us to the dock- or more specifically, a boat driving up alongside the dock. It similarly looked faded and old, with a poorly maintained white and red paint job being the only thing to have survived the wear and tear. And sitting in the back of the boat was Bidoof, turning to the camera as the boat stopped along the edge of the dock.

"-will then have to walk down the Dock of Shame, and catch a ride on the Boat of Losers, where they will then ride away, never to return to the island...Ever!"

Jumping out of the boat, Bidoof carried on as it drove away. "At the end of eight weeks, whichever camper is left standing will receive a small fortune, which- if you ask me, they'll probably blow in a week. But regardless, if they want the cash, they better be ready to fight for it- cause out here, anything can happen!"

"Miles away from civilization, with none of the modern luxuries they've grown used to, they're bound to be pushed out of their comfort zone," Bidoof added- flinching at the distant sound of roaring off in the forest, which he quickly recovered from with a laugh. "Yep- out here, they can expect a hearty dose of unpredictable weather, terrible food, and some of the meanest challenges you could ask for!"

"Out here- nothing will be easy! So sit back, grab a snack, and prepare for the worst- cause this is just the beginning!" Bidoof shot a pair of fingerguns at the camera. "So, if you're excited to see strangers take on an experience like none ever seen on television before- or if you're just as excited as me to see what they'll do for money, then don't miss..."

Bidoof stepped forward and threw out his arms, exclaiming, "Total!"

The camera zoomed out, revealing the rest of the dock and the beach alongside it. "Drama!"

It zoomed out one last time, revealing the whole of the island, the forest and highest mountain in full view. Yet miraculously through movie magic, his voice could still be heard, finishing up with, "Island!"

(Fade to opening theme)

Dear Mom and Dad, I'm doin' fine;

You guys are on my mind!

Ya asked me what I wanted to be,

And now I think the answer is plain to see!

I wanna be...famous!

I wanna live close to the sun!

Well pack your bags, 'cause I've already won!

Everythin' to prove, nothin' in my way;

I'll get there one day.

'Cause I wanna be...famous!

(Na-na nanananaa, nanana-nanaa, na-nananananaa)

I wanna be! I wanna be! I wanna be famous! (Na-na nanananaa, nanana-nanaa, na-nananananaa)

(Fade to Episode)

"And we're live," Cyclizar called out to the set, "in five, four, three...Two..." he pointed at a nearby camera, which began to roll.

Bidoof stepped out. "Welcome back to Total Drama Island! Now- it's time to meet our cast!" He chuckled, leaning in toward the camera and whispering, "Though, bit of a heads up, we totally told them the competition was actually taking place at a tropical resort."

A bit of the dock splintered off and fell in the ocean moments later, causing the twisted host to laugh even harder. "Yeah…If they seem a bit pissed off, that's probably why," Bidoof then pointed offscreen, "and here comes our first player now!"

The camera zipped away, focusing in on a Lapras sailing across the water. On the back of the plesiosaur was a lioness with golden yellow fur, unnatural compared to her species' usual blue. Sports tape was wrapped around her legs, and a purple bandana was tied her neck. Atop her head was a blue headband with a fist symbol on it. A backpack was wrapped around her awkwardly as a result of her bipedal body. She was wearing a confident smirk, clearly prepared for whatever was ahead of her.

"Luxray!" Bidoof called out from offscreen for the first of what was to become many times.

"As the daughter of an exploration team, my parents have always made sure I had every resource available to reach my full potential!" Explained a feminine voice from offscreen, as the camera panned across a wall of trophies in various activities, from rock climbing, to soccer, to wrestling and more beyond that!

Luxray walked into view, confidence practically glowing off her as she smirked at the camera. "So naturally, I'm pretty much great at everything."

"I'm stronger!" The camera flashed into a different scene of Luxray biting down onto a rope, veins pulsing on her head as she pulled a wheelless car uphill!

"Faster!" Once again, the camera flashed to a clip of Luxray running through an obstacle course- ducking under barbed wire, climbing up a wooden wall, and running through tries across the ground, before speeding across a finish line, where a Blaziken pressed down onto a stopwatch. Upon looking at her time, the fire chicken gave her a thumbs-up, to which the lioness cheered.

"And smarter than anyone else coming out there!" Expectedly, the next clip followed a moving camera sneaking a view into a classroom, where a far younger Luxray, only a Luxio at this point, was shown taking a test, her eyes narrowed as she tried to write out her answer on paper with paws! It…Wasn't working, and the sparks pulsing off her made her frustration clear. Until it was too much! She roared in anger, lightning exploding off her and blinding the camera-

Allowing it to fade back into a view of Luxray smiling into one of the trophies, before turning back to the camera. "I'm ready to show the world what I'm made of. So bring it, Total Drama! I'm ready for anything!"

"Dude, it's great to be here," Luxray said as she stepped onto the dock, a knowing smile settling across her face, "I'm absolutely ecstatic in fact."

Bidoof couldn't help but smirk at the pun. "Solid wordplay. I can already tell you're going to bring the thunder to this competition."

"Hell yeah I will. I've got that winning spark. I'm gonna shock the boat."

"Hear it here, watt off the press, Luxray is making some electrifying statements-"

"Okay, we get it," called Cyclizar from offscreen, the set assistant tapping his watch, "on a schedule here."

"Eh, whatever, I was probably going to run out of them eventually anyway," Luxray strut past the host and toward the others, yet whispered to him, "but by and charge...I won."

Bidoof rose a brow at her words as she walked off...Only for his eyes to widen in realization. "Clever girl." Laughing, he turned back toward the sea. "Now then, next up…"

Once again, the camera panned over to a Lapras, once again carrying another player. She was considerably more…Sharp than Luxray, which in this case wasn't a metaphor but quite literal. She was a metal woman with heavy crimson armor and a mohawk made from an axe. She was shorter than the average for her species, with a long blue scarf around her neck and a badge of rank on her chest. A camo duffel bag was over her shoulder.

"Bisharp!"

Bisharp was standing in the middle of the frame, arms behind her back, eyes staring down the camera. She wasn't blinking- she wasn't even moving. It was almost like she was a statue.

"Atteeeention!" Bisharp barked out a command…To herself? She stomped her feet and stood even straighter, holding her head high as she spoke. "To the creators of Total Drama Island, I have come to give my call to action as one of your contestants."

"I have trained since the day I was born to be the strongest of my people; I've fought hard each and every day for the steps I have taken up our social hierarchy, outpacing the men who tried to slow me down to get where I am now," she stated firmly, "and even as we speak, I shall continue to train. To push my limit."

"And so, I ask of you; aid in my journey toward becoming a worthy leader of my people," she declared, folding her arms in front of her as her glare hardened, "offer me a true challenge. And I assure you…I can handle it- no…I will dominate it."

After a moment of staring down the camera, she simply said, "That is all."

The dock shook violently as Bisharp landed on it. She glanced around her surroundings, eyeing every meticulous detail as her life were on the line- likely because in her eyes, it was. After a few moments, she grunted, walking forward with effortless efficiency.

Bidoof nodded at her as she passed him by, "Glad you could make it."

Bisharp came to a stop beside Luxray, placing down her bag and turning to face the dock. Luxray, co*cking a brow and a smirk, greeted her peer with a, "Sup."

Bisharp, however, just glanced at the lioness- then grunted again, nodding but turning away. Luxray did a double take at this, before narrowing her eyes at the iron woman. "Oh, so it's gonna be like that?" Bisharp didn't bother with a response, which said everything it needed to the slighted electric-type.

Bidoof couldn't help but chuckle at the interaction, beginning to speak as he turned back, "Our next player- WOAH!"

In the time he hadn't been paying attention, the next arrival had stepped onto the dock- and oh boy, was he a doozy to look at. He was a truly massive centipede, patterned various shades of purple with a nasty glare, one only accentuated by his black eye. Various parts of his outer shell were scraped up, or even snapped off, battle scars from a hard life. He also had on a black scarf, itself showing its age from rippage. He was…Certainly an intimidating sight to the tiny beaver.

"Dear lordie- uh…Scolipede, everyone."

Scolipede just rolled his eyes at the introduction; he was pretty used to this sorta thing.

Scolipede was walking down the length of an alley, whistling to himself as he passed by some graffiti and smashed-in windows. Police sirens were ringing off in the distance, just barely loud enough to make out as he turned to the camera with an unimpressed frown.

"Listen and listen good, alright- this ain't gonna be a glowing review of yours truly. Hell, ask anyone and they'd probably say I'm worth about as much as a broken printer or yesterday's newspaper," he explained dully, snorting loudly as he refocused on the walk ahead of him, "I ain't a nice guy. I ain't a patient guy either, so how about we don't waste each other's time and just get to the point."

He came to a sudden stop, turning a glare on the camera and stating without hesitation, "You want a guy out there willing to get his hands dirty, I'm your guy. I'm playing to win, no if's, what's, or why's about it- second I'm out there, I ain't leaving without the cash."

With his words well and truly clear, Scolipede carried on, "So, if that sounds good to you, give me a call." The police sirens noticeably got louder, closing in. The centipede smirked, laughing to himself as he nodded at the camera. "Anyway, gotta run. Don't keep me waiting now."

And so he took off into the darkness of the alley, the harsh darkness masking him entirely as he disappeared into the city.

Cutting back to Bidoof, he…Hadn't moved yet. He was just…Staring at Scolipede. And at this point the centipede was really starting to get irritated about it.

"What? You got something you wanna say?" He hissed out, leaning toward the beaver with a scowl.

"Nope!" Bidoof threw up his hands in defense. "Nothing! Nada! Nein! All good, my man!"

Snorting, Scolipede pulled back from the host. "Good." He leaned down and picked up what seemed to be his only luggage- a beaten brown bag, barely hanging on from age. Bidoof couldn't help but eye it warily.

"Uhhh…Just to be sure, on account of you being one of the only players with a criminal record and all," Bidoof started, before pointing at the centipede's bag, "you didn't bring any…Well…Y'know-"

"Relax- no weapons or anything," Scolipede explained bluntly, before holding up his dozen or so tiny hands, "not like I could even use one with these things."

"Right," Bidoof nodded slowly, "cool; move along."

Rolling his eyes, Scolipede nonetheless did as he was told, ignoring the looks from the other two players as the fourth contestant came onto the horizon.

After another minute, the Lapras arrived, dropping off the player. He was a ghost, and a notably chubby one at that, with a dark purple body covered by a jacket of similar color. The species' normally sinister grin was replaced by a long frown, his red eyes darting back and forth nervously as he walked forward. He was shaking- it almost looked like every movement registered as a risk in his mind. Wrapped around his shoulders was a large, red backpack, with close to a dozen different zippers and some sort of spray hanging off the side of it.

"Introducing, Gengar!"

The ghost physically jumped at the introduction, his eyes darting back and forth in a panic. He was clearly very, very on edge.

The camera focused in on Gengar sitting on his couch, hands on his knees as he glanced from one end of the room to the other, as if looking out for someone. Somehow he was oblivious to the glass window right behind him.

"I…I don't really leave my house much," Gengar admitted, holding himself anxiously as he quickly tacted on, "I live in Lavender Town, which is…Sort of a tourist trap. It's Halloween every day here…And that's the problem."

He shook in place, his eyes darting from side to side, "Every time I go out, p-people are being monsters! Always trying to scare me! I hate it! A-And they won't leave me alone, even when I'm at my own house-"

As if on cue, there was a knock at the door, laughing voices outside as Gengar held himself close. After a few moments, he heaved a sigh and gave the camera a desperate look, "Please…Get me outta here!"

Suddenly, a Squirtle jumped up against the window wearing a green mask. "BOOO!" Gengar's proceeding scream was so loud, it visibly cracked the screen.

"Gengar, dude, you good?" Bidoof asked the twitching ghost type. After a moment, a large smirk grew on the rodent's face. "You seem a little spooked." Nobody reacted at first to the pun…Until Luxray broke, letting out a snicker. Bidoof gave himself a mental high-five for the reaction.

Ignoring the frankly poor punchline, Gengar turned back to the host with a mutter, "Y-Yeah, I should be good. I uh...J-Just need a minute." Talking looked to be a struggle for him, as if every word physically pained him to say.

"First time away from home?" Bidoof wondered, getting his answer when the ghost nodded. "Aw, don't worry big guy, it ain't so bad...Well, besides the fact you're on an abandoned island that has who knows what on it."

"A-Abandoned?!" Gengar spat, "I-I thought we were staying at a resort!" Reaching behind him, he pulled out from his backpack a brochure, "S-See! Hano Grand Resort! I-It had a relaxation spa! It's supposed to relieve stress! Where's the resort?!"

"Oh yeah, we were just talking about that," Bidoof chuckled, "yeah, we lied." Gengar's expression fell. "Sucks to suck, my friend!"

"Y-You can't keep me here! I'm leaving!" Gengar screamed, jumping into the air and quickly floating toward the Lapras- only to see it was already sailing away.

"Yeah, sorry bud, not happening. And something tells me you won't catch up to a Lapras on water." Bidoof mocked. "I mean, sure, you could float back to land...But that'd violate your contract. And then you'd have to face something far scarier than anything this island's got."

Gengar gulped. "A-And what is that?"

"Lawyers!"

The Shadow Pokémon screeched at this, coming to his senses (if only for a moment) and floating past the host and toward the other end of the dock, clutching his head and whispering sweet nothings to himself. Bidoof chuckled. "Gets 'em every time."

"Bloody Hell, who turned up the sun?"

Turning toward the next arrival, Bidoof's fell upon…Some kind of weed, if an ugly one. Or more accurately, a corpse flower. Atop his head he was wearing some kind fedora, black as night and covering the bulbs. He had sunglasses over his eyes, and a nasty looking tear over his lip. In his left hand, he was holding a briefcase. In his right, a bottle of wine, popped open already.

"The damn thing's hot enough," he hissed out, his thick Irish accent carried his poor attitude well, and with a grumble, he took a swig from the wine, mumbling something under his breath as he stumbled forward.

Shaking his head in amusem*nt, Bidoof greeted the grass-type with, "Good to see you too, Gloom."

The room was dark. Pitch black. The only light illuminating the table Gloom was sitting at was a single lightbulb hanging from the roof. To his left, a shot glass, which he was currently filling up. He looked it over, downed it…Then sighed. He started pouring another shot, his eyes slowly drifting up toward the camera, steady and cold, little life behind them. He shook the drink in his hand, and whispered something the camera couldn't pick up, before downing that shot as well.

He breathed out a sigh, cupping his hands and whispering, "Arceus almighty, give me strength…" He turned his attention toward the camera as he began pouring another shot, explaining, "Listen now and listen well, 'ya hear. I'm signing up for your wee little game show cause I know you're gonna pick me already. You could say I'm…Well…"

Gloom picked up the shot glass, shaking it in his hand, his covered eyes focused onto the liquid as it reflected into his sunglasses. "...I know how to get what I want. And more importantly, what I need." He leaned back in his chair, spitting out a coarse, "So, if you want a guaranteed smash of a time, bring me on. I'll make 'ya some real good tv, you bunch of vicious, greedy meisers."

He extended his arm toward the sky, calling out, "In 'yee arms I lie, awaiting my fate. Heaven and earth, amen." Gloom drank the shot, then slammed it against the table, before promptly getting up from his seat. "Alright, I'm done."

He proceeded to walk off-set.

Shielding his face from the sun, Gloom growled, attempting to ignore his discomfort by drinking even more of his wine. Bidoof held no patience for the new arrival's tomfoolery. In one swift motion, he swiped the bottle from his hands, stating, "Gloom, no alcohol allowed."

"Oi, come on then, you can't just-"

"Nuh-uh-uh, no complaining, we told you before the show; no drugs, no drinking, no funny business," Bidoof explained, "if we just let you guys do whatever they wanted, no way would any of you dorks give us something worth working with."

Gloom growled under his breath, and almost spoke up...But seemed to give up that losing battle with little effort, only letting out a pitiable, "Can 'ya least let me finish the thing?" Bidoof narrowed a glare. "Fine, fine, 'ya freaking nutter. I'll play at your game."

Grumbling, he made his way down the dock, already frustrated with the state of the game without his precious drink.

Within minutes, the next contestant made their presence known- and quite loudly at that. "Get me off this thing!"

And practically throwing herself off the Lapras in disgust came the sixth player. She was tall and slender, with a lizard-like body and a truly gorgeous face. Her scales sleeked back to utter perfection, she had on a pair of diamond earrings, and a tan faux suede jacket, opened up to expose her perfect body. As soon as she finished applying the last of her eyeshadow, she placed her makeup bag away into the maroon handbag wrapped around her, as she gave the group ahead a condescending glare.

She shivered, turning toward the transportation and screaming, "That was the worst ride of my life- I'm soaked! Do you know what this bag is made of?! So help me, if it's damaged, you'll be lucky if I don't sue you for everything you've got!"

The Lapras gasped, then growled back at the contestant- and the lizard miraculously managed to match it in intensity despite the clear size difference. Almost intimidated, or at the very least fed up with the girl, the Lapras sailed off, the contestant calling out, "Yeah, you better run!"

"Ahem." The player swiveled to face the sound, Bidoof waving up at her. "Salazzle. Good to see you."

The lizard simply huffed, folding her arms and glaring.

Salazzle was applying make-up to herself; she was all dolled up in a stunning outfit, checking herself out in the mirror, before slowly turning to the camera. "Oh, sorry. Didn't see you come in. I was a bit… Distracted by the view."

She turned to the camera with a smirk. "As you can no doubt tell, I'm a pretty drop-dead sight- and more than that, a future celebrity." She looked over her nails with an oddly nostalgic look in her eyes. "You see, a woman I greatly admire once said that to make it in this world, you gotta take risks on the odds you're given. And what better way is there to get my name out there for my soon to be adoring fanbase than by playing in your little game."

Salazzle hummed to herself, "Yes, indeed- I'm going to be a star, and this show is my ticket to that better life! The whole world will soon know my name, and after that, I'll have every opportunity under the sun- acting, singing, dancing, the whole dang spectrum of talent, and I'll certainly know how to play the part, baby." She winked at the camera.

"As for what I'll be on your show…Well, I suppose that'll depend on the moment. I'm something of a starlit- I'm ready to change on the fly to meet my needs," she leaned back, striking a pose as she looked over herself, giggling cruelly, "I'll try my hand firstly at this whole…Mean girl shtick. I've certainly gotten plenty of experience analyzing the gals back in school- I can easily nail it."

A voice called from offscreen, "Hey, get ready- your scene's almost up."

Salazzle fake gasped, before winking at the camera. "Well, that's all the time I have for now. But hey, you have my number. Don't be afraid to take me up on the offer- just imagine the history you're making with me starring; the first role of a generation defining actress…" With a giggle, she walked offscreen. "Consider it~"

Salazzle turned her attention toward the other players, and before they could even properly react, she snarled, "What are you all looking at?!"

"Someone in desperate need of a chill pill?" Scolipede snarked, to which Luxray snickered.

Salazzle narrowed a glare, huffing and stomping up to the players. "Tell you what; I'm feeling nice right now, so you get a warning for that little quip of yours." She reached down and pressed a finger against the centipede's chest. "But just for the record, test me, and you'll regret it."

"Oooh, I'm so scared." Scolipede replied, rolling his eyes. Salazzle nonetheless walked right past the bug, hand on her waist and ignoring the rest of the cast.

Luxray shook her head at the girl as she walked away, saying, "I can already tell- that girl is gonna get on my last nerve quick." Bisharp merely nodded, the first real time she'd interacted with anyone- well, unless you counted Gengar using her as a hiding spot as an interaction.

As she walked away though, Salazzle glanced back at the group's little gossip, and couldn't help but smirk to herself. So far, so good…

The seventh player arrived not long after…Not that she actually noticed as much, her eyes too focused on the device in her hand. She was a red robin of sorts, a blue bandana wrapped around the top of her head. Beside her was a small blue satchel bag, and she was playing with some kind of portable gaming system- specifically, a long forgotten piece of olden tech known as...A Tamagotchi!

A little diddy rang out of the Tamagotchi. The bird smiled wide, raising it toward the sky. "Yes! Hawkmon is digivolving!"

"Ahem." Bidoof called out, catching the girl's opinions. As soon as he was sure she was paying attention, he announced, "Fletchinder, everybody!"

Fletchinder blushed in embarrassment from her awkward introduction, forcing a smile. "Heh...Sorry!"

A wing pressed onto a door, pushing it open to reveal a bedroom, split down the middle with a bunk bed on the far right, and a single on the left. Next to the single, sitting at a desk with some tools in front of a dismantled computer was Fletchinder, her eyes focused on her little pet project.

A masculine voice spoke from behind the camera. "Hey, Claire- we're rolling!"

"Huh?" Fletchinder looked up, noticing the camera and dropping her tools, "Oh, right!" Pushing the computer aside, she waved at the camera. "Hey! I'm Claire, and I thought it'd be pretty cool to be on your show." Placing her wing down, she admitted, "Sure, I don't really know much about reality tv, but my friends-"

"You mean those kids you talk to on the Discords?"

Fletchinder glared at the camera. "...My friends already ran me through an extensive simulation just to make sure I was ready for whatever you guys could throw at me!" She glanced off awkwardly. "And besides, I could use the money anyway so…How bad could it be, right?"

The computer beside her suddenly caught on fire, causing her to jump from the desk and fly off camera. "Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap- not again!"

Fletchinder fluttered up to the two, her game held gently by her pair of taloned legs. She offered a pleasant enough introduction, "My bad on getting distracted. It was a long ride so I thought I could use the time to-" Her attempt at conversation was interrupted by Bidoof suddenly swiping the device out of her talons. "Hey!"

"Sorry, kiddo- no electronics allowed on the island." Bidoof explained plainly, a smug smile creeping up onto his face as he added, "Shoulda read your contract."

"You know very well nobody reads those," Fletchinder spat, her eyes narrowing into a glare.

To which Bidoof just cackled. "Yep! Just makes the consequences that much funnier." Pocketing the device into his fluffy tail, he patted the girl demeaningly on the head before waving her off. "Now, get going. We got a lot of you to go."

Fletchinder narrowed a glare at the beaver, then huffed, fluttering off, maintaining a scowl as she flew toward the other players- between whom, Gengar was still hiding between Bisharp...Fairly obviously so, on account of being twice her size width-wise. Bisharp, to her credit, didn't really care, just nodding at the bird.

Though confused at the scene before her, Fletchinder tried to ignore it, "Uh...Hey?"

"Hey to you guys, too!"

The three turned at the voice, shock and awe erupting forth as they saw sailing toward the dock a massive naval vessel. And standing on the bow of the ship was a small orange dog with a red flowing cape. Notably, one of his front paws was replaced with some sort of metal prosthetic.

Without fear, the dog jumped from the top of the ship, landing on the dock just in front of the other contestants with a hard thud- yet looking no worse for ware. Instead, he turned and waved the vessel off, which honked its horn back at him as it sailed away.

"Bye, guys! Thanks for the ride!" The dog called out, before turning to the others, "So, you guys also here for the show?"

Gengar peaked out from behind Bisharp, "W-Why? Y-You trying to peter out the weakest link?!"

"Wouldn't be very hard," Fletchinder deadpanned, eyeing the cowardly ghost in mild annoyance.

Growlithe laughed off the ghost's accusation regardless, "No way- just making sure I found the right place."

"Well, you did," called out a familiar voice.

Bidoof stepped up to the group, the host extending an arm and saying, "Everyone, meet Growlithe."

Growlithe beamed a smile, "Nice to meet you all!"

Growlithe smiled at the camera, the background revealing he looked to be hiking through a forest. "Hey all, Blaiyke here! Just hiking through the Sinnohian appalachia, and I'm gonna tell you…" He grunted as he pulled himself up onto a higher ledge, then grinned, saying, "why I'd make a great member of your cast!"

The camera suddenly cut to a future recording, one of Growlithe climbing up a mountain, prying himself up with his claws (and seemingly using his prosthetic as a sort of extending rope to latch onto the higher surfaces above) and wiping the growing sweat from his brow. "Let's see…I'm smart! Kind. And I think I'm pretty tough."

Once again, it cut to a past recording, one of what looked to be a beautiful scenic view of a waterfall in the middle of nowhere. "I love to travel, and...Oh, my friends say I've got a great sense of direction!" He blinked, then tapped his chin in thought. "Or...Did they mean something else," He smiled awkwardly. "I'll have to get back to you on that."

It cut ahead again, this time to Growlithe dog paddling across a lake, looking just a touch panicked. "A-And I'm great under pressure! I'll gladly take on any challenge, no matter how scary it seems on the surface." A Sharpedo fin breached the water and began to circle him, his pupils shrinking in fear.

Not that it mattered, as it cut ahead one final time. He was now resting on the beach, a towel over himself as he drank some tea beside a campfire. He gave the camera a welcoming smile. "But y'know, I guess more than anything...I just wanna see it all." He sipped his tea.

Growlithe couldn't help but look around his surroundings in excitement, "So we're competing at a summer camp? That…Is…" he abruptly cheered, "sweet! So much cooler than any old resort!"

Some of the contestants couldn't help exchanging odd looks at the dog's strange eagerness, while Growlithe ran up to the host, "So, what's on the agenda first?" He got close. "Nature walk?" Then closer. "Mountain climbing?" And even closer after that, practically right up in their face. "Cliff jumping-"

"Hey!" Bidoof flailed his hands, stepping back and screaming, "Down, boy!" Shockingly, Growlithe actually sat down, standing at attention for further commands. Bidoof just stared at him confused, before shaking it off and continuing, "Sorry Growlithe, but we still got a lot of folks to get through; we won't be starting for a bit."

"Oh," Growlithe blinked, then awkwardly laughed it off, "sorry about that. Just...Y'know, excited!"

"I can tell," Bidoof grumbled.

The next arrival revealed a rowdier figure. He was a short creature, his resting glare and constant snarling saying all you needed to know about him. His tiny arms and strong arms were crusted over by a thick layer of mud and cement, and his maroon, boulder-like head had a beanie wrapped over it, one that was orange and white; almost like a traffic cone. The modern dinosaur snorted, exposing for the briefest of moments his sharp teeth.

Bidoof smiled at him, "Hello, Cranidos. How're you feeling?"

"...Peachy," he growled out.

Cranidos was standing beside a large, loose rock, which itself looked mostly devastated, several indents in its side that suspiciously were about the size of the dinosaur's head. The boy in question was glaring down the camera with a nasty glare. And just behind him…An active construction site.

"Name's C, got it? Good. Cause I don't like repeating myself," Cranidos spat, snorting as he leaned back against the rock, "see, I'm well known 'round here for being the toughest guy around. I don't take crap from anyone!" Little did he know, a pair of passing workers were snickering under their breath at his words.

"Yet somehow, whenever some city slicker comes into my town, they always underestimate me. Nobody's gonna look down on me!" He snarled, "And if you think for a second I'll let anything get in the way of me and that money, you've got another thing coming!"

Cranidos roared out, jumping to his feet and smashing his skull into the rock; he didn't even flinch as he watched it fall apart.

Scratching behind his skull, an exceedingly difficult task with those tiny hands of his, Cranidos turned to the competition thus far, "These chumps who I'm up against."

"Yep!" Bidoof nodded along.

Cranidos centered his glare squarely onto the two at such confirmation, "Good to know…" In particular, as he stepped up to them, he began to eye up Growlithe. His relaxed posture and friendly smile…It felt…Mocking.

"Hi, nice to meet 'ya-"

"You got something to say, jerk," Cranidos seethed, launching himself forward and barring his teeth at the dog.

"W-What? No- well, I mean...I did just say something but…" Growlithe cringed at the dinosaur's growling, causing the dog to whisper, "wow, you sure got sharp teeth."

"Hey, back off the guy," Fletchinder interjected.

And that was apparently a mistake, as Cranidos turned his glare onto her, "You got something to say? Huh?!" He readied up, shaking his head violently and spitting, "What, you wanna go?! Huh?!"

Bidoof, watching from afar, couldn't help but smirk at the fight. "Man, they're gonna be at each other's throats...I love it!"

A few minutes had passed, and the next arrival had yet to arrive. Bidoof checked his watch (which he now had), questioning, "Man...Sure has been a sec, huh-"

A bird suddenly crashed beside them, its form having come from the air above. Bidoof flinched at the crash, "Holy crap?!" The bird struggled on the ground, rolling around in pain as the host glanced at the camera, eventually stating, "You know, those guys really aren't supposed to be in the air."

Jumping to his feet and shaking his feathers, the bird revealed themselves to look…Rather strange. He was a blue avian, with a ruff of light gray feathers. His yellow, narrow beak was clamped shut tightly, and his large green eyes stared blankly forward as he waffled up to the hosts. He was strangely positioning his head upwards.

The hosts exchanged a worried look as the bird…Awkwardly stood there. "Oh man, is it broken?" Bidoof wondered…Only to hear something; muffled noises from the bird's clamped beak, "…Huh?"

The bird opened up its mouth to reveal it was entirely filled with water…And a small brown fish, with two large eyes and a small jaw pointing upward. "Sup."

Silence…Then screaming, as Bidoof and the rest of the contestants screamed in terror. In particular, Gengar was practically using a completely motionless Bisharp as a hugging post. "Bidoof! H-He's getting eaten!"

"Open up, birdie! And let the fish go!" Luxray roared out, jumping forward, her body surging with electricity.

The bird, panicking, nearly clamped his beak shut- only for the fish to hold it open, "Hey, hey, hey! Calm down, it's fine! We're fine!"

Bidoof, having gotten over the initial shock, turned to look down at the casting sheet…Then deadpanned, "…We really casted a fish?"

"Woah, dude. C'mon. I'm right here," the fish said.

Getting over his initial shock, Bidoof eventually managed to fumble out, "Uh...Arrokuda, welcome and all, but first things first…" he gestured to the bird, "Can you explain this?"

Arrokuda looked confused for a moment, then looked down, and said, "Oh, you mean Cramorant? Don't worry about him, he's harmless!" The two…Didn't look convinced. "Look, we're a package deal! Cram helps me get around places; he ain't even competing beyond letting me walk and talk like the rest of you lot, so it should be fine."

This did little to quell the host's worry.

Arrokuda was currently sitting around a bonfire- well, actually, he was floating just above what vaguely looked like a log. And it wasn't a bonfire, it was actually one of those little treasure chests that'd open to spew out bubbles.

"You may be askin' yourself, "hey, why should I pick this devilishly handsome fish over all the others in the sea"," he began, snickering to himself as he grinned, "well I say- why wouldn't 'ya!"

"See, I gots quite a head on my shoulders- y'know, if I had 'em." Arrokuda popped one of the floating bubbles, before throwing his fins behind his head and reclining on the water. "I'm real good at like, strategy and junk. I'm playing to win this thing- no friends, I got 'nough of those."

On cue, fish flakes peppered down into the tank. The camera panned out to reveal Cramorant standing in front of a fish tank, currently feeding his companion.

"Thanks, bud," Arrokuda commented, to which Cramorant gargled in response.

"So...He hasn't tried to…Eat you?" Bidoof asked out of curiosity.

"Oh, he's tried!" Arrokuda laughed, the two hosts flinching, "Failed each and every time though, and we became best buds after the fourth attempt." He patted the bird's beak, "Ain't that right, bud?" Cramorant gargled, causing bubbles to swell up in the water. "H-Hey bud, that tickles!"

Groaning to himself, Bidoof muttered, "I can tell already that we're gonna get sued."

"C'mon, bud, let's go mingle!" Arrokuda said, with Cramorant promptly waddling away, struggling slightly with Arrokuda's directions as he walked forward, "Left…Left…No- MY LEFT!"

Cramorant's lack of coordination and uncontrolled speed meant he was practically hurtling toward the other players. In particular, Cranidos, who barked out, "Hey! You got something to say to me-"

Cramorant proceeded to outright trample the dinosaur, causing the cast to break out into laughter.

And seeing as much, Bidoof flinched, whispering, "Yeah...Getting sued may be an understatement."

They closely resembled some sort of lampshade, with a glass-like spherical shaped 'head' that had flames inside. What was strange though was the fact they were absolutely covered in all sorts of decorations; a bandelier of different gym badges, a keychain loosely fitted the lamp's rim that held the flags of each region, and more than that, more pins than one could ever guess all decorating the top of their head. They looked like a walking, living tourism trap.

The lamp floated up to the hosts, their only piece of luggage coming in the form of a bindle resting on their shoulder. They were glancing all about the surrounding area, eyes beaming with awe.

"Lampent! What's up?" Bidoof asked.

Lampent blinked, then looked up toward the sky as if it were a command. "Blue." The two hosts exchanged a glance, as Lampent added, "Oh, and a bird!"

"Hey! Watch who you're looking at!" Arrokuda defended from the other end of the dock, Cramorant gargling in addition.

"Woah, a talking fish!" Lampent laughed. "Now I've seen everything." And this just confused Arrokuda.

Bidoof could barely suppress his smirk. "Oooh, you're gonna be fun."

Lampent was floating alongside a train track, bindle over their shoulder, as she aimlessly continued down the tracks, no real goal in mind.

"I don't tend to stay in the same place very long," they started, their voice uniquely slow and calculated, yet strangely distant, as if they weren't really communicating so much as thinking out loud, "never really liked it. I've been told I run away from my problems, but that doesn't sound quite right."

"Don't mind hard work. Like meeting people. But ain't it weird that we gotta settle down? It's a big world. We shouldn't just like, limit ourselves to what's familiar, when there's so much more out there to experience."

Lampent came to an abrupt stop, turning to the camera with a blink. "Don't you want to see it all?"

"Man, this whole place is so cool..." Lampent whistled in approval, the flame inside their glass dome swirling and flipping about. "The forest. The water. Pretty neat."

After a moment of lingering, they looked toward the host again- then laughed. "Woah. Forgot you were there." Bidoof's amusem*nt quickly became just as baffled as Arrokuda was prior.

Scolipede couldn't help but eye the new arrival as if they were a joke, scoffing and saying, "Calling it now: early out."

Growlithe winced a bit at his harsh words, smiling awkwardly and saying, "I mean…Who knows! They can surprise us."

"Wooooah," Lampent whistled, floating up to the group with a laugh, "you're all different…Like a bunch of crudely drawn shapes in the form of living creatures." Sighing, they nodded warmly. "Differences truly are the make-up of life."

Scolipede gave Growlithe another look that basically just read as "really?". Growlithe…Struggled to defend the lamp again.

Upon the next player's arrival, a gust of wind erupted outward, blowing round into a tornado of rose petals from within. As it came to a stop, sliding his feet along the dock with a knowing smirk of condescension on his face, it revealed the figure; he was a large bat dragon, one with a shawl around his neck and shoulders and several ornate silver bangles wrapped around his arms and tail. The fluff around his neck was as clean as can be, in fact as a whole he was well kept, and quite pretty at that. As he had come to a stop, he held the last bits of the rose in his hand high, then dropped it to the ground, turning a smile on the two hosts as they recovered from the…Unique introduction.

Which also, uniquely, had covered Bidoof from head to toe in scraps that had gotten picked up on the wind by the bat on his way over. "...And that is why you were supposed to ride the Lapras- which, by the way, we already paid for, so…Not getting that money back." Looking over the newfound flowery mess across the dock, he called out, "cleanup!"

A group of interns quickly rushed out onto the scene and began to clean up the mess, much to the new arrival's apathy, "Yes, yes, I do apologize for the little divergence. I just couldn't help myself, you see," Noivern explained casually, taking a moment to look over his nails, before swerving it into a mock wave with an equally smug smile, "I've always had a bit of a flair for the dramatic."

"Good to know for the future, Noivern," Bidoof deadpanned.

"Good morrow, potential producers; it is I, here to tell you why I should be on your new season…" Noivern began, seated at a fine dining set in his beautiful, pristinely attended backyard, "...Of Survivor-"

"Uh…Sir."

Scoffing, Noivern gave a glare off-camera, "This better be good, Reginald."

Noivern took a sip from his tea as the man explained, "This is actually not for Survivor. It's for the new one…Total Drama."

"Oh…Well who cares enough to tell the difference anyway," Noivern shrugged, "regardless, I'm a natural candidate. I'm a brilliant mind brimming with potential, and I have great people skills- very much so attuned to the commoner lifestyle you could say." With a flap of his wings, he leaned forward toward the camera, a suspiciously mischievous smile on his face. "At least where it matters that is; in spite of first impressions, don't think I won't get my hands dirty~"

"Now then, if you want a beautiful, jaw-dropping winner for your show…I do believe you have my number," he sipped on a cup of tea that was handed off to him, before winking at the camera.

Noivern glanced around his surroundings a moment, cringing in dismay as he realized the horrors around him. "Dearie me...Is this really where the competition will be taking place? It's so…" He saw part of the dock splinter off and fall into the sea, causing him to shiver, "...Quaint."

Bidoof found his good mood rekindled, "Yep; welcome to Camp Ivy, kiddo! Your home for the next six weeks."

He looked between the two hosts, a thin brow raised upward, though after a moment found his willpower and turned toward the other players. Already walking forward, his gaze swapped from each and every contestant in his eyesight-

"Is he short to anyone else?"

Noivern's eyes went wide, his fury quickly resurfacing as he laid eyes upon a confused Lampent. "I thought Noivern were supposed to be a lot taller. He's off by a good foot."

Breathing in…Noivern forced a smile. "You're…Merely mistaken-"

"No, I'm right," Lampent continued, oblivious to how rude this could come across, "though judging by the look on your face, you might be confused. Let me explain, I-" Bisharp's hand wrapped around the lamp's mouth, pulling them over and stopping them from digging their grave further.

"...Thank you, dear," Noivern growled out. Bisharp just nodded.

The fifteenth contestant arrived not long after...And like that, it felt like all the negative energy on the dock was sapped away in an instant. She was a sheep, with a coat of fluffy white and black wool (that looked to have been cut down on considerably, likely from a recent shear), alongside a grey mane protecting much of her face. Her horns were tall and pointed, though looked to be cracked and chips, with scars and scratches grazing so much of it, it almost blended into itself as a natural aesthetic. She carried a pleasant smile, and strapped onto her back was a big green box that, despite its considerable size and weight, she carried with seemingly no effort.

"Howdy," she started, her thick southern accent blending well with her high-pitched though friendly voice, yet also uncannily with her Scottish one; in fact, it almost felt like the accents were battling for supremacy, "excited to be here! Hope I didn't make 'ya saps wait up for my sorry behind for too long."

"No worries at all, Dubwool," Bidoof said.

"Yeehaw!" Landing in the mud of the pen, Dubwool charged forward, gripping an Ampharos by his gut with her horns and tossing him aside, before giving the camera a smirk, "Howdy there, partner! I do here believe that I'm perfect for your Total Drama whatever show!"

Another voice sounded off from afar in the form of an Emboar, but he was nothing compared to her; launching off the ground, Dubwool pounded him in the chest, knocking the giant over and standing over him with pride, "Sorry 'bout that there interruption; attending the annual mud brawl, of which I'm the three-year reigning champ!"

"Not for long," a wheezy voice called out, a Kabutops launching through the air to slash her- only to get kicked square in the jaw, sending him spiraling into the mud.

"Ha! Nice try, pal!" Dubwool laughed, as she grinned at the camera, "You see; I don't lose nothing! I'm a bonafide unstoppable force, 'ya hear? And I'mma bring that to the show if you go and let me. Now come on, do it! Do it! You know you wanna!"

The ground began to shake, a dozen or so men rushing toward Dubwool, as she cackled uproariously. "Come and get it, boys! Hahahaha!"

"Now, bit of a heads-up since you seem like..." Bidoof looked her over, "...A certain type of girl, be careful 'round some of those people over there." He gestured to the other players before leaning in and saying, "They could eat you alive if you aren't careful. Especially considering this is your first time away from home, right?"

"Darn right," Dubwool nodded, but merely giggled at his suggestion, "but don't worry yourself 'bout me, I know my way around a word or two. Ain't nothing they can say that can knock down my good mood!" Whistling out, she bound off toward the others, calling out rather loudly, "Howdy, y'all!"

"I don't know why, but that girl has a certain vibe to her," Bidoof whispered…Then shrugged, "eh, not my problem."

The next arrival came in the form of a short weasel, a purple rag wrapped around her right arm, while on her left was a tattoo of a screaming Cryogonal. She had on prominent eyeshadow, and wrapped around her was a cyan-colored bass, while connected to a belt was a pair of drumsticks covered in all sorts of band logos, a decoration scheme carried over to the headphones wrapped around her neck as well. She was wearing a proud smile, unabashedly owning up to herself.

The other players couldn't help but look her over. She looked tough, something she only reinforced with that grin of hers…Before she slowly turned green, her body shaking as her eyes went wide. She tried to hold it back, but when she got a quick glance of the ocean around her, that seemed to be her breaking point.

Bringing a hand to her mouth, she looked over the dock, and in one swift motion, proceeded to vomit off the dock, the cast cringing in disgust and looking away as fast as they could. And this continued for what felt like hours, even if it had only been a mere few seconds.

After she had...Finished, the girl took a couple of steps back from the edge of the dock, wiping her face and groaning out, "Ugh...Sorry guys, I just got a little motion sick!" Laughing nervously, she tapped her claws together, muttering, "I, like...Don't do sea transport, you know?"

And in an instant, the cast's perception of this new player being any sort of threat had disappeared.

"Well, uh...Thanks for that, Sneasel." Bidoof groaned, not looking the ice-type in the eye as he muttered, "That was certainly a...Unique introduction."

Sneasel was currently sprawled out across a crappy couch, the cushions looking torn apart and scratched to Hell and back. In fact, the small apartment she was in as a whole had a very rundown sort of vibe, with all sorts of stains and garbage thrown about. The weasel in question was currently rocking out to her music on her headphones, banging her drumsticks against the couch to the rhythm, before sending the camera a peace sign.

"Sup, welcome to my crib, dude," Sneasel started, pulling the headphones down yet continuing to bang to the beat prior, "and I'm like…Well, right now I'm vibing, but I also really wanna be on your show."

Laughing, she stood up slightly, rolling an arm over the back of the couch and saying, "See, I'm part of this band, right; Frost-Frights all the way, wooh!" She threw up devil horns, and nodded, "And like, we're awesome, but peeps don't really know that yet. So I was thinking…This could be mad exposure, you get me?"

"Pretty sure the money would help us more than the exposure would, bud," a second voice said, a Banette walking past the couch with a bag of groceries.

"Oh…Yeah, the money could be sick too," Sneasel nodded, "anyway, I'm like…Not the strongest, or smartest, or anything like that, but man…I get people. So I think I'd do pretty good." Laughing to herself, she pulled her headphones back down and began to bang out to the beat, as the camera slowly turned to the deadpan expression of the Banette.

Sneasel, in all fairness, took the comment in stride, laughing it off with a wave and saying, "Yeah, but like, everyone has their moments. Doesn't change I'm here to freaking win it, you dig?" With another laugh, she started toward the others...Though froze at the sight of...Certain players.

Luxray, and her strong, athletic body, muscles glittering in the sunlight. Dubwool and her open, friendly country charm. Bisharp's amazonian beauty and truly unique aura. And Salazzle's…God where did she even begin with her. Sneasel could feel herself shaking, her breathing coming to a stop as she mentally attempted to compose herself, but girl after girl it felt like a more and more hopeless endeavor, her world practically spinning at full gear.

While...Still being completely still. And out in the open. Everyone was looking at her. She really, really wasn't moving.

"Uh...Is she okay?" Luxray questioned outwardly.

Cranidos rolled his eyes, "God, don't tell me she got cold feet, we don't have all day-"

The boy yelped when Bisharp smacked the back of his head, "Quiet." Cranidos growled at the steel-type, though held himself back from retaliating.

While Bisharp silenced the boy, though, Sneasel had managed to, at least momentarily calm herself down, as she walked up to the group with an awkward smile, "Sorry about that. I just, like, had a thing going down in my head. You get me? But, like, totally good now." She let out a short laugh, stiffening up again slightly at the looks she was getting.

Soon came the next contestant, another girl. Her presence almost felt mythical in nature, resembling that of a beast with an elongated horn. Settled onto her face was a pair of glasses, the edges cracked, while wrapped around her neck was a scarf as white as her fur, the tips of which almost looked burned. Atop her head was a sunhat, the shade below it only managing to illuminate the dark underside of her skin, which itself resembled the handbag wrapped around her body.

"Introducing, Absol!"

Adjusting the camera, Absol smiled to herself, stepping back to reveal her bedroom; it was small and lacked decorations, with the exception of what looked like a phone on her desk.

"Hi! Nice to meet you- well, speak to you…Uh, a-and I would love to be on your new show, Drama Total-" she bit her tongue, "n-no, I meant Total Drama! Yeah! Hehe, woah, way to go, me, am I right…"

She giggled nervously, before clearing her throat, "Now uh…I did sorta audition for this other show, but they told me I was too much of a risssssssssssssk…" She drawled out, her eyes going wide, "...For the ratings that is! Y-Yeah, I'd be uh…Way too good! W-Wouldn't be much of a show if I was on, cause I am so good at uh…Nature…And talking…Yep! B-But I'm sure I can tone it down!"

She nodded along, mentally facepalming as she continued, "Yep! There'd be absolutely nothing wrong with letting me compete-"

The phone on her desk suddenly went off, calling out, "You have one new message…BEEP!" And soon, a voice replaced it, "Uh, yeah, hello? Is anyone there? This is your doctor. Just wanted to let you know the cost of damages on your last visit, so if you could get your mom to call me back-"

Without thinking, Absol suddenly thrust her whole body forward and knocked the phone off the desk, crashing to the ground. She forced a smile, "T-That was nothing! A-Anyway, looking forward to-"

The room started to shake, Absol's pupils shrinking as she slowly looked toward where the phone landed…Just as the floor started to give way, "AHHHHHHHHH-"

Absol grinned at her introduction, walking forward while saying, "Hi! It's really nice to be here-"

As she was saying this, though, the dock gave way, as she stepped forward only to have her paw break through the wood, dropping her body slightly as she yelped out in surprise. Blinking, she attempted to pry it out of the newly formed hole, only for cracks to form underneath her, something she didn't notice until it was too late, as the dock caved in and dropped her into the water below with a scream. The whole moment had been so fast Bidoof hadn't even had time to react; one second Absol was there, and the next, she was gone, a good portion of the platform having gone with her.

"Can someone repair that please?" Bidoof called off-screen, before walking up to the hole and watching to see if the girl would resurface.

He got his answer. Surfacing from the water, Absol spat up a thin stream of it, pouting as she felt a thick layer of damp fur fall over her eyes. "Dang it..." Looking up, she called out, "Can I redo that?"

"Sorry, one-take show," Bidoof explained with a knowing smirk. "You want some help getting out of there or you think you can swim to land?"

"Uh...I'll be fine!" She called back a bit too quickly, already swimming off, "I'll be up there in a minute!"

As she began to swim back, Noivern shaked his head at the girl from the dock, saying, "Sweet, poor girl- utterly clueless as to what she signed up for."

Salazzle shrugged, smirking to the bat and adding, "Poor her, yes. But on the bright side, certainly will make our games easier, won't it?"

Noivern smirked haughtily at this. "Wise words." The two shared in a mean-spirited laugh, one that didn't go unnoticed by Absol as she finally made it to land, hanging her head in disappointment as she let out a sigh.

Bidoof himself had joined in on the laughter from afar, snickering to himself at the poor girl's misfortune. In fact, in the moment he was so distracted, he didn't even notice the pink aura surround the front of his fur. In the blink of an eye, his pompadour shot outward and popped, his fur fluttering up into his face and blinding him. "What the- hey!"

Some of the contestants noticed as much, themselves laughing at the host's misfortune. Salazzle called out, "Having a bit of a wardrobe malfunction over there?"

"Eh, you ask me, I'd call it an improvement," Scolipede started, "means I won't have to look at his sorry face now."

The laughter only rose up from this, as Bidoof growled under his breath. He reached a hand behind him into his tail, plucking out a comb and quickly getting to work trying to fix his hair. "Come on, come on…"

As a result, though, he missed the fairly obvious arrival of the next contestant, whose smile wrapped around to the edges of his face. He was a slender, lilac-colored creature, who seemed to verge on the likeness of cat and dog alike, with large ears and eyes. A black cape was wrapped around him like a hood, and laying in the center of his forehead was some sort of gemstone...That began to glow.

Bidoof's right leg began to glow bright, that same pink aura from before surrounding it, while he continued to toil with his hair, finally getting it just right...In time to feel something pull out his right foot in an instant. "What the-" It was too late. In one swift movement, Bidoof was thrown backward, right into the open hole in the dock. He only had time to call out for help as he fell into the waves with a mighty splash.

And, as if they had been given a chance by the legends above themselves, the players (and camera crew, for that matter) burst into a chorus of laughter. Grinning from ear, the newest arrival took an arbitrary bow, throwing back his head with a laugh of his own. "Thank you, thank you! I'll be here all week, and for the next few at that!"

While the new player strutted up to the cast confidently, Bidoof resurfaced from the water below, a stern glare on his face as his soaked pompadour flopped onto the front of his face. "Everyone...Espeon...Our psychic user..."

Espeon grinned at their introduction, smiling knowingly at the cast as the laughter swiftly died off in acknowledgement of who was truly before them.

Neatly flipping a coin through the air with the end of his tail, Espeon was currently leaning against an alley, a smile on his face as he looked over the passing people all around him, as if sizing them up for anything he deemed worth his time. And eventually, he found it in the form of the camera in front of him, "Why, hello to you."

"Being blunt, I don't really got a lot of reasons to do this," Espeon hummed, grabbing the coin mid-flip with his tail and raising it to his eye, looking over its details and craftsmanship, "show seems like it'd be worth a good laugh, and maybe it'll give me an excuse to try out some new tricks."

After a moment, he chuckled, looking out at the city around him, the people going about their days, "And besides; I already end up people watching enough as is. By this point I should probably have learned enough about them to beat them, right?"

After another moment, he snickered, "Or maybe I'm blowing hot up air up my own ass." Espeon flipped the coin up again, "Either way, I'll find some way to make my own fun." He snapped his paws...And the coin paused in mid-air. In fact, it almost looked like the entire city, once in motion, had come to a staggering halt. He looked around, letting out a whistle as he gave the camera a smile. After a moment, he clapped his hands, and things proceeded as they were before, the coin neatly landing in his tail.

Snickering to himself, he gave the camera a pointed look, "Anyway, you've got my number; I planted a subliminal message containing it a bit ago. Don't be afraid to write…Ciao~" Espeon waved his tail out as he disappeared into the shadows of the alley, that laugh of his lingering where it once was.

Psychic types- what many argued as the strongest in the world. Sure, they had weaknesses, but their powerful abilities unique to them weren't ones to be underestimated. While this was merely a joke, the thought of how they'd use their abilities in the game hadn't escaped many of the more intelligent among them's thoughts.

Espeon sauntered up to the others, his grin on full display as he walked into the crowd. Cranidos, however, merely rolled his eyes and scoffed. "It was just a party trick. Not a big deal-"

Apparently, his feedback wasn't appreciated, as similar to Bidoof, a light pink aura surrounded the base of his foot, and was suddenly pulled out. With a bark, he landed face first onto the dock, causing a short-lived, but still present, snicker to run through some of the colder players in the group. Still, many couldn't get over the thought that they may need to keep an eye on the Eeveelution. But that'll be for another day. For the moment, they could relax- at least, to a degree.

Bidoof had managed to pull himself back onto the dock at this point, rinsing out his tail before screaming, "Somebody better fill this hole- now!" Moments later, what looked to be a trio of Falinks rolled onto the scene, getting to work rebuilding the destroyed section of the dock.

Not longer after, the next arrival almost equally threw much of the cast for a loop. She was a bipedal, wyvern-esque creature, though whatever would pass as wings for her had clearly not grown in yet, instead remaining sharpened talons at the ends. She was pale blue, with a prominent jaw and a red underside; she almost looked shark like to a degree, especially with how her body fell off toward her tail. But what was most odd about her was what was on her left hand.

It was a Banette...Or, more accurately, a Banette sock puppet. A very crudely stitched together one at that. Its eyes were jutted off in different directions, and its zipper mouth hung open lifelessly. It was very creepy to look at all things considered.

"Gabite," Bidoof started, before turning his attention to the puppet, "...And-"

"Fred."

The players, and Bidoof, were taken aback by the puppet speaking. More accurately, the voice; deep yet nasally. The puppet adjusted itself, placing its nub hands at its side as it turned its head. "Now then, how is that a way to look at your new competition! Hey-ho, it's me, Fred the Banette! And I'mma win this thing, I tell you what!"

Gabite, oddly, seemed to flinch at his voice, whispering softly, "I-I'm sorry...He gets very excitable-"

"No, toots, it's just that yous ain't being excited enough!" Fred countered back, its jaw slacking as Gabite looked off in embarrassment.

A spotlight flashed onto a set-up, miniature theater. After a moment, a hand raised up within it, revealing 'Fred', the talking Banette hand puppet, as it bowed before the audience.

"Hey there, business dummies watching this old looking camera show- it's me, Fred the Banette! Look at me go!" He viciously shook with excitement, arms flailing in the wind. "Yeah- you like that?! Cause there's more where that came from!"

"I know what you're thinking- "Man, this guy is handsome!" And you're correct! But you also gotta be like, "Where's this handsome man coming from?" And for that, I got another answer!" Fred reached a slump hand down out of view and grabbed some. "Here we go!"

"F-Fred, no!" A second, much softer voice squeaked. "I-I don't want to be on camera!"

"Aw, don't be all shy- c'mon, show yourself!"

"F-Freeeeeeeeeeed-"

But it was too late, he (somehow?) pulled her up, revealing Gabite's face- and instantly causing her to freeze with stagefright.

"This is my assistant buddy-bud, Gabite!"

Looking around in an awkward trance, Gabite tried to wave to the viewers, "H-Hello-"

" Less talking sweetie, you're driving away the suited money." The ground-type sunk back as Fred continued, "Now where was I…Oh yeah! You see, I saw the ad for this competition gameshow thingie in the tv, you hear? And I thought, that sounds pretty good! So go on! Pick us! Give me all your money!"

Gabite awkwardly nodded, "...Yeah…That please…Hehe."

Fred glared at her. "You're ruining it, cupcake." Gabite whimpered pathetically.

"I…I have no idea what I'm looking at," Fletchinder mused, confused at the scene the new arrival was putting on before here. It was like a car accident- she couldn't look away.

"Isn't it obvious? Little freak's putting on a show," Salazzle bawked, placing a hand on her hip and droning, "and a shoddy one at that." If you were to really pay attention to what her eyes were saying though, one would notice just how focused on the little performance the seemingly judgemental lizard was.

"Ah, so she's trying to be annoying then; got it." Scolipede groaned, Gloom nodding along to the comment.

"I mean…I-I like it!" Absol encouraged, her fur still fairly damp as a vulnerable, uncomfortable Gabite approached the group. She offered a smile. "I think it's kinda cute."

Gabite flushed out of embarrassment, holding out Fred as if he were a weapon to defend her. "Ayy! Thanks, toots! I appreciate the compliment as much as I appreciate 'ya booty!"

Absol blushed, Scolipede cracked, laughing his ass off, as the rest of the cast just…Absorbed that stray compliment. Arrokuda just shook his head, glancing at Cramorant and saying, "This is gonna get annoying fast, ain't it?" The bird just gargled.

As Fred shook about his puppet arms, Gabite just tried to stay off everyone's mind- an obvious failure considering where Fred was located. Espeon hummed aloud, looping around the girl in interest. "Fascinatingly strange. Y'know, I was wondering- how are you changing your voice so much for him?"

Gabite squeaked weakly, again throwing up Fred, who popped between the two and exclaimed, "Oh, that answer's simple, baby, it's all charisma!"

However, the distraction did little to satiate the psychic. "That didn't answer me at all."

"Cha-cha-cha-cha-cha!"

While Espeon looked over the puppet in interest, Bidoof groaned, muttering, "I feel as if I've slowly lost control over all this...No matter!" Jumping between the two (three?), he said, "Move along! We've got one last player, and he should be here any second now. So go on, chop-chop." He clapped his hands together aggressively, and reluctantly, they walked off.

And just in time too, as indeed, the next contestant made his appearance. He was a large, intimidating figure, his broadened shoulders and narrowed expression hardened like stone into this immovable presence. Jagged scars ran across his chest, his body muscular yet unnurtured, seeming leaner compared to the usual body type of his species; of which, he resembled an otter with a long, flowing mustache that had grayed early into his youth. His body was armored, the top of his head resembled a samurai's helmet, while his arms held sheathes for the bladed shells his race was known for…And yet, said blades looked to be more tan, and…Artificial.

"Samurott," Bidoof introduced the lumbering water samurai to the cast.

"Hmph," Samurott grunted out, nodding his head and...Not really saying anything afterward. For the final introduction of this entire experience, it was actually a little anticlimactic, especially considering the oddballs prior.

A held camera was currently panning across a set of woods, before landing onto a Servine walking into frame, banging some pots and pans together with his vines. "Helloooooooo…Squatch? Come on out!" He called out.

"Ryan, I seriously doubt he's out here," a voice behind the camera said, "pretty sure those sightings are a bunch of nonsense."

"No way, Shane, I know this lead's gotta be real," the Servine defended, "especially with all those reported thefts as of recent; dude's hunting, and he's taking the people's food now! This is our chance to maybe get some on-camera footage…" Little was he aware…A pair of eyes had just peeked out from the bush.

"Uhhhhh…Ryan…What's that?" The voice asked, causing the Servine to perk a brow, turning around-

And the figure lunged out.

The pair screamed, the camera hitting the ground as a Servine and Charmeleon ran away, having left behind the pot and pan as well. And after a moment, an arm reached down and began to collect the fallen items.

They then picked up the camera, revealing…Samurott, staring into it, confused…Before shrugging, and pocketing it as well.

"Somehow that was the least headache-inducing introduction of the day," Bidoof muttered to himself as Samurott walked past him.

"Well hot dang," Dubwool whistled at the water-type, "look at the muscles on that boy!" She nudged Sneasel with an expecting grin. "Makes 'ya wanna break off a piece, am I right?"

Unfortunately for her, her choice of conversation in this case fell on deaf ears, as Sneasel looked around awkwardly. "Uh…Yeah?"

"Wooooot!" Dubwool hollered with a laugh, Sneasel just feeling awkward while Samurott merely rolled his eyes while passing them by.

With three-quarters of the cast introduced and ready to go, the final pickings were beginning their own arrival. In this case, a bird- a woodpecker to be specific. Though unlike the usual black expected of her species, she had elected to dye many of her feathers a brilliant blue color to match her eyes. In one of her wings was a baton, seemingly designed in such a way to work double duty as a conducting baton! She wore a look of absolute confidence as she flew over to the host with a smirk.

"Ladies and gentlemen- Trumbeak!" Bidoof greeted, his elaborate introduction only fueling the girl's arrogance.

Out in the center of a massive, crowded theater, the camera took their seat and zoomed in on the stage in front of them. And at the front- Trumbeak, conducting a choir of musicians in front of their entire, adoring (or in some cases, captive) audience. The way she waved her baton demanded the attention of her subordinates, each playing their respective instruments magnificently, as they knew the consequences of screwing up so publicly, especially in front of their demanding conductor.

The camera turned to face the person holding it, revealing a Toucannon, "See that girl up there? She's gonna be a star. So why don't you do a favor and get in on the action early-"

"Uh, sir, I'm trying to watch the show," an Abomasnow said.

"And I'm trying to film a video of my daughter, so mind your own fu-"

Trumbeak gave the host a quick bow as she passed him, "Thank you." She couldn't help but beam with pride as she approached her soon-to-be peers. Finally, a true chance to compete amongst equals; the best of the best, as clearly only they'd be allowed such a prestigious honor as contesting for such a fabulously wealthy prize. Managing her best smile, she pleasantly waved at the other players, using her baton to further emphasize her greeting, "You must be the competition- its an honor to meet you all."

Some among them were considerably less friendly though, Espeon stifling a smile, "Yeah, you too and all, but what's with the stick?"

Trumbeak gave the Eeveelution a look. "It's actually a conducting-"

Lampent popped up behind her, spooking her a moment, "Looks like an oversized chopstick." They squealed. "Ooooh, you use them for big bowls of ramen?"

"Ramen…" Sneasel's mouth watered at the thought as she groaned out, "Aw man, now I'm hungry. I missed lunch, duuuuuuude…"

And just like that, Trumbeak's expression fell. This…This wasn't what she was expecting. "Well, I'm adjusting my expectations."

She then proceed to turn to Lampent and push them, the lamp flopping onto the dock. They…Didn't seem too bothered. "The ground's a lot more wooden than I remember."

Trumbeak rolled her eyes, huffing and turning her head up toward the sky, flying right past as much of the cast as she could. "Nobody talk to me unless spoken to first."

"Implying anyone wanted to talk to you in the first place," Cranidos grumbled, to which Trumbeak glared at the dinosaur.

Moments later came to fifteenth arrival; he was a large dragon, both in height and heft, his muscular frame fully expressed in spite of the dark red and gold trimmed letterman jacket he was wearing. A gray bandana was wrapped around his neck, and there was a prominent scar across his left eye. It was strange; in many ways, his vibe felt almost harsh, and yet it also really looked like he was trying to come off as approachable.

And for the first time that day, Bisharp felt like she was staring at the sort of competition she was used to. "Hmmm…Now we're talking." Unlike the armored warrior though, the rest of the players were...Less than thrilled by the sight of the dragon. Considering who the crowd was already made up of, it was doubtful someone like this would be any sort of positive influence.

The dragon hesitantly stared out at the crowd, and under their unflinching stares, he quickly found himself overwhelmed. He breathed in, his muscles tensed; this was the last thing he needed.

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," Bidoof muttered, "everyone...Druddigon."

Druddigon was sitting out on the front porch of his house, tossing a football up and down as he stared out at a sunset. After a moment though, he stopped. He awkwardly scratched the top of his head, letting out harsh breaths as he slumped into his seat.

After a moment though, he managed to form a smile as he looked up toward the camera. "Hey. Good to meet you-" he noticed he had instinctively held out his hand to shake there's- but this was an audition. Nobody was in front of him. "Oh, sorry. Instinct and all."

Druddigon managed to find enough of a sense of humor to laugh at the silly mistake, nodding to himself and breathing in. "I think I'd be a good choice for your show." He tossed the football up again. "Cause y'know- I'm strong. Kind. I like to think I work well with others- at least when they get to know me. And…" After a moment of thought, though, he found himself sighing.

Grazing a stray claw across his face, specifically to his scar, he let out a sigh, mumbling, "I know I look a bit…You know, scary. I get told that a lot, especially back in high school. Even now at the bakery it can be hard to avoid the looks-" he bit his tongue, "o-of the tourists, I mean! You know how Lumiose gets a lot of them, heh. The uh…The locals treat me well, but I don't want to feel confined to this town just so I can be myself."

A brief thought brought a quaint smile to his face, "I want to show people who I really am…On the inside. Without all the baggage. And I hope you give me that chance."

Druddigon grunted something incoherent out, before stomping forward, the dock shaking with every step. Bidoof simply stood there in silence, his body shaking as he looked up at the draconic man, who was more than capable of sending the beaver flying if he said something the dragon didn't like. So, not wanting to take the risk and knowing how to choose his battles, he simply pointed behind him with a false smile. The cave Pokémon acknowledged the information with a nervous smile.

"Thank you," Durddigon whispered, before continuing forward once more. And, much to his chagrin, he watched as the cast moved out of his way, practically avoiding contact with the giant at all costs.

Druddigon's eyes darted nervously from person to person, desperate to find even one welcoming gaze in the crowd, yet he found nothing in return. It was getting hard to focus…

"This was a mistake," Druddigon thought to himself, his clenched fist now shaking as he clenched his eyes shut, "all these strangers, a new home- this is a lot! How the Hell did I think I could just jump into this."

And yet he continued walking- "Ahhhhh!"

Jumping back a bit, Druddigon stepped back, realizing he had walked straight into somebody else- Gengar, who upon looking up, couldn't help but scream at the dragon. "O-Oh man, I'm sorry, man-"

"Who are you?!" The ghost screamed, pointing at the dragon accusedly, "What do you want?! Why're you attacking me?!"

"A-Attacking you?" Druddigon stumbled over his words. "N-No, I-"

"Please don't kill me, mister dragon!" Gengar begged, getting on his knees as he pleaded helplessly. "I'm too young to die again!"

"I-I didn't even do anything!" Druddigon snapped back, unknowingly barring his teeth. "I just got here!"

And that action was enough for Gengar to screech out in fear, and promptly dipping out of sight, making use of his status as an aspiration and fading into the dock. A choice that left Druddigon at a loss for words.

"W-Wait, I'm sorry for screaming, I just-" Druddigon turned to look at the rest of the cast...And found that many of them held the same glares and intimidated frowns he had grown accustomed to in the past. He stopped talking at that moment, instead groaning as he stomped further away from the others, as if to spare the next arrival the seemingly horrid fate of noticing his presence-

Then he froze. The moment Druddigon saw his face, he could feel his blood running cold and his body froze in complete and utter horror. Bringing up one of his massive, meaty hands, he shook his head, thinking to himself, "Dear Lord, why him? Why is he here?"

And his eyes were locked onto none other…Than Gloom, whose expression was masked largely by his pair of sunglasses. But even from here, Druddigon could still Gloom was staring right back at him. And yet, the weed said nothing. After a brief moment, he returned to looking down the dock, ignoring the dragon even existed.

And somehow…That only scared Druddigon more…

Next came a younger girl, one whose expression truly rang true with the realities of life. She was an orange reptile with a yellow hood and pants. Her mohawk had flopped down over her face like an emover, and her heavy eyeshadow and piercing gave way her youth. Even more of a giveaway was her cafe clothing, an obvious showcase of where she had come from prior to arriving. She lacked any sort of luggage- all she had was the coffee she was cradling like a child as she guzzled it down desperately.

"Scrafty," Bidoof greeted, an amused smirk rising up, "enthusiastic, I see."

Just as he finished saying that, she pulled away from her drinking, gasping for air as her body slumped forward with exhaustion, barely standing.

Scrafty was standing behind the counter of a local coffee shop, her hands running wild between a hundred different things- from ringing up a register, to writing a name on a coffee cup, to turning on a pot, etc. She was clearly busy, and yet she was focused enough to fake a smile for the camera.

"H-Hey! Hi! Hello-" she smacked herself in the head, whispering, "stop it!" Shaking off her panic, she poured a cup for a passing customer and started talking, "I want your money- to compete! Yes! Right!"

"Hey lady, where's my cappuccino?!"

"C-Coming!" Scrafty grabbed a stray cup nearby and passed it over. "Here you are, sir! Have a great day!" He threw up a specific gesture in response, Scrafty's eyes twitching as she laughed it off. "V-Very funny, sir-"

An iced tea smacked right into the back of her head moments later, thrown from offscreen and absolutely covering her. She just…Stood there. Like a statue. As teenagers laughed in the background. She shook violently, her patience teetering closer and closer toward murder with every passing moment-

"Excuse me, miss," a Lickilicky started, walking up to her, "can I get a-"

Scrafty suddenly screamed and lunged at him with full intensity, screaming ringing out in the background as the camera cut out-

Then cut back to her, behind the counter again, the cafe in utter despair, stains across the walk and equipment destroyed. She was breathing slowly, taking sips of coffee between each gasp for air, before looking up toward the camera. "So…Yeah…"

Scrafty continued to breathe in and out, one after another, slowly- calming herself mentally as Bidoof asked, "So…You good?"

"Yeah…Yeah," she gave a thumbs up to the host, "I'm cool."

"Neat, neat…Cause you're overtime," Bidoof explained, patting her on the back, "move along!" Put off by the tonal whiplash from his words, she glanced around, then sighed, walking forward.

The next arrival came with a breeze, a harsh wind blowing over the dock as the light settled. In its place stood a badger, her skin darkened unlike the blazing inferno along her neck. Armor hung loosely to her chest and side, held together by leather straps hand-woven by her personally. Strapped to her side with a custom-made holder- a sword, crafted from the finest of metals. Her body, rigid stiff from constant strife and untold battles, stood ready for anything, something well conveyed by her hardened expression.

Bidoof was about to speak- only for the woman to interrupt, "Silence if you would- there is no need for introductions, I'll let my actions speak for myself."

"Uh…Cool and all," the host began, "but y'know…Kind of the running gimmick here is introducing y'all one by and one and you're kinda breaking the pacing here."

She seemed far then impressed by the beaver's logic, though nodded, "Very well…" She unsheathed her sword, holding it to the sky above, and roared out, "Hear me and hear me well- I am J-"

"No real names!"

"...Typhlosion," she grunted out, lowering her blade and staring down her newfound foes found in her fellow contestants.

Most of the cast was less than impressed by the mongoose…With one strong exception. Lampent, raising a hand to swipe one of the ornaments off their head, looked it over- then gasped. Nodding, they said, "I know you."

Others looked at them strangely, while Typhlosion just smiled. Lampent pointed forward, continuing with, "Yeah, they're a legend. In this case a living legend. Like a knight, but alive and modern."

A select handful of the players couldn't help but turn to the woman in confusion, as she nodded along and perched a smile as she turned to Bidoof. "As I said…No need for introductions." The beaver rolled his eyes.

The camera pans across several picture frames; each depicting what looked to be a different historical moment from the far, far past, painted to resemble them as close as possible.

"In my day, I was a hero; champion of my people," Typhlosion's voice described from offscreen, as the camera passed by several battlefields, hundreds of mons rushing into combat with one another, "I led my men into battle, day after day. We defended against the worst armies in all of Galar, and never yielded to their infernal rage…"

The camera landed on a specific image; one of a grave and a simple wooden plank with her name carved into it, "And so, on the day of my passing, I held no regrets, and I closed my eyes in acceptance, buried by men…In the enemy territory of Hisui. And unexpectedly, one day, my eyes opened up once more." It panned over to the next immediate picture; the exact same thing, only the plank looked aged and about ready to fall apart, and Typhlosion had erupted out of the dirt in horror.

Reality setting in, the camera arrived in a quaint living room, Typhlosion in her wooden chair, sharpening her sword against whetstone. "I have no idea even now why I was granted a second chance at life by the Gods above, and I've tried to make the best of it where I can…But this world isn't the one I left behind."

Looking over the blade, she squinted at it, then sighed, placing it up onto a shelf. "I have no friends. No family, as far as I know. Nobody to pass on my knowledge, yet cursed with eternal life, with the only compassion I receive from others coming from the legends surrounding my name and not the value I hold myself."

"But I refuse to deny my legacy, nor live on for the sake of those I left behind if I granted such an opportunity," Typhlosion turned to the camera with a stern smile. "So, if I am unable to pass on my traditions as I thought I would, instead I shall tell the whole world…"

"Now then, with that all in order," Typhlosion began to command, "henceforth we shall begin this competition of fate!"

"Not true," Bidoof interjected, "we still got another two to go."

Typhlosion lingered a moment, then nodded, "Noted, then we shall begin two people from now!" Bidoof rolled his eyes, nodding along as he motioned her forward.

The knight entered the crowd, and expectedly, many of her newfound peers couldn't help but stare with the knowledge of who she was, even if others didn't entirely "get it", so to speak as Lampent continued to ramble mindlessly.

The penultimate arrival came in a strange shape. A balloon, or…Maybe a blimp in a way? He was a large purple floating device either way. He had on a large striped gray beanie that was leaning slightly, allowing a bit of his fluffy white hair to peak out. A flannel jacket of some kind was wrapped around the bottom of balloon-like body, likely where a waist would be. He rubbed at his eyes, as if he had just woken up, looking around him in dazed confusion.

"Aw, man…I knew an eternal nap was too good to be true," he whined.

"Hi to you too, Drifblim," Bidoof waved. The balloon grumbled, before shrugging and reaching behind him, popping open a bag of potato chips which he began to snack on.

Drifblim was relaxing on a couch, his large body slightly decompressed and his arms over where a stomach realistically should be. His body was being illuminated by the light of the TV in front of him.

And he was just…Watching…And watching…And watching…

He looked over to the camera for a moment…Then groaned, "Oh yeah, I gotta actually say something…Uh…Look, I don't want a lot out of life; I'm a pretty easygoing guy on that front. I don't have goals, or aspirations, or anything like that…Frankly, if you gave me like, a million dollars right now for doing nothing, that'd be perfect…"

Drifblim glared, then groaned even louder, "But I know that's not a thing, so I guess just wasting one Summer in exchange for a lifetime of chilling is better than nothing."

He eventually smiled, "That'll be sick…Too bad I gotta deal with two months of whatever garbage this'll be, but whatever, I've wasted longer periods of time. And besides, maybe I'll get a kick out of it. Or I'll be able to sleep through most of it." He laughed.

He perked a brow at the camera, "So come on, give me a call. Until then though…" He yawned…Then straight up fell asleep on the spot. Just like that. It was almost impressive.

Popping another chip into…Wherever his mouth was, Drifblim looked over his surroundings with a wheeze, nodding along with a bemused smirk. "Ah- classic double back, eh? Promised one thing and we get another, just to try and egg some reactions out of us, right?"

Bidoof glared at the balloon, unimpressed by his casual snark. "Wow; hard time fooling you, huh?"

"Nah, I'm still the sucker who signed up for the lowkey low-budget rip-off of a better show," Drifblim mused, continuing to snack while the host's expression soured even more.

Drifblim glanced over at the rest of the cast, folding his arm out to lazily point at them, "So these bozos who I'm up against?" He narrowed his eyes as he floated up to them, glancing one to another and another all the way through the crowd as he chewed lazily on another chip…Before pointing forward-

-and right at Absol, "Sorry I just…Hate your fur. Totally raggedy." She flinched back in surprise and offense, as he switched his aim to Arrokuda and Cramorant, "Unlike these dudes, who I get the vibe go everywhere together- bathroom included."

"The Hell-" the fish started, only silenced as the balloon moved along, pointing to one player after another.

"Early boot," Growlithe whimpered back, "yikes," Gengar averted eye contact, "women hate you," Crandios snorted, "you wish men liked you," Fletchinder had to physically hold herself back, "you just hate both," Scrafty twitched.

He finally made it to Luxray, chuckling as he leaned in, "Oh, and I bet you have a great personality."

Luxray felt her eyes twitch, baring her teeth as electricity exploded through her mane. "Oh, I'm about ready to shut that obnoxious mouth of yours up!"

"Right there with 'ya, partner! Let's get 'em!" Dubwool called out.

Drifblim was lucky Druddigon and Typhlosion were quick to react, pulling the lioness and ram back before they could act irrationally.

Yet Drifblim was just smiling at the scene, casually eating another chip with an obnoxious chuckle, "How totally unexpected." Shrugging, he winked at the camera then carried on, ignoring the rest of the cast's clear frustration at his mean-spirited demeanor.

And so, there they were- the final arrival! Sailing toward the dock at that moment. Bidoof couldn't help but smile at the idea his work was almost done. "And here they come- our final player!"

It pulled up and the contestant began to step off. Popping into frame came an armored woman, the striking golden exterior around the body of black and red standing out from the immaculate background behind her. Bidoof smiled at the girl, stepping forward and saying-

"And finally…Uh…Wait," his face contorted in confusion, "wait…Who the Hell are you? Where's the last dude?"

She beamed at the unfortunate beaver, saying, "Hi, I'm Armarouge," she extended a hand out, "and I'm your co-host!"

"...C-Co-host?"

"CUT!"

A whistle blared out, the cameras shutting off as the crew exchanged confused looks. The contestants did much the same, looking between each other, unsure what was to proceed.

"Ooooh…Drama," Drifblim snickered as he ate a handful of chips.

Cyclizar walked out onto the set, glaring at the poor girl, "Okay, we need to iron this out; who are you?"

Armarouge looked over the crowd, forcing a laugh than explaining, "I mean…Like I said, I'm the co-host-"

"No. No you're not!" Bidoof interjected, voice full of rage. "I was not told about this! I don't need a co-host; I'm more than enough!" Before Armarouge could say more, he threw up a finger and plucked out his phone, "I'm calling the network right now to get this sorted out, so I can have you escorted off my set, you wannabe, weirdo fangirl-"

"WHAT?!"

"I said she's telling the truth," Sceptile answered, ashing his cigar as he fumbled it between fingers, "recommendation from the network; a younger face to connect with our core demographic!"

"B-But I don't need a co-host!"

"And I don't need my ex-wife nagging me about child support when I'm paying for the damn thing, but we don't always get what we want!" Sceptile screamed back with twice the intensity.

"...Do…Do you wanna talk about that-"

"Look!" The producer groaned. "Deal with it! You're a grown ass man, you can put up a face for the camera," he held the phone out and screamed once more, "or I will find someone who will!"

The phone hung up, Bidoof's expression fell into a stony square of dissatisfaction and frustration. Sighing, he ran a hand across his face, a glare settling as Armarouge asked, "So…Ready to start, partner?"

"...Apparently," the beaver seethed, as he facepalmed, "well, what are we supposed to do now! We have a prime number of players!"

Armarouge blinked. "...Are you allergic to those or-"

"A prime number of players can't be divided evenly," Cyclizar explained, "meaning we can't-"

"Spoilers!" Bidoof groaned. Tapping his chin, he wondered aloud, "What to do, what to-" his eyes went wide…Before grabbing Cyclizar. "You!"

"What?!" The lizard squeaked.

"You auditioned to get on this show, right?! That's how we found out you worked with camera sh*t, right?!" He begged.

Cyclizar flinched, looking off for a moment…

"Is it on?" Cyclizar asked, positioning the camera, and after a moment, took a few steps back and sat down onto a chair. Surrounding him on all sides were different fixtures of your average film set; lights, a boom mic, other cameras, etc.

After clearing his throat, he did a quick, "Three, two…" Then waved to the camera. "Uh, Hey. Cyrus here. And I wanna be on your Total Drama show." He started listing off on his hands, "I'm athletic, I'm honest, and I've got a keen bullsh*t detector up here," he explained, tapping his head, "I feel like if you picked me, I'd seriously have a real shot at winning the whole thing."

Forcing a laugh, he awkwardly added, "I probably wouldn't even need anyone's help. Yeah, I could handle it…All on my own…All…" His expression fell, "...On my own…"

After a moment, he sniffled, then shook his head, he quickly wiped his face, then grumbled, "...Cut."

"Well, yeah," Cyclizar began, "but I got turned down. I accept that-"

"Cool, you're in."

Bidoof pushed the lizard forward, watching him stumble backward right into the crowd of contestants, knocking over Absol and falling right into an awaiting Typhlosion's arms in the process. "What?!"

"Thank me later, we gotta move!" Bidoof clapped his hands.

"So, are we good, then?" Drifblim complained.

"Yes, thank God," Bidoof groaned out himself, before reaching behind him into his tail and plucking out a camera, ""But! First thing's first, we need a group photo for the promos! Everyone, line-up on the end of the dock! It's time for a picture!"

After a moment of hesitation, the cast did as she said, quickly lining up into various rows at the end of the dock. They struck a pose, smiling at the camera as Bidoof jumped in place.

Breathing in, Bidoof rose the camera up, and readied it, "Alright…Now everyone, say…Everyone, say, 'Summer vacation'!"

Reluctantly, the cast joined in the host's phrase, chanting out in unison, "Summer vacation!" They chanted so loud...They didn't even hear the dock break away, as it gave in and collapsed, dropping a majority of the cast into the water.

Though Armarouge jumped a bit at the sight, Bidoof full-on broke down laughing, pointing at the dropped players as if it was the funniest thing in the world, "Oh man, that was perfect!"

Of course, those spared from the collapse were the handful of players who could fly and could catch themselves in time…Also, apparently, Samurott was spared in addition, having magically managed to stay on the maintained side of the dock. He merely shrugged and grunted out something wordlessly.

As some players resurfaced from the water, they heard Bidoof call out, "Everyone, make sure to dry off and meet me at the bonfire pit in ten."

Though Armarouge added, "Uhhhh, Bidoof…I-I'm pretty sure some of them can't swim."

Bidoof's expression fell into a deadpan look, "Oh…Right." Shrugging, he said, "Help them out, would you Samurott?"

Samurott growled, yet listened, jumping into the water and fishing out some of the most unfortunate players. As he did so though, some players...Simply swam in place, utterly confused as the hosts walked off.

"So..." Lampent said, floating out of the water, "...Does anyone know where this campfire pit is?" And just like that, silence fell over the group before they all let out a collective groan.

Following the "incident" at the dock, most of the players had wandered off into the forest, in search of this currently mythical bonfire pit their excitable host had spoken of. And unfortunately, their efforts to find said pit had taken the better part of two hours and consisted largely of just complaining and cursing. For the betterment of all parties involved, including that of the listener and the editor, we've chosen to cut as much for time.

Instead, there the cast were, standing in a short clearing amongst the woodland, looking on neutral enough despite the time they had wasted. The area was adorned with several unlit tiki torches, along with several wooden poles with thin strings connecting one another, and allowing various paper lanterns donning the colors of red, orange, and yellow to hang off. A firepit surrounded by various rocks stood at the edge of the clearing, ash from the various prior fires still lingering around it. Rounding out the look were well over a dozen wooden stumps just in front of the firepit, which acted as makeshift chairs, something half the cast quickly took advantage of. On the whole, the place had a sort of tacky quality to it, though at the very least wasn't unpleasant to look at.

And standing before the players was Bidoof, the host of their ire, as he sent them a grin. "Everyone, welcome to Total Drama Island! This little slice of paradise will be your home for the next eight weeks!"

"Hey uh…Dude, sorry to interrupt and all," Sneasel called out, holding her hand aloft, "but I was sorta wondering where the resort was? Wanted to drop off my things."

Some of the campers in the know flinched at the question, while those still uninformed turned toward the host with mutual curiosity.

"Uhhhh…" Armarouge began, stepping up beside an annoyed Bidoof, beginning with, "so, I had no input on that decision, seeing as how I'm pretty new-"

"Yeah, no kidding," Bidoof grumbled under his breath.

"But as far as I'm aware…There is no resort…"

"...I'm sorry, what?" Noivern hissed, narrowing his eyes.

"It was sort of an idea by the marketing department," she explained, "sorry to get everyone's hopes up…Really sorry," Armarouge whispered.

The cast groaned in unison, Salazzle stepping forward with a glare, "So where the Hell are we supposed to sleep them?"

"Oh, are we gonna be sleeping outside?!" Dubwool gasped, giddily chirping, "I can teach ya'll how to make a mud cubby! Me and my cousins would do that sorta thing all the time." Most of the cast sent her various disgusted glares, though oddly enough, Samurott perked a brow at the proposal, humming to himself at the offer.

"As interesting as that offer is," Bidoof nodded with a smirk, he sighed, "we actually have figured out housing for all of you already. Namely, two cabins, each large enough to occupy you while providing free space."

"So…Maybe not a resort, but it could be worse!" Armarouge exclaimed.

"Um," Trumbeak started, turning to stare at the dirt-covered, half-attentive Cranidos, before asking the host, "they're not co-ed, right?" The dinosaur snapped out of his phase for long enough to growl at the girl, causing her to flinch back.

"Nope! Guys will get one side of each cabin and the girls will get the other," Bidoof explained, before quickly adding, "oh, and we do have cameras in there, so…Please, nobody try anything gross."

A handful of the cast couldn't help but blush at the implication, though it seemed to completely fly over the heads of others, as Lampent looked around in confusion, "What, like…Don't change in them?" He got a couple looks as he looked himself over, "Aren't we all mostly naked anyway?" Luxray couldn't help but facepalm nearby, while Fletchinder just laughed.

"Oh, and as of now, you can all consider yourself the first honorary campers…" Armarouge started, pausing for dramatization, before announcing, "of Camp Ivy, the official Summer camp of Valencia Island!"

"Yet you couldn't think of a name that was a bit more unique?" Drifblim asked. "Weak."

"Anyway, now that that's explained, the way things will work around here is simple!" Some of the various players grumbled in response, but otherwise quieted down as Bidoof continued, "Those standing around you will be your only company for the next eight weeks. You'll be seeing them everywhere, so I'd recommend getting acquainted."

"They'll also be your cabin mates." Scrafty turned to Dubwool, offering a smile- which was ignored as Dubwool abruptly belched, laughing to herself as the dark-type inched away in alarm.

"Your competition." Scolipede and Bisharp glanced at each other, both quickly scowling to themselves and turning away.

"And, of course, your friends!" Gloom was barely paying much mind to the host's explanation, especially as a tail tapped him on the shoulder. He turned, seeing nothing, unaware that Espeon was on his other side, his tail hovering just over the weed's head.

"Hey, over here," Cyclizar called out, walking into view from the crowd with a noticeable glare on his face, folding his arms in defiance as he hardened a glare at his former boss.

"Oh…Yes, look everyone, it's Cyclizar, who was definitely, always, one hundred percent a part of this cast!" Bidoof nodded, glancing at the cameras in worry.

Narrowing a glare, Cyclizar called out, "Yeah, sure, say that to the cameras- but seriously, I'm just…Competing now? Even though I literally got rejected?" He narrowed a glare. "That isn't setting off red flags to you."

"Look, kid, the show must go on and all that," Bidoof rolled his eyes, "besides, you got what you wanted; you get to compete for some major cash instead of getting paid like an intern now. What's the problem?"

Cyclizar looked taken aback by this, "Well, it's just- it's the principle and…" He looked clearly uncomfortable with something, though with how he was stuttering, he couldn't find the words.

"Uh huh," Bidoof rolled his eyes, before pointing at the lizard, "sit down. We're moving on!"

Cyclizar scowled at his former boss, though did as he was told, sitting down on a log and clutching his head in his hands in deep thought.

"We will be going off a three-day system. First day, including this one, will be your break day. You'll have time to travel the campgrounds, talk to each other, and do just about anything you feel needs getting done. The only thing required of you is that you gotta eat at least twice a day; gotta make sure you don't drop dead out of the blue. Challenges will happen on the second and potentially third days, with the vote usually occurring on the third day no matter what. So, sometimes you'll be voting someone off right after a challenge, and other times you'll get a bit of free time to figure things out."

"Not that we'd need it," Cranidos snorted, "it's not hard figuring who you hate the most."

"True, but something tells me that definitely won't be the way everyone votes," Armarouge countered, and indeed, already wandering eyes began to pass over the cast, wondering to themselves who may fall victim to the game first.

But such thoughts were tossed aside as soon as that smell lingered in the air, their heads turned toward the sky with interest. That buttery, sweet sensation of warm, baked goods…It was intoxicating.

"Bon appetit, everyone!" A voice called out. Walking onto the scene was a gargantuan man; well over six feet tall and plump as can be, wearing a chef's hat and apron. And in his hands, a pan full of goodies; poffins, a Pokémon's favorite sweet.

"Ah, yes, great timing!" Armarouge clapped her hands together, before casting a hand toward the rodent, "Everyone, meet Snorlax, the camp cook! We knew not all of you had the chance to have breakfast, so we asked them to whip something together for you."

"Nice to meet you guys!" Snorlax waved, letting out a laugh as he called out, "And c'mon now, you heard the lady; dig in!"

After a moment of waiting to see how everyone else reacted, the cast gave into their cravings, Arrokuda leading the pack and nabbing one of the poffins. "Oh yeah, come to papa." Cramorant grabbed one for himself as well.

Within a few moments, everyone had a poffin of their own. Even the handful who claimed to not need it, such as Gabite or Gengar, eventually gave in and took one each as well.

"Well, go on; dig in everybody!" Armarouge declared.

"Hey!" Bidoof interjected, giving the girl a nasty glare. "I'm the main host here! I decide when they eat!" After a moment, he turned back. "Okay, go ahead."

"...Good job, sir," she complimented, only to flinch under another glare from him.

Seizing their opportunity, the contestants took their first bites…Oddly, there…Wasn't a lot of flavor. It was faintly sweet with a bit of a buttery snap, but it felt oddly held back, as if the proper flavors hadn't been prepared correctly. Disappointment flooded over most of them at such a thing, something Drifblim couldn't help but smirk at as he looked over his own uneaten pastry.

"Never was a fan of sweet crap anyway," he chuckled, snickering lowly as he prepared to toss the food aside- before noticing something.

Whether it be dripping out of the poffins themselves or hanging off the lips of those who took a bite, the jam…It was a strange color. Or more accurately, a strange handful of colors. Each poffin's inside was a toss-up between three of them; you either got red, green, or blue.

And after noticing as much, Drifblim looked down at his own poffin, and with hardly any effort, pried it open, revealing the thick blue jam inside. It didn't take him long to work out the reasoning for it. "...I mean, I get it's June, but I feel like this isn't what I think it is."

Grinning, Bidoof called out, "Everyone, if you could take a look at your poffins, you'll see the jam inside is fairly unique!" The cast did as instructed, and while they did so, he explained, "Now then, if you got the bluk berry blue jam, please stand over to my right, while if you got the lum berry green jam, stand to my left. If you got the cheri berry red jam, stay where you are."

After a moment of looking between their own poffin and the other contestants, they all soon did as instructed and began to make their way over. Not long after, the groups had been cemented.

Standing to his right were Absol, Arrokuda (and Cramorant), Drifblim, Espeon, Lampent, Samurott, Scrafty, and Trumbeak.

Meanwhile, to his left were Bisharp, Cyclizar, Dubwool, Gengar, Growlithe, Noivern, Salazzle, and Typhlosion.

And remaining, sitting in front of the bonfire pit, were Cranidos, Druddigon, Fletchinder, Gabite, Gloom, Luxray, Scolipede, and Sneasel.

Armarouge held up a pale green, rolled-up banner, tossing it into the halved crowd on her right, allowing Bisharp to catch it, as Bidoof called out, "To those who got the green jam, from this moment on, you'll officially be known as..."

The banner unrolled, revealing the silhouette of a vaguely frog-like creature with plant-like features. "The Screaming Venusaurs!" Bidoof declared.

Salazzle gave the flag a pointed sneer, "That's it? You couldn't have thought of something less…Lame?"

Bidoof gave her a look, though shrugged and walked forward to take the banner back, only for Bisharp to pull it away. "It's fine." She gave the lizard a glare, to which Salazzle scoffed.

Returning to his spot, Bidoof turned his attention to the bonfire as Armarouge held up a pale red, rolled-up banner and tossed it forward as well, which this time was caught by Druddigon. "To those who got the red jam, you'll be from this day onward…"

The banner unrolled, revealing the silhouette of a dragon, wings spread out and roaring. "The Killer Charizards!" Bidoof declared.

Druddigon couldn't help but stutter out a brief laugh. "Wow…It's kind of like my old football team." He turned over to the nearest person to him, Fletchinder, and continued, "Y'know, with the goofy mascots and…" He quickly realized she wasn't listening. "...Right."

"Which leaves the rest of you." Once more, Armarouge tossed a banner to the remaining team, this one a bright blue. As soon as Absol caught it, Bidoof said, "And to those who got the blue jam, you guys will now be known as..."

Their banner unrolled as well, revealing the silhouette of a large, tank-like turtle with cannons on their back. "The Ferocious Blastoise!"

"Oooooooh, so cute!" Absol complimented, only to lose her grip on the flag, "Oops!" The flag landed on the unlit fire pit...Which then erupted into flames! The campers flinched back from the fire, watching their banner burn away into nothing as Absol leaned back. "...Sorry."

Bidoof and Armarouge stared at the fire, unsure if they was confused or impressed…Or both. Eventually, Armarouge snapped out of it, asking, "...Samurott?" The sea lion sprayed a water gun at it, putting out the fire.

"Thanks, and we'll grab a new flag for you guys later," Bidoof explained, before glaring, "but we don't have enough in the budget for more than two, so please don't set this one on fire." Absol slinked back at this, though Salazzle and Typhlosion also inched back from their own teams, not wanting to take the risk of getting on the host's bad side.

Something Lampent didn't even seem to think about, staring at the soaked firepit and reaching out- only to be pulled back by Trumbeak. "Aw…"

"Now, with that all settled, this show is officially on the move," Armarouge started up once more, doing a little train pump with her hand, "all aboard the game train! Choo choo!"

She was promptly met with deadpan looks, much to her embarrassment. This was only compounded by Bidoof shaking his head at her. "Worst. Co-host. Ever." Groaning, he stepped forward again, "At all points in the competition from here on out, you'll be recorded, whether you know it, or not. Everything you do can, and likely will, appear on tv."

He gave them a thumbs-up, "No pressure."

Too late. The pressure fell over the cast like a wet blanket, and even the most stoic among them appeared horrified...Except Samurott, who seemed like he couldn't care any less.

"Alright, campers, we've arrived!" Armarouge called out, the cast piling onto the land on mass.

It was a relatively unimpressive piece of land. Set-up in a large clearing surrounded by the treeline were three cabins, angled perpendicular to each other and showing off their team's colors; the left cabin green, the middle cabin red, and the right cabin blue. On the whole, however, they looked relatively identical, being one-story, having faded gray walls that were clearly suffering from decay with age, and brown roofs with slim chimneys that seemed to have been overtaken with vines and moss. Each of the cabins had two doors and two windows parallel to each other as well.

"Girls, you'll be staying on the left side of your respective cabin," Bidoof began to explain, "meanwhile, guys will be on the right." Lampent held up a hand. "Lampent, just go wherever you feel like." They lowered their hand.

One door to the Charizard cabin was thrown open with a kick, as the campers were met with the too uninteresting sight of your generic, Summer camp cabin. A nasty rug laid in the center of the room, and against the back wall was a desk with an oil lamp, a bookrack, and a potted plant, a window just above it allowing sunlight into the room. Two bunk beds were laid up against the walls; one on the right side, one on the left. Beside the leftmost bunk was a stove with a pile of firewood next to it. The only thing left of note was the dresser next to the door, and the mirror on the right wall beside the pair of bunks.

"Woah, dudes," Sneasel muttered as she stepped in and quickly became mesmerized by the old-school architecture, "it's like I'm back at Summer camp or something."

"Pretty sure that's the point," Fletchinder explained as she flew over the weasel's head.

"Uh...Yeah, like, duh," Sneasel nodded along with a faint, embarrassed blush, "I knew that."

Soon, the other two girls had entered, as they all quickly got to work making themselves comfortable. Luxray walked up to one of the bunks, jumping onto it and quickly reclining into the bottom bunk. "Oh yeah, that's the ticket."

Fletchinder fluttered up to the top bunk just above the lioness, nesting into it with a satisfied smile. "Not bad at all."

Hanging up her guitar beside her bunk, Sneasel looked over the space in passing interest, before turning to her own bunkmate as they dragged themselves onto the top bunk; Gabite. "Ayyyy, roommates! Up high!"

Sneasel held out a hand for Gabite to high five, only for the dragon to very literally flinch back as if she had something thrown at her. But Fred-

"Eyo, nice to meetcha, skater chick!" Fred exclaimed, pulling himself (and Gabite's arm) forward. "I'm Frederick Reed Duncan Gardiner the First!"

"I definitely won't remember that, but cool!" Sneasel laughed, shaking the puppet's hand.

"Boy oh boy, can't wait for the first night," he began, before laughing sneakily, "and 'ta brag to 'da other boys for being the only guy who gets to sleep with pretty girls!"

"F-Fred!" Gabite squeaked.

"You can't silence me!"

Sneasel couldn't help but stifle a laugh, covering her face while Luxray just shook her head and Fletchinder looked on in confusion.

Just like the girls, as soon as some of the guys entered their own team's cabin, it was certainly met with…A reaction to say the least. Or to be more specific in the case of Noivern, he threw on a face, "Ugh…Goodness me, these are our living conditions? I knew they'd be subpar, but wow…This is pitiful."

Peering through his legs than passing through, Growlithe managed a smile. "I don't know; I think it's kinda nice! I've stayed in worse places."

Scoffing, Noivern rolled his eyes, "I don't doubt it; you certainly seem like the type who'd go scrounging where you shouldn't."

"Wow, okay, that caught me off-guard," Growlithe stammered out, now uncomfortable.

"Come on, man," Cyclizar groaned, giving Noivern a look as he passed by, "leave the guy alone."

Noivern huffed, pointing an accusatory finger at the lizard as he passed, "Big talk coming from the one getting in here by luck."

Cyclizar narrowed a glare. "Yeah, I can tell already you'll be a great roommate. Whatever," he grumbled, sitting on a bed, "say anything you want, I don't care. Doubt I'm not thinking the same way."

"Ahhh, unqualified as a player and a downer…Delightful," Noivern strutted over to a bed parallel to the lizard, not wanting the baggage of bunking with him.

As he began to unpack though, he took notice of the figure already hiding under the covers of lower bunk. "...And my standards continue to drop."

Gengar peered out from the covers, looking around anxiously as he whispered, "I-I'm just…G-Getting used to how well this defends from intruders."

"It's a blanket."

"Hey, don't count it out; blankets can actually be surprisingly useful tools," Growlithe brought up as he settled on the opposing top bunk, "you can use it as liner to keep your equipment dry during rainy weather, manufacture it into a food cache, oh and they're great for-"

"If I want to hear boring survival tips, I'll ask," Noivern condescends, fluttering onto his own top bunk, "until then, you, and the other two in addition, can stay quiet."

Cyclizar glared at the bat, him and Growlithe exchanging a look over their difficult roommate.

Throwing open the door to the cabin, Trumbeak cringed back in disgust, her eyes narrowing as she said, "Ew, they…Really weren't understating the cabins, weren't they?"

Absol entered moments later, looking around, then questioning, "What's the issue?"

"The issue? God, where to start…" Trumbeak snapped, "Look at this place! It hasn't been cleaned in years!"

Indeed, cobwebs were growing out the corners of the room, and what looked like several floor tiles were jutting out awkwardly. Of the cabins, this was clearly the one that had been hit the hardest with time.

"...T-That isn't normal," Absol whispered to herself, not that anyone heard.

Lampent floated around, humming…Then shrugging, "I've lived places that're worse. Including train tracks."

"Wait…You lived on train tracks?" Scrafty asked incredulously as she entered as well. When she received a nod, she added, "You mean…The thing the trains goes on."

Lampent laughed to themselves, though said laugh sounded more so half-hearted and barely alive than anything, "Yeah. It was a neat experience; always wonder how comfy they'd be…They weren't! They kept wobbling for some reason too."

After a moment of looking around, Trumbeak glared and flew over to one of the bunks, "Well, I suppose I can work with this; it's a fixer upper, but nothing I can't handle-" As she tried to push on the bed, she heard it creak loudly, a spring exploding out of the bed beside her and she jumped back, "No! Nevermind! I hate it!"

"Yeah this is rough even by my standards," Scrafty grumbled, "even my apartment is comparably cleaner."

"Aw, don't worry, it's not that bad, right? Sure, the place isn't in good shape, and we don't have most of our stuff, but when hasn't somebody had to deal with that," Scrafty and Trumbeak sent the disaster Pokémon an off-look, unsure what she meant by that, "and besides, we're all teammates now! That means we're all here for each other…Right?"

Trumbeak sent the dark-type a deadpan frown, shaking her head while Scrafty kinda just scratched behind her head awkwardly, "Uh…I mean…" Scrafty kinda just gave her a shifting hand signal, as if her own inability to properly respond was manifesting into false signing.

Disappointed at the lackluster response, Absol hung her head, looking off. Though, someone at the very least seemed to appreciate her words. "Y'know, this is actually my first time living with others," Lampent hummed, nodding along, "I wouldn't mind embracing the whole, talking and looking out for each other vibe."

Trumbeak continued to look over her teammates dismissively, though seeing opportunity, spoke up as well with an- "Ahem…Y'know, I guess that's not a bad idea. If we're living together, we may as well try to see a bright side." Trumbeak managed to maintain her pleasant smile, turning back to Absol, "Thanks for speaking up."

After a moment, Absol found herself reinvigorated by her roommate's words, nodding along and saying, "Yeah…Yeah! No problem, roomie," she chirped, sitting down on the nearest bottom bunk with a grin- as the entire bed abruptly caved in on itself, the rim of it just barely missing her as it collapsed.

The girls just sorta...Stared at what had once been a perfectly usable bed in utter silence. Lampent inched herself away from Absol with her hands raised in defense, while Scrafty looked horribly uncomfortable sitting on her own bed now.

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," Absol threw on an awkward smile, giggling anxiously before shrugging, "oops?" She tried to ignore how the others were staring at her.

"So...All in favor of Absol getting the destroyed bunk?" Trumbeak called out. And like that, every girl raised their hand, to which Absol could only respond with a knowing groan.

Samurott walked into the cabin, his eyes sunken looking over the room in…Discomfort. Though in a very unique sort of way; less disgust with his surroundings and more just a general inability to accept where he even was.

"Hmmm…" He groaned, inspecting the wood of the cabin in detail, his eyebrows thrown up in disappointment, slowly shaking his head as he considered various aspects of the cabin in the span of seconds.

Cramorant waddled past the water-type, and up to the corner of the room. He came to a stop at something rest on the table, opening up his mouth for Arrokuda to see himself, only for the fish to be greeted by…

A fish bowl.

"...I don't know how to feel about this." Cramorant gargled, and Arrokuda groaned, "Yeah, yeah, I get it, you might accidentally swallow me in your sleep, but still! This is just demeaning…"

Drifblim floated past them, "Don't wanna get demeaned? Grow some legs."

Arrokuda glared at the passing blimp, "Hey, I don't see you with legs, balloon-boy!" The fish continued to grumble…Only to notice. "Hey, where the Hell is Espeon?"

"Come on, there's gotta be something in here somewhere," Gloom grumbled to himself as he went through the cabin's dresser, searching every nook and cranny for anything the previous inhabitants had left behind.

And while the drunkard put on the scene, Espeon watched on with a wicked smile on his face, giggling into his paw before asking, "For a weed you're certainly invested in the devil's nectar, aren't you?"

"If wine be made by the devil, then I don't want to meet God," Gloom muttered, grinding his teeth as he slammed the drawer shut, "dammit all. Ain't a drop of the good stuff to be seen. No way someone lived out here sober, there's gotta be something."

"Doubt it," Espeon said with a yawn, "something tells me our goody good host wanted to make sure we wouldn't be getting too tipsy on camera. Not to mention some of the people here look underaged." Gloom ignored the Eeveelution's words as he knocked on the floor, searching for anything hollow. "Suit yourself!"

"Why the Hell are you even in here," Cranidos grumbled at his own bunk, "don't you have your own team to bother?"

"What, am I such a hindrance you can't look me over for a moment?" Espeon questioned. "I'm merely getting a sneak peek at what's worth noticing over here."

Cranidos growled, "The Hell do you mean by-"

"Jeez, relax," Scolipede grumbled, the large centipede slumping down onto a bed, "just ignore him and he'll go away."

"Don't tell me what to do!" Cranidos yapped. Scolipede just ignored him.

Smiling at the two's brief spat, Espeon quickly turned to another mon in the cabin out of boredom, and after a moment, the psychic found his target in the form of a dragon, Espeon wondered aloud, "So, anything on your mind?"

Druddigon looked up from the floor, glancing back at the psychic and mumbling, "N-No, not really...Sorry."

"Oh, no apologies needed, just curious," Espeon smiled, leaning back and curling himself up into a ball to lounge on his bed, "though I suppose this offers enough entertainment to last me the hour," he whispered, as he watched Gloom pull himself under one the bunks; Scolipede's to be specific, the bug casting a disgusted glare.

"Back off," he spat.

"Oi, shut it would 'ya? I'll only be a damned minute," Gloom growled from beneath the bunk, looking out of the bunk for only a moment to glare at the poison-type…

Though as he went back under, he briefly locked eyes with Druddigon. They stared at each other, and to Druddigon, it felt as if it were going on for eternity, those sunglasses masking eye of pure hatred as far as the dragon could tell. Eventually, Gloom retreated back under the bunk, but the thought was now there…

"...I think I'm going to get some fresh air," Druddigon said, standing up quickly and stomping out of the room, making especially sure Gloom didn't get a good look at his face on the way out, "be back...Eventually, I guess."

"Take your time," Espeon waved off the dragon without a second look, laying back with a smile on his face, a low laugh rising from under their breath as Gloom smacked his head against the bed on his way out from under it.

Upon walking out onto the patio, Druddigon breathed in deeply...Then let out a low burst of flames, sizzling, crackling specks of fire rising up from his jaw as he tried feebly to relax, unaware of the smoke rising up from his maw.

"How hasn't he realized who I am yet?" Druddigon thought. "And what do I do if he recognizes me? Is there anything I can do...?" With a shake of his head, he brought up his hands, wiping them down his face. "What do I do?"

"Girls, I must ask you to calm down!"

"Get that disgusting little vermin away from me!"

Dubwool, who's wide grin gave away her clear amusem*nt at the situation."Well shoot, ain't you just a doll!" Dubwool cackled, pushing up on the lizard indirectly with a playful smile. "What, can't handle a little dirt?"

"Y-You disrespectful- back off!" Salazzle growled, pushing the sheep away.

"You two," Bisharp spoke, her voice monotone and apathetic to their intentions, "knock it off."

"Aw, c'mon now, we were just playin'," Dubwool complained, glaring at the iron woman for her sudden interruption.

Salazzle scoffed, "Oh, that's what you're calling that?" To which the ram just waggled her eyebrows in response.

"You," Bisharp turned to the lizard, stating sternly, "stop picking fights."

"And why should I listen to you?" Salazzle threw back in the soldier's face.

"Because if you want a stable roof over your head, you'll want to keep the damage to the building's foundation to a minimum," the steel-type replied simply- before punching the wall. The foundation of the cabin shook, as the three girls turned to Bisharp in shock, "and it looks like my patience is in direct correlation with such a thing."

After a moment, Salazzle just scoffed and turned away. She knew how to pick her battles. Typhlosion wasn't as realistic. "You shouldn't invoke violence just to prove your point."

"I am proving nothing, simply making a suggestion," Bisharp disarmed, "I have no beef with you. Let me finish."

Typhlosion narrowed her eyes, "You know very well what I was implying with my statement-" However, a quick glare from Bisharp shut her up. Much to Typhlosion's confusion. She didn't even know why she it; it was as if it was instinct. She couldn't help but blush in embarrassment, which only heated up with an immediate, "...V-Very well. Continue."

Nodding, Bisharp then turned to Dubwool, "And you, don't egg her on further." The ram just blew a raspberry at her. "...Mature. Alright, I've decided; I'll be bunking with you."

Taken aback, the ram jolted back, rambling, "I'm sorry 'dere, what did you just say to me? Where's this coming from?"

"You've proven a nuisance; if I let you bunk with her, it'll only get worse," Bisharp explained, pointing at Salazzle, the lizard barely acknowledging as much with more than a glare, "and I doubt the others have the patience to deal with you."

"Well, what about Salazzle, huh?"

"Typhlosion seems responsible enough, she can tend to Salazzle when she's difficult," Bisharp stated.

Typhlosion once again found herself flushing red, only this time in appreciation, as Salazzle scoffed, "Whatever."

"Oh yeah? Well what's that say 'bout you, huh?" Dubwool glared. "That you apparently got the "patience" they don't?"

"It says I can handle anything you throw at me," Bisharp stated, leaning forward, her expression still blank, "have I not made that clear."

Returning the stare, the two were locked into position for what felt like hours…And yet, just as quickly as it started, it ended…With a laugh. "Heh, alright then." Dubwool gave the girl a crooked smile, walking up to a bunk while saying, "I can tell you'll be a real hoot to live with…Now, I call the top!"

As the ram heaved herself up onto the top bunk of one of the beds (with great difficulty), and with the matter now dealt with, Bisharp turned to the other two girls, stating, "As you were," before walking to her newly found bottom bunk, the other girls feeling just as lost as they had moments ago.

"As you were," Salazzle mocked, gagging under her breath as she turned away.

But Typhlosion, having been frozen in shock from that little fight, was…Staring. Her face slowly turning red. "...Y-Yes, ma'am!" Typhlosion nodded, her face straightening in awkward confusion as she stumbled backward against the bottom bunk of her own bed, eyes transfixed onto Bisharp.

Salazzle rolled her eyes at as much. "Figures; I get stuck with a drill sergeant, a loyal lackey, and a redneck." She groaned. "Perfect…"

"Alright, everyone taking to their new environment well?" Bidoof asked as he walked to the front of the cabins, where the brunt of the campers had reconvened upon unpacking. Considering a majority of their expressions were flat, Bidoof could tell they didn't quite adjust as well as expected…Perfect. "Cool."

"Yeah, that's...Great…Anyway," Armarouge forced a smile, explaining, "now that you're all settled in, do any of you have any questions?"

"Excuse me, would you mind explaining where I can find an outlet," asked Trumbeak flew out from her cabin, "I need to charge some items of mine."

"I was wondering the same," Salazzle said as well, tapping at her phone with narrowed eyes, "my phone's about to die. Also, where's the Wi-Fi?"

"So, first, if you want outlets, the only place you'll find them is the communal bathroom and the main lodge," Bidoof answered simply, "but second, there is no Wi-Fi...For you."

"Excuse me?" Salazzle expression paled, along with many of the more city-going members of the cast.

Bidoof chuckled, nodding and explaining, "Yep, sorry to say kiddies, but as I told somebody who broke the rules prior," he turned a glare to Fletchinder, who returned it in equal parts, "you're all cut off from the grid entirely; no social media, no phone calls, no texting, no YouTube, nothing! For the next two months, consider yourselves back in the eighties."

"The what?" Typhlosion questioned.

"...Oh yeah, you wouldn't get that," Bidoof sighed, "just…No modern tech. You kids are going cold turkey on that stuff."

Typhlosion didn't seem anywhere near as bothered by this as her peers as she noticed, so she promptly attempted to look at least mildly disconcerted…Though in truth she was rather apathetic, bordering on appreciative of this turn of events. Without modern luxuries, maybe she won't stick out as much.

A smirk rose over Bidoof's face. "And just to make sure none of you try anything funny...I'mma have to confiscate everyone's devices."

As the beaver got out a small, brown bag, Salazzle furiously tapped at her phone, attempting to weakly defend, "But, I told all my friends I'd let them know when I got here! My mom too! She'll be super worried and-" Noticing the looks she was getting, Salazzle recomposed herself, breathing in and reaching out, handing the phone to the approaching phone, "fine."

She flinched as her phone was suddenly swiped away by the rodent, who dropped it into the bag with a sneer. Bidoof held out the pouch, "Everything in the bag. Anyone caught trying to smuggle contraband past me who gets caught, and with a few thousand cameras, you will get caught, can face potential disqualification from the competition. So, tee 'em up!"

With a shake of the pouch, Bidoof watched as much of the cast proceeded to give up some of their belongings; Luxray's earbuds, Trumbeak's PDA, Drifblim's own phone, etc. Soon enough, the camp was free of anything that allowed the cast to maintain their prior connection with the outside world.

"Perfecto!" Bidoof chuckled, before throwing the pouch to the camera crew, with one intern quickly walking off with it to who-knows-where. "Now, moving on...Armarouge!"

Bidoof clapped his hands haughtily…Even though she was right beside him. "Was that really necessary."

"Yep," Bidoof turned to the campers as he gestured to his assistant, "Armarouge here is going to give all of you a tour of the campgrounds."

"Wait, what?" Armarouge squeaked, leaning down, "Why me?"

"If you were brought on, you did read up on the island and the coordinates of important set pieces, right?" Bidoof questioned, his voice wreaking of smug energy.

"I mean…Yeah-"

"Then consider this a test to make sure you got it memorized," Bidoof shrugged with a smirk. Armarouge was about to ask another question-

"Why do we need some goshdarn tour?" Dubwool interrupted the two. "We can find our way around just fine I bet."

"Oh, I don't doubt that…" Armarouge nodded, "...But we also can't have you wandering off too far. The island's a little…Unpredictable."

Bidoof nodded, "Really it's mainly to ensure none of you get mauled by one of the Exeggutor around here."

Growlithe just looked confused at this, "Sorry, excuse me, but why would an Exeggutor-"

"You don't know what those long-necked monsters are capable of!" Bidoof screeched, his eyes wide as he shook in frustration, before breathing in...And saying, "Just...It's for safety reasons."

"Oooh, ominous," Espeon snarked, a twinge of curiosity in his eye.

"Okay…But why can't I just show everyone around?" Cyclizar questioned. "I know this place pretty well too."

"Silly Cyclizar, you're a contestant," Bidoof shrugged off his words, "you don't get that kind of authority." Cyclizar narrowed a glare at the beaver. "Now, chop-chop, I expect to see all of you at the main lodge in thirty minutes." The host walked away, calling back to Armarouge, "You're in charge."

"Okay everyone, that's enough lollygagging," Armarouge exclaimed, "onward!"

The hostess quickly got on the move, the campers reluctantly following.

"Now, beginning the tour, we have the communal washroom!" Armarouge started, gesturing to a square building with gray, wooden walls and a single door. It was fairly small, and probably couldn't host more than four people comfortably.

"Inside there's a handful of toilets and some shower stalls. Though, uh, word of warning," the hostess turned to the cast with a vaguely embarrassed expression, "they sorta don't have any doors. I'm sure that won't be an issue for anyone, though I'm aware some of you may value your privacy."

As expected, most of the campers appeared largely lukewarm to the information, though some of them, most notably Gengar and Sneasel, looked a little perturbed by the information, the latter especially looking as red as a tomato at this point with how hard she was blushing. "I-I'm cool with it."

"Excuse me, madam, but I believe I'm not alone here when I ask…What exactly does communal mean?" Noivern asked reluctantly.

"Oh, I know," Lampent rose an arm, before explaining, "You know how you have a car? And you like being alone in it, and you usually are? Well communal is where instead four strangers are also in your car, but one has a knife and the other is butt naked and listening to ska."

Lampent blinked, lingering in the air as if what she just said made any sense…While everyone around them slowly turned to her in baffled silence.

"...Uh, what they meant to say is that you'll all be showering together," Armarouge explained, "it's also already fully stocked with any and all beauty products any of you may need to, especially for the girls," she sent a wink into the crowd, "gotta look out for each other in this industry."

"That implies any amount of eyeliner can cover up some of the disasters around here," Arrokuda snickered, eventually returning the glares being sent his way, including one from the hostess herself. Cramorant, noticing as much, gargled, disrupting the fish. "Hey! Geez, I was just kidding around."

"...Anyway, since we're all caught up here, we can move along!" Armarouge finished, already moving onto the next location, eyeing the centipede out of the corner of her eye as she did so.

While everyone started to follow the hostess though, someone stopped, looking back at the washroom; Sneasel. A smirk formed over the ice-type's face, and after making sure the others were a fair bit ahead, she doubled back to the washrooms.

Ripping the purple bandana off her arm, she wrapped around her face like a makeshift mask, and pulled her headphones over her ears. Hard rock began to blast through them, as she reached behind her, revealing a spray can.

"Now for a little decoration," she chuckled, pressing down on the spray moments later.

"Next, and probably the most important location on the tour...The infirmary!"

Before the campers was a medical tent, considerably larger than the washrooms, though not by much. Inside were several beds of various sizes, cabinets stuffed to the brim with various medical supplies, and a couple of chairs stationed just outside of it for anybody who'd want to wait on the injured.

"Here, our resident medical professional will treat anyone affected by the daily hazards of camp life or by the various challenges you'll be facing over the course of the season. Sprains, dislocations, broken bones, burns, boils, and anything of that sort!" Amarouge chirped out.

"And who would that be, dear?" Noivern questioned, looking over the exterior of the tent in disgust.

"Why none other than-" Armarouge started…Then blinked. "Uh…Wait." She tapped her chin, "Who was it again?"

She looked over at the tent- and standing in the doorway was some sort of…Worm? A green caterpillar to be specific, just…Staring at her. After a moment of prolonged eye contact, the Caterpie rose up her back tail, a thin line of string flying up toward the top of the tent, before pulling her up and out of sight.

"...I'll get back to you on that question," Armarouge eventually responded.

"Uhhhh, w-we aren't gonna have t-to worry about all that, will we?" Gengar asked, rubbing their arm nervously, "C-Cause that all sounds like…A lot."

"Yeah, for us," Fletchinder deadpanned, giving the ghost a glare.

Gloom turned his own perpetual glare on the ghost. "Aren't you already dead?" Gengar merely cringed back with a whimper at the statement, causing the weed to roll his eyes.

"Though, everyone, I do need you all to keep in mind, we have our limits; serious injuries that can not be treated immediately will have to be moved off the island," a frown fell over Armarouge as she shook her head, "in those cases, disqualification will follow due to your immediate evacuation, though I'm sure it'll never come to that."

"Yes, I'm sure whether I get to keep competing will be the first thing I think of if I get torn in half by an Ursaring." Drifblim sarcastically noted, getting a rise out of Scrafty as the two exchanged smiles.

Armarouge, however, looked considerably less amused by the joke. "Just trying to keep you all in the know." Huffing, she turned, "Now, moving on!"

Soon enough, the campers had arrived at their third destination. Notably, one that appeared to be a simple wooden shack. There was a side door, though it appeared to be locked, and a large countertop with a glass window. On the inside of the shack was a variety of items; candies, soft drinks, board games, some articles of clothing, and more. It was sort of like a gift shop, only if...You know, you actually wanted the stuff inside.

"Everyone, perhaps to all of your highest interest, this is the tuck shoppe!" Armarouge explained. "During your free time, you can head over here and buy anything up on the wall to get your mind off the stresses of the game." She leaned in to the closest person to her, who happened to be Arrokuda, "I recommend the cherry taffy."

"Ooooh, we talking sweets now?"

Absol walked up with a smile of her own, "They got some chocolate nutter bars?"

"Dozens," the hostess squeaked, the two grinning at each other like sugar-addled children.

Scolipede slowly leaned in toward the shack, his eyes running along the various items, and eventually landing on a certain package of fireworks. His eyes lit up brightly, a sinister snicker leaving his lips as he whispered, "Now we're talking…" As he approached though, he found himself pulled back, "Hey! Watch it!"

"Nice try," Bisharp grunted out, "but I won't allow you to touch such tools." The centipede rolled his eyes, while the knight turned to Armarouge, "Just to be sure, you have security, right?"

"Yeah, who's gonna be running this place?" Espeon asked in a tone hinting to their true intentions, as he ran his tail along the outside edge and over the locked door. "You surely don't just expect everyone here to live by the honor code, yes?"

"That'll be me!"

Popping up from inside the shack with a smile across their face was an unfamiliar figure; one whose appearance quickly drew the attention of most of the people there. He was an absolute behemoth of a man, wide in girth and terrifyingly tall. His body looked hard as rock, with narrowed red eyes and a cream colored, drill-like horn resting above his snout. Resting atop his head was a little black bowler hat, and wrapped around his neck was a loose red tie.

He definitely gave off a very specific kind of energy.

"...Uh, who the heck is this guy?" Scrafty asked, looking him over in suspicion; he definitely had a vibe she had grown distinctly used to.

"Oh, you don't know who I am? Good, cause I'd be worried if you did!" Laughing, he rose a hand, and with a flick of his wrist, he revealed a business card in his now free hand, holding it out to anybody willing to take it and saying, "Name's Rhydon, as far as any of you need to know! Middle name's business and time is money, you dig?"

"Yeah, I didn't catch a word of that, partner," Dubwool said, shaking her head.

Meanwhile, Luxray actually did take said card, holding up to her face and seeing written in big, bold text:

MISTER "WHO WANTS TO KNOW"
Perfect for when you wanna make a good impression but don't think the sap can read!
WARNING: If they can read, these are kinda useless.

"...Charming," Luxray stated. Rhydon just clicked his tongue and gave the cat a finger gun in response.

"The penultimate stop on our visit, welcome...To the boathouse."

The campers were already inside the new location...And it was about ten times more unappealing than the name would have them believe. It was old, rickety building; every step made the floor creek, and most of the furniture had aged like spoiled milks, with rips and tears in the nearby bed (though, it depended on if you could even call it that, since it was clearly just a mattress with a large red stain across it). The disgusting smell of spoiled meat and fish made standing inside a nightmare on its own, but certainly not helping were all the decorations adorning the room, from vague paintings to a lamp made of bones.

Everyone was uncomfortable. Even the most confident among them, such as Samurott, found it hard being in the room too long. The only ones who looked completely unaffected were Gloom and Scolipede, both of whom held expressions that just screamed, "seen it".

"Okay...But whhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhy?!" Gengar whimpered. "Why to all of this?!"

"Did a serial killer used to live here?" Lampent asked, poking at one of the hanging hooks.

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? Nooooooooooooooooo," Armarouge said for a bit too long, shaking her head erratically…

Which Lampent took as an obvious 'yes', "...Wicked."

"It isn't too bad. I…Kinda like it," Gabite whispered to herself, looking around the room with a strange sorta smile- only for it to disappear, her right hand seemingly shaking on instinct, before clenching. She looked down to see Fred shaking his head at her. She promptly went quiet in shame.

"Seriously though, why's this here?" Cranidos asked impatiently. "Are we gonna have to catch our own food?"

Now that caught Samurott's interest, the water type nodding alone. "Hmmmm."

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh...No, not today at least," Armarouge answered, "this is actually our currently acting disciplinary center." This was enough to catch the rest of the group's attention. "If you're viewed at any point as a danger to yourself or others, break the rules, actively antagonize the hosts or staff members, or attempt to communicate with the outside world, you'll be placed here under super strict supervision."

"Pfft, I'm sorry, what?" Fletchinder asked with a smirk, "You gonna ground us and put us in the timeout corner? Like detention or something?"

"Nah, this is much more similar to juvenile hall, luv," Gloom mumbled, oddly more perplexed by the room than anything. In fact, he almost looked interested in some of what he was seeing.

"I know it's a bit of a strange part of the tour, it just felt too important to leave out," Armarouge explained.

"It's cool, I guess," Druddigon muttered, backing away from one of the hanging hooks, "but…Sorry, just wondering…How are you supposed to keep people in here? The door doesn't have a lock."

"Oh, that's his job!" Armarouge smiled, pointing to the door-

Where somebody was walking in. "Sorry I'm late, friends. But don't worry, I am here!" He was a tall, muscular man- or, well, dolphin. He looked like a sculpted God of a man, both heroic and entirely approachable. He had a red bandana wrapped around his head, and he smiling down at the players.

He was…Quite the handsome gentleman.

Most of the campers felt a blush develop onto their cheeks, as well as Armarouge, who fanned herself with her clipboard with a giggle. "T-This is Palafin."

"H-He's gonna-"

"Don't worry, I can't take it from here!" The man spoke, his words soothing the woman to her core, as he let out a laugh. He struck a brilliant pose, flexing his muscles and exclaiming, "Hello; I am Palafin! And I will not only be running acting as island security, because I am, in fact, a jack of all trades!"

He brought up a toolbox from the floor (seemingly from nowhere), "Construction worker," dropping the toolbox, he then brought up a plunger, "plumber," dropping that, he showed off a sash filled with merit badges, "troop leader," then came the baseball bat and basketball, "physical education coach," he simply ducked out of view of the camera, "and of course..." He reappeared...Only now he was wearing an entire disco get-up, as he threw his pointer finger toward the sky, "professional dancer!"

However, it was fairly obvious most of the girls, and at least half the guys were uh...Focused on other things. Most notably Druddigon, who literally hadn't moved an inch ever since he laid eyes on the man. It was debatable if he was even still breathing.

"Okay, if nobody else is gonna say it, I'll do it," Drifblim said, "this guy isn't real. I refuse this reality."

Palafin laughed boastfully at such a statement. "Nonsense! I'm as real as the building we're standing in!"

"That's not a great sign cause I am very much still figuring out whether or not I'm just hallucinating this place," Arrokuda commented.

"Now then!" Palafin called out. "If any of you ever need absolutely anything, call out to me as you see fit! And I will be there for you! Anything!"

The campers stood in silence...Then Dubwool pulled a dollar bill from her wool. "I want 'ya to take this fiver, pull off that get-up, and show us your pecks again!"

"Moving on!" Armarouge begged, now covering her face with her hands as she tried to lead the group away.

Cyclizar sighed as everyone was motioned out, shaking his head as he turned to Palafin. "You really got a way with people, don't you?"

"It's a gift!"

"And, our final destination of the tour...The main lodge!"

The campers piled into the last area, and sure enough...It was about as bland as the cabins, actually. Before them was a basic dining area, with two long tables capable of hosting over a dozen occupants each. On the far right side of the room was the counter with an opening that led into the kitchen, which was more or less exactly what you'd expect in appearance as well. A chimney laid against the back of the room, and windows lined the left wall alongside the entrance.

"Hmm…Not bad," Bisharp nodded as the campers walked inside.

"Seriously though, why didn't we do this first? It's twenty feet from the cabins," Noivern criticized openly, huffing to himself as he took a seat at one of the tables, "my aching feet feel absolutely exhausted."

Cranidos stomped past the bat, growling, "Seriously, is your job to complain or something?"

"Job?" Noivern asked back, more confused than anything, a fact that rubbed the dinosaur the wrong way.

As the campers scattered across the room, Absol wandered to the counter with a hum, leaning forward to look into the room- And instantly jumped back as something appeared behind it- Snorlax! Just as big and jolly as before.

"Hey guys! Didn't think you'd get back here so quickly!" Snorlax laughed.

"Nice to see you again, Snorlax," Armarouge said, "and as you can all probably tell, he's gonna be in here more often than not."

"Yep! I make three meals a day, and plenty of leftovers!" Snorlax exclaimed. "Or at least that's the goal if I do it right?"

"If you what?" Trumbeak questioned.

"I actually never finished my culinary classes," Snorlax explained with a shrug, "but hey, I think I got the general point. How hard could cooking be?"

The contestants exchanged worried glances.

After a few minutes of collecting themselves and grabbing their food, the campers had quickly made their ways to the tables. Seeing as there were only two tables, the cast divided themselves fairly messily, though it didn't take a scientist to notice that for the most part, contestants found themselves sitting closer to teammates.

"Yo, yo, guys! I'm back," Sneasel called out, walking into the lodge, mask pulled down and body mysteriously stained with paint, "so, what we eating- oof."

Turns out what Sneasel had come back to was what just might be one of the grossest things any of them had ever seen in their lives. The "sloppy joes" were more comparable texture-wise to canned dog food or sewer sludge, and had a grayish color to it.

A chill ran down Gengar's back, as he quickly pushed his food away. "T-Thank goodness I don't have to eat to live...Since-"

"Yeah, we know. Dead. What a surprise." Arrokuda grumbled, snickering to himself before taking a bite out of the burger...And almost immediately gagging, as he hung his mouth out over the edge of the table and tried to hold back whatever was coming back up. "Cram! Turn off the side! I'm gonna upchuck!"

The bird flailed about, flopping onto the floor as the fish struggled, Espeon snickering at the display with a nod. "Huh, so that's what co-dependent incapability looks like."

Someone who was actually eating his food with zero complaints, however, was Scolipede. The bug was taking full advantage of the free meal, pretty much gorging on it as fast as he could, as if it was the first thing he'd eaten in days. He was eating it so fast the rest of his team couldn't but look on, unsure if they were impressed or horrified.

"Woah…" Sneasel whispered, Trumbeak covering her mouth beside the rocker. "Duuuuude! Go, go, go!" Sneasel cheered, pumping her fist as he went at it. Scolipede rolled his eyes at this, though didn't bother snarking about it, instead seemingly eating faster alongside the chanting.

"Yeah, go at it! Suck it down, boy!" Dubwool turned down to her food, screaming, "Here, I'll race 'ya!" Smashing her face into it, Dubwool just as quickly chowed down on her burger, only occasionally twitching from the taste as she dug in desperately to catch up with the iron giant.

As the two practically sucked down their rations, Cranidos shook his head disapprovingly, "So…This is who I'm stuck with." He rolled his eyes. "Great…"

The other table was having its own share of issues, though…

"Okay, I swear, my food just moved," Absol nodded, looking down to see that, indeed, for some strange, incomprehensible reason, the sloppy joe was inching along on the plate in an unnatural manner. Unnatural because it really shouldn't be moving.

And her teammates had...No way of knowing how to react to that. At all.

Scrafty poked at the joe as it began to pass by. Even the mere sensation of being this close to it absolutely made her squirm. "Okay. Nope. Not cool." Her face went green, turning away from it.

"So…What's the plan dealing with that exactly?" Fletchinder questioned, fluttering back a little from the table as to gain some distance.

"Back in my time, when encountering one whose nature we didn't understand, we'd come to two conclusions; slay it, or tame it." Typhlosion began, humming. "Seeing as how it appears harmless, I say we consider the second option."

"Pretty sure that thing isn't good pet-material, or even remotely edible," Luxray said, shaking her head, "I say we burn it. Lampent, you got this?"

Lampent perked up at the order, holding up one of their hands and lighting it aflame, the crazed look in their eye eerily apparent, "Burn…Burn…Burn it to the ground!" They took aim at the sludge and prepared to fire an attack-

Only to be stopped by Druddigon pushing her hand away, "N-No! Why would we do that?!" Druddigon didn't realize it, but he screamed that part, as he noticed the entire room went quiet and was presently staring at him. With a shiver, he shrunk back and coughed into his fist. As the room returned to normal, he clarified, "I-I just mean...There are people here. I don't think a fire is a good idea."

Lampent blinked, turning to Luxray, who soon shrugged it off, "Fair enough." Noticing the lamp's confusion, she stated, "Down." The lamp sighed sadly.

"I-It's still moving!" Absol muttered, watching as it began to pull itself off her plate-

Just as a knife slammed down into it, a nasty squish sounding off and a literal leak of grey sludge spraying across the table directly onto Scrafty. The retail worker stared in horror, her eyes slowly adjusting to look over herself, her breathing picking up rapidly as she began to shake violently.

Everyone followed the knife to see Gloom, having leaned across the table to personally end the beast's life. The sloppy joe twitched...Then laid still. Gloom pulled the knife out and shook his head. "The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence," he whispered, before sitting back down and beginning to eat, as if that didn't just happen.

His teammates had no words for the grass-type, Druddigon especially looking too scared to even speak at the moment.

Scrafty eventually broke the silence. "...I-I…Am going…To go wash off…" She stomped away from the table, upper body shaking, eyes twitching.

As Scrafty ran out the door, she passed by a shocked, confused Bidoof, who looked over the scene...And quickly decided to not question whatever that was. "So, how's everyone enjoying dinner?"

Scolipede and Dubwool burped in response, as an unimpressed Espeon shrugged with a smug look. "I've had worse."

"Anyway, now that you know the campgrounds, I'll give you all the rest of the night to enjoy them. With that said, I expect you all up and ready to go at exactly seven AM for your first challenge! Some of you are younger, so hopefully that ain't too tall an asking price." After a moment passed, it appeared no disagreements echoed through the room. "Cool, see you in the morning then, campers!" Bidoof called, walking out the entrance with a smile.

"What do you think he'll have us do?" Gabite asked weakly.

"It can't be, like, too hard, right?" Sneasel mused, shrugging to herself with a smile.

"I wouldn't jinx it if I were you," Luxray stated from the next table, catching the girl's attention, "you never know when that sorta talk is gonna bite you in the ass, especially when up against me!"

Such a threat made the two flinch back, as the lioness chuckled; she hadn't been seriously about anything, but hey, psyching out the competition never hurts. Though…After a moment of looking over the table, she realized something, "...Hey, speaking of asses, where's Samurott?"

Everyone looked up at this, looking around both tables; sure enough, the water type had seemingly disappeared. "Well that's freaky," Salazzle judged, narrowing her glare.

"He was definitely with us for the tour," Druddigon nodded, tapping his chin, "where'd he go."

"If he wants to run off without dinner, fine by me," Scolipede grumbled, "means I get his share."

"N-Not if I get it…F-First, boy!" Dubwool spat, burping again as she let out a groan. "Alright, slowing down…Ugh."

Trumbeak, an actual member of Samurott's team, was considerably more annoyed. "Wherever he is, he better have gotten something. I refuse to have anyone falling behind on the first challenge."

"Yeah, yeah, challenge this and all that," Luxray shrugged, getting up and beginning to walk away from the table.

"Where are you going?" Druddigon asked.

"Its the first night on a freaking island; I don't care what you guys are doing, but I'm making the most of it." She smirked. "I'm grabbing some marshmallows from the shop, and having myself a bonfire."

"That…Actually sounds kinda nice," Growlithe smiled, "I'm in."

"Hell yeah, me too!" Sneasel agreed.

And soon enough, the whole lodge was in on it, most of them piling out of the room without even bothering to finish their food. Only two remained; Gengar and Cyclizar, the latter glancing between the leaving players and the food.

"You guys seriously don't think you should eat a bit more?" Cyclizar called out. But of course, they ignored him. Figures. He groaned. "Fine, whatever…" He glanced at Gengar. "You joining them?"

"N-No way! Gengar squeaked. "I-I'm just gonna go to bed…Try to forget today ever happened…"

The ghost proceeded to float away, and like that…Cyclizar was alone. With his food. He groaned, rubbing his face and glaring.

"This sucks…" he sighed out. He poked at his plate with a fork, moving his food out of the way, and for the briefest moment, he caught his reflection in the plate. He cringed back slightly, then lowered his head, "...Yet, it's what's happening…"

He got up from his seat, and proceeded to walk out as well. He was gonna at least try and catch up with the others.

Samurott breathed out a sigh of relief, his body slumping against a tree as he took a moment to relax for the first time in hours. He turned toward the sky, watching as the last specks of sunlight disappeared, instead replaced by the fragile gaze of the moon. A smile grew; it was a faint one, but certainly there, before taking a quick bite of a berry he had plucked on his way over.

He wasn't far from the campground, only a few trees out. Had he the time, he'd have spent the day constructing a base for himself. He had never felt particularly comfortable living out of something he hadn't personally made, at least in recent years, but without that time, a tree would do him well enough for the night.

Reclining against the branch, he laid his head against the trunk. These mons were…Fine. Not the sort he'd talk to, but he can tolerate them. That's good enough.

Yet as he laid there, he couldn't help but notice in the distance, around where the beach seemed to be…There was a light.

Embers simmered in the air, the freshly made campfire sitting along the edge of the beach as waves came in. The campers were sitting around the fire on the logs they had gathered from the bonfire pit, a decision that would no doubt get them yelled at by the time morning came around.

As the sun set in the distance, a light blue tint fell over the area, the orange light surrounding the cast illuminating them as they slowly looked over each other. The day was over…This was real. They were actually on this island, competing for money…

Money only one of them was taking home come the end of the Summer.

And yet, that didn't matter in the moment; none of it did. The teams, the challenges to come, the politics that'd come with strategy and the drama that'd come with it. They'd face plenty in the future, but right now…They were basking in the warmth of the only light in sight. They were eating marshmallows. And they were relaxing…

Together.

"Alright, people," Luxray called out, sitting up with a smile, "I feel a toast is in order."

"Great, more monologuing," Salazzle rolled her eyes, only shutting up when she felt a nudge from Lampent.

Luxray gave the lizard a quick look, before saying, "So look, maybe this island sucks-"

"And the staff seem to barely know what they're doing," Fletchinder added with a faint smile.

Stifling a laugh, the lioness nodded, "Yeah, but hey; this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. And I don't know about any of you, but I'm not letting it go to waste just cause things aren't perfect." The cast couldn't help but smile at such words, as Luxray gave them a grin, "So, I don't know about all of you, but when things get real tomorrow, instead of regretting it, I say…Bring it on!"

Sneasel stood up, holding her marshmallow up high and cheering, "To Total Drama!"

"Total Drama!" Everyone called out as well, laughing to themselves as they embraced this newfound comradery, no matter how brief. Tomorrow, it was war…But for now, they'll enjoy the peace…

Or at least…Most of them will, as scanning the crowd, his eyes glowing no matter how briefly, was Espeon. He chuckled lowly to himself, before snacking on the marshmallow in his hand.

"Thinking about something?" Scolipede asked him, a bored glare on his face.

"Maybe. Maybe not." Espeon flickered a smirk at the bug. "Who wants to know?"

"No one." The centipede replied, snorting and walking away. Espeon continued to look on, humming to himself as he continued to slowly look over the campfire.

Eventually, Scrafty herself finally arrived at the bonfire, having washed off the mess and calmed down a bit. Growlithe noticed as much, offering a smile. "Feeling a bit better?"

"...Sure, let's go with that," Scrafty grumbled out. She took a moment just…Basking in the fire. It was helping…A little bit. She sighed, "Man, I really thought I could away from stress out here. I'm such a dumbass."

"Hey, that's no way to talk about yourself," Growlithe interjected.

"Dude, I'm not being that serious, just-" she wiped her face, "...It's a lot. And it's different. Get me?"

"Uhhhhhh…Maybe?" Growlithe shrugged. "Honestly, this isn't that different from how I usually spend my time. Only…I'm doing it with others, not by myself."

"Sounds lonely," Scrafty commented without thinking, "...Eh, I can relate." She stifled a smile. "Cheers to not dealing with that at least…"

"Cheers indeed!" Growlithe barked, smiling ear to ear, and from here, that was oddly infectious to Scrafty.

…And to someone else; Cyclizar. Watching them talk, and everyone else for that matter…Well, Scrafty was right in describing it as "different". Only in this case, it's because he hadn't anticipated being here, close up. He had expected to be behind the cameras, not in front of them. And he'd be lying if he claimed to be super comfortable with how things were working out.

But seeing everyone trying to take in the first night, embracing whatever the future holds…Well, maybe it won't be as bad as he thought…Maybe.

Armarouge appeared in front of the camera, only now, she was in a far different space than any we had seen prior. And likely for good reason; she was sitting in a narrow wooden outhouse, with many inappropriate images carved into the back wall, and a gross sort of moss growing off in the bottom right corner. It was certainly not an appealing sight, both to look at, and no doubt to be inside of.

"This is the outhouse confessional," Armarouge began explaining, "here, campers will have some time to themselves to say whatever's on their mind, talk strategy, or simply give them a chance to get away from everything going on outside."

Bidoof had now replaced her, giving the camera a smirk. "And of course talk about that juicy gossip. The perfect place to sh*t talk without expense." He laughed. "This is gonna be good!"

Cyclizar scratched the back of his head, then gave the camera a wave, "Uh…Hey. I'm Cy. And…I guess this is it. I'm here now. Competing, just like I originally planned… Don't get me wrong, I was happy with my job, but…Now…Now if I win…" He frowned, "...I'll be able to pay them all back for…Everything…" He sighed…Then nodded, "I gotta take the opportunity. This was a gift…E-Even if I'm not great at accepting those for…A variety of reasons really, I can't just go and waste it."

"I may not have been here to compete, but now that I am," he punched an open palm, "I'm giving it everything I got."

Absol glanced around the room a moment, shaking her head as she turned back to the camera with a sheepish grin. "So...I have something to admit...I sorta have this whole...Thing, going on. That sorta makes life a little difficult at points. It's...Well, my doctor described it as, 'supernaturally, unexplainable bad luck'."

"It runs in my family- well, my mom's side of the family, and it got passed down to me. Hopefully the others haven't noticed just yet...People tend to freak out when they find out, not that I can blame them," she threw on a smile, "but hey, it can't be so bad! Everyone here seems great! I just gotta keep smiling and face the game with a smile."

She turned to leave...Only to realize the door had locked. Her eyes went wide, and she tried to pull it open again- only for the whole door to come off, flopping onto the outside. "...Oops."

Bisharp was seated, her arms folded in front of her, a hardened glare on her face as she stared down the camera like a statue. It was unnerving to say the least. "I am Bisharp. I come from Aspertia Town…" She shrugged. "That's all you need to know. I'm going to win this show."

She turned away from the camera. She had decided she was done talking.

"So, back home, I may or may not have like…Six-ish jobs," Scrafty admitted…Before adding, "and I may or may not have been fired from all of them in the last month. I paid my rent in advance but lowkey this is kind of a last case scenario, go for the gold kinda thing so I don't get kicked out onto the street…" Her eyes twitched. "...N-No pressure…"

"But man this is a lot already! I am not an outdoors girl! At all!" She screamed out. "When I thought we were going to a resort, I could at least pretend to relax maybe, but now I'm gonna be in the heat, outside, all Summer…Ugh." She smacked herself in the face. "No! Focus! I'm already here, I can do this…Just gotta get in the right mindset. You faked it till you made it in every job interview you've ever had, you can do that here!" She let out a heavy breath…Then nodded. "Okay…Let's do this."

"Y'know, even through the few mishaps that happened earlier, the day is really great so far," Growlithe grinned at the camera, "everyone here is just so…Unique. And that's great! When you spend as much time as I do going from place to place, I sorta tend to…Not meet others." He laughed, looking off. "I'd be lying if I said it didn't get a little…Lonely. I might be a bit out of practice. But I guess that's part of the adventure!"

Sitting back in his seat, he looked up in thought, "Compared to my other outings, this is super different. I think I like that. It's the opposite of what I ordinarily would do or see if I stuck to just traveling, so here's hoping I can get far and see more new things happen along the way!"

Fletchinder nestled into the confessional, rolling her eyes as she blew a stray feather out of her face. "Well…This kinda sucks. I'm at a Summer camp without my games; who am I, a caveman?" She groaned…Though reinforced a smile. "...But hey, I'm stuck here, so…May as well try and make the best of it? Besides, not like I could afford the lawsuit if I flew back." She cringed. "Yeah, that ain't happening."

She smirked, "Besides, Bidoof may think taking away my gadgets is gonna mess me up or something, but that's all the more motivation to prove him wrong. And trust, when I'm motivated by spite , I'm just stubborn enough to make it a jerk like that's problem." She laughed, flapping out her wings and exclaiming, "Game on!"

"Yeah, I kinda had to strongarm the interviewing guys to let me and Cramorant play as a pair," Arrokuda began, "cause like…C'mon, how am I supposed to get around otherwise? I ain't jumping in a bucket of water or some sh*t and being dead weight."

Cramorant gargled in argument.

Arrokuda patted his beak. "That's very kind o' you to say, pal." The two exchanged a quick nod, then Arrokuda continued. "So yeah, me and Cram are taking this game by the dang horns! We're riding this puppy to the finish line together, just try and stop us! We're a dynamic duo! The terrible twosome! The…Uh-"

Cramorant gargled.

"Yeah! That third thing!" Arrokuda laughed. "Good thinking, bud."

"People like to get all mad at me all the time for speaking my mind and getting sh*t done, but it's not my fault everyone just loves acting fake and wasting time," Scolipede grumbled, "but hey, their loss. I'd bet I'm the realest f*cker out here by a country mile; I've seen sh*t that'd send most of these assholes crying home to mommy, and frankly, I ain't leaving this dump without that cash in hand."

Snorting, he leaned back and scowled at the camera, "Every day I'm out here is just another test; one that's asking how low I'm willing to go for a chance to make up for all the crap I've had to put up with all my life. And let me tell you; I'm f*cking bringing it. These guys wanna get in my way? Then they can ready themselves for a throwdown, one where I'm going all out!"

Hucking a loogie of poison at the wall, he watched it start to melt through before turning a glare on the camera, "Game's on, punks; either get your head in it, or don't go whining when you get knocked out!"

Sneasel had a mask over her face, spraying a quick skull and crossbones onto the back of the confessional with a can of spraypaint. As soon as her little art piece was done, she let out a laugh, showing it off to the camera, "Check it out; totally making this place my own little sanctuary." She looked over the space, tapping her chin, "If I can grab myself some Christmas lights and some wicked posters, this place could be a chill hang out pad."

Laughing to herself, she pulled down the bandana and gave the camera a sheepish smile, "Honestly, dudes, I don't really got much of a plan for how I'm gonna handle this thing; sure, my bud Dante told me I probably should," she quickly smacked her chest and threw up a peace sign, "miss you by the way, man," then returned to saying, "but like, that isn't my style. I take life by the horns and see what happens, y'know? It's my vibe."

After a moment though, she couldn't help but cringe in realization, turning back to the graffiti art she styled, and saying, "Hey, like…You don't think they'll be mad about this, right?"

Noivern glanced around the confessional in disgust, folding his arms and glaring at the camera in defiance. "Ugh…It feels as though I'm already at my wit's end with this horrid place! It's so…Dirty, and not in the refined, approachable manner of a flower garden or a quaint rainy day." He grew deadpan. "It's more accurate to compare it to a dying dog in truth."

"With that said, I suppose this little shack is…Somewhat preferable. I do enjoy not having to deal with any of those extras being near my vicinity. After all, I do deserve some time for myself, for having to…" He shuddered. "Sleep in that awful bed." Recomposing himself, he sighed…Then smiled, "But it'll all be worth it in due time, when I show these plebeians the makings of a true champion…"

"Heeeeeeeeeey, somebody decorated this thing! Neat. Shoulda gotten here earlier, probably coulda helped." Lampent waved at the camera strangely, their whole body shifting back and forth like a pendulum while they offered a smile, "Anyway, I'm Lampent. I'm pretty happy with my life; no real drama or anything. I've traveled anywhere and everywhere under the sun, learning all sorts of new things about the world and myself. It's cool."

"But eventually I realized I've never been on tv before, which I thought was kinda weird," they added, slowly turning their attention downwards, as if in thought, "so…Yeah, this is kinda like a bucket list sorta thing for me. I want to have fun and make the most out of this opportunity. To me, that's all that matters…And collecting some sick souvenirs."

Trumbeak pecked at the camera, narrowing a look as she said, "Does the red light mean it's on. Oh, whatever; you better get this though," the bird squawked out an "ahem", leaning back in a posh, preppy manner as she readied a condescending glare, "everyone here is infuriating . When I had arrived I had hoped that maybe I'd find people who could compare even a bit to me, but instead I got disappointment."

"Oh well, guess I'll have to settle on an easy win," Trumbeak shrugged, "shouldn't be too hard to get these mons in line. And if they make it a problem, I have zero issue straightening them out." She folded her wings. "I'm winning this game, and I'm not letting any of them stop me."

"I hate this stupid island," Cranidos screamed, smashing his hind legs against the confessional as he began to seeth in place, "it's gross, and annoying, and everyone here is freaking stupid , and…And…" He let out a primal roar, headbutting the wall- and putting a hole straight through it.

He breathed in, then sat down, hanging his head, "Everyone out here treats me like I'm some nobody, like…Like I'm just a kid ," Cranidos spat, baring his teeth, "who the Hell do they think they are?! I obviously got onto this show for a reason, the last thing they should do is underestimate me." Scoffing, he folded his tiny arms, muttering to himself, "Whatever…I'll show them." He glared at the camera, stating with determination, "I'll show them all."

"E-Everyone always assumes that because I'm a ghost, I'm just…Magically free of having to worry about the world," Gengar muttered, before pointing at the camera, "b-but they're wrong! I-I can still get hurt! Things can be scary?! Why can't anybody see that?! Why is everyone so judgy?!"

Gengar was breathing heavily, leaning against the wall and listening outside to see if anyone was peeping on him. After he was substantially comfortable, he turned to the camera with an anxious sigh, "W-Why did I even sign up for this...I can't win this sorta show! Everyone here is so much bigger, or scarier, or meaner, or all three! I can't compete with that!"

"I just wanted to get away from home, but I found something just as bad, only at least there I knew the people who were tormenting me…" Whimpering, he rocked back and forth pathetically, "What am I gonna do? I can't trust anybody, they're all plotting against me right now! I just know it!"

"I reckon joining this thing has already become the greatest decision I've ever made, ya'll!" Dubwool bragged to the camera, cackling and explaining, "Back home, it was usually always the same ol' routine, morning to night, always goshdarn working the fields. I was sick of it, and I ain't getting any younger either, so I really needed something new and refreshin' to pop into my life. And then, boom, this thing hits me like a slap to the face!"

She gave the camera a coy look, "Now, does that mean this is all gonna be a bunch of fun and games for me? …Pfft! Nah! You kiddin'?! This is a competition, boys and gals! All's fair in love and war, and I don't know 'bout ya'll, but I play to win! And win…I shall do!" Out of the blue, she full-on headbutted the camera, cracking it down the middle as she laughed uproariously, "Game on! Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehaw!"

Salazzle triple-checked that nobody was nearby before closing the confessional...And immediately slumped forward with a groan. "May I say, it's been exhausting to keep this up all day. With that said," she flashed a smile, "hello everybody; glad to be showing you all the real me, away from the cameras…Well, more accurately away from all of them ."

"Y'know, I thought it'd be hard keeping up a role as long as I am, but these guys are making it surprisingly easy with how frustrating they all are," Salazzle pulled out a file and began using it on her claws, her eyes turning toward the camera. After a moment, a wicked smirk formed, "not that I mind, of course. If they're going to be making each other's lives Hell for me for free, who am I to judge?" Flashing her claws, she looked them over with a hum, "After all, that just gives me more ammunition to work with so I can commit to the part."

She chuckled to herself, before nodding, "When I signed up for this, I did so with one intention; prove to the world I'm the best actress in the world." Her grin only grew wider as she leaned back and flipped her head away from the camera, "This is the role of a lifetime , and I promise you, I won't be wasting it." She giggled, "Annnnnnnd... Cut! Next scene!"

Samurott stared at the camera in silence...Then shrugged. "Hmph."

"Yes siree, we're in like the Sugar Plum Fairy infiltrating enemy lines!" Fred celebrated, flopping his body about on Gabite's arm.

"Y-Yaaaaaaaay," Gabite celebrated.

"Hell yeah! Now that we're in though, there's no time to celebrate! We gotta bring home that dough!" Fred celebrated. "I'm here to win this thing!"

"...Y-You mean, we're here to win...Right?" Gabite questioned.

" Yeah! Yeah, sure. But to win, we gotta make sure the other guys lose! And lose bad! Lose so bad they go crying home to their mommies! And that's exactly what we're gonna do..." Without a moment of hesitation, Fred broke out into a horrifying cackle, Gabite shrinking back as she hopelessly tried to match the puppet's tone, her eyes shifting toward the camera in fear.

Drifblim was slouched forward, a dull look on his face as he flipped the roll of toilet paper, watching the paper drip toward the ground as he turned toward the camera, "All these guys are super overthinking everything if you ask me; like, yeah, it's a game or whatever, but everyone's acting so tense . It's like…Get over it."

"But whatever, they can overcomplicate themselves into an early grave if they want, ain't no skin off my back," he shrugged, before humming out, "and besides, it'll just make things easier for me. Sure, I doubt they like me, but I ain't a threat, and that offers me a nice opportunity to weasel my way into a good spot early on. Some of these dudes definitely are gonna play hard to try and get some alliances going, and I'm sure they'll happily take me in thinking I'll be a pawn…Which like, sure, I will be. Whatever gets me to the end, dude."

He chuckled lazily, leaning back with his arms around his balloon body, "Yeah, I'm here to play, no biggie. And sure, I'd rather not deal with all the work , but there's a lotta money on the line. And besides, I'll get in my naps when I can…" He yawned, muttering, "Speaking of…" He laid back, and soon began snoring.

"As the only resident here who received the honor of seeing the original times of greatness identified by my people and our numerous victories, I feel almost indebted to perform to my utmost capabilities," Typhlosion declared, standing in the confessional, hand on her sword, "I'm here to represent my nation's honor and define our principles with discipline and truth."

"And until I can prove myself worthy of the champion of Total Drama title come the end of this game, I will ensure that no tomfoolery take place amongst my newfound 'peers', as they say," Typhlosion unsheathed her sword, holding it aloft, "this I swear!"

"You know…This game seems like it'll be fun…" Espeon started, a crooked smirk on his face. "Everybody's just the right mix of gullible and narcissistic; perfect for any trashy tv show, and to mess with if given the opportunity." His eyes began to glow, and the lightbulb above him began to shake. "Good luck everyone, because I'm not holding back."

And after a moment, it shook hard enough that it exploded, the confessional masked by darkness, with the exception a single smile.

"Oh what the Hell? Who turned out the lights! Man…Hang on." Jolting up her mane, Luxray surged electricity through her, lighting it back up. "Alright, better. I'll tell 'em to get this fixed for the next guy." She snorted, turning away with a glare. "Doesn't really surprise me that something in here was broken though; this place really keeps surprising me with how…Off it is."

She sighed under her breath, narrowing a glare and saying "Don't get me wrong, I knew joining this would be weird, and I knew I'd probably have to deal with something I haven't seen before; I mean, I'm not exactly a stranger to overcoming insane obstacles. Trust me, I've dealt with plenty. But I don't know, something about this island feels off, between the weird staff and some of the players, there's tension in the air…"

"I just…Have this really bad feeling that something is seriously up behind the scenes of this place," she mumbled, but after a moment, her gaze hardened into one of confidence, "doesn't mean I won't be taking this game seriously, though. Bad feeling or not…I'm here to win. So c'mon, island; give me everything you got!"

"I don't think I made the best first impression with everyone at the dock," Druddigon admitted, "but honestly, when do I ever? I think most people tend to assume the worst in me, and I can't really blame them. I'm not exactly the most social person in the world...Or the most appealing to look at. I wouldn't be surprised if everyone here is scared of me or something."

"It doesn't help that...Just...I know Gloom," Druddigon muttered, his expression straightening as he growled, "from before the show, and he...He's bad news. I don't know what he's doing here, or if he's recognized me. I hope he hasn't...I wanna figure out what's going on, though, before I tell anyone. All I know is whatever reason he has to have signed up for this sorta game...No way was it for good reasons."

The confessional went to static...Then reappeared for just a moment, revealing Gloom now sitting there. His expression was cold and lazy, his head barely lifted, as he said, "I hope this is as easy as it should be…I really do. For their sake."

The confessional abruptly cut out...

While the contestants partied at the beach or had their confessionals though, someone else was keeping themselves busy. Armarouge was hanging around behind the main lodge, talking on the phone, a small smile on her face.

"So, how was the first day?"

"It was great," Armarouge said into her phone, "there was a little bit of an awkward moment when I first got here, but I think it smoothed out."

"Good. Let me know if you have any trouble."

"You got it!" Armarouge chirped. "...O-Oh, and sis?"

"Yeah?"

"...Thanks for helping me have this chance."

"...No problem." The phone hung up.

Armarouge sighed, pocketing her phone back away as she turned to leave- only to find herself walking right into Bidoof, the beaver staring her down with a glare. "Oh! H-Hi boss! Sorry, was just talking to someone."

"Mhmm…" Bidoof nodded, looking her over, his expression hard as a rock. It was…Oddly a little intimidating. Sure, the fluffy face and bucktooth didn't make its full effect work or anything, but it was more effective than she had expected.

After a moment, she let out a sigh, giving him a smile, "So, I just wanted to say…I know I wasn't exactly in your plans-"

"No kidding," Bidoof rolled his eyes.

"But you've been very accommodating to me in spite of that; giving me the tour responsibility must have been a tough call without knowing me, and I appreciate that," she continued, "so…I hope that, despite the rough start, that maybe we can be friends-"

"Let me stop you there," Bidoof interjected, "the only reason I gave you the tour was because I had to talk to the producers."

Armarouge flinched, "O-Oh. Well, that's understandable-"

"And I wanted you to f*ck it up!"

Armarouge paled in horror at this. "What?!"

"The producers are being insistent that you stay here, and I wanted to show them why you shouldn't, yet of course you apparently did 'fine' to them," Bidoof grumbled, "way to go! You couldn't just get yourself thrown out of here so I can have the show?!"

"I-I don't understand, why're you-"

"This is my show!" Bidoof stated. "Mine! I pitched it! Me! I had a direct hand in choosing players! I put together the crew! That was all me. This is supposed to be my career break and then suddenly they're hoisting you onto me and I've just gotta deal with!"

"I…I…" Armarouge glared. "I'm sorry, but that isn't right! I deserve to be here too!"

"Yeah, maybe on a different show far from here," Bidoof glared, "but this? All this? You and nobody else in this industry are going to take this away from me! I'm having my big break, and you won't get in my way!"

"...And what if I do?"

"Then you'll wish I had convinced the producers to fire you…" He threatened…Then threw on his camera-ready grin. "Anyway…Goodnight!"

Bidoof trotted off, leaving his co-host standing there, utterly baffled. Though quickly, Armarouge steadied herself, letting out a breath then glaring. "Yeah…Goodnight."

Luxray hummed aloud as she scanned the selection of the tuck shoppe. At the moment, nothing was particularly jumping out to her. "Do you guys got anything in the back? We're outta marshmallows."

"Sorry, doll, but that's all we had; rest are reserved for reasons," Rhydon shrugged, "but hey, check back in tomorrow if you don't get eliminated to see what we got stocked...Well, I guess that is a big 'if', but hey, it is how it is."

Luxray gave him a deadpan look in response, before rolling her eyes and facepalming. The lioness began to walk away from the shop...Though found herself stopping upon spotting something, or someone, walking into the woods on the other side of camp. A certain weed with a temper; Gloom.

"The Hell is he doing? Was he not at the beach with everyone else?" she thought to herself, closing in a bit.

She watched him disappear among the brush, though before he was fully out of sight, she watched him look back, as if scanning to see if anyone was around him. After a few seconds, he walked off. "Must not have seen me...But I sure as Hell saw him," she smirked at her thoughts, "thank you, nightvision."

Scowling, Luxray broke into a sprint, dashing across the campground as fast as the eye could see. Dragging across the ground, she landed at the edge of camp, and without a second though, began to quietly sulk through it, searching for the mysterious plant. But to her discomfort, the trees were thick and the foliage hard to navigate. Even her x-ray vision, a natural ability for her species, barely helped; all it allowed is for her to see the next few trees before they were in front of her.

As she walked through though...She heard someone.

"Just stay quiet, and don't be seen. And never, and I repeat, never do anything without my permission beforehand, got it?"

"Wait...Is that Gloom?" Luxray thought. "Who's he talking to out here?" Moving in closer, Luxray found where she thought the voices were coming from. Breathing in, she mentally prepared herself...Then lept out!

Only to find nothing. Just a thin, gravel path going through the trees. Nothing out of the ordinary. She glanced around, and prepared to turn to look up-

"Why were you following me, girlie?" Luxray jumped, looking behind her to see Gloom glaring at her, his impatience practically palpable. "It's dangerous this time of night, you know? Really should be preparing for bed."

"I can say the same to you," she replied, before asking, "and who the Hell were you talking to?"

Gloom scoffed, already turning tail and walking back to camp, "Wouldn't you like to know."

"Damn right, I would," Luxray growled, though didn't make a move as he walked away. Instead, she turned her eyesight back toward the top of the trees...Nothing. "Seriously, where the heck did the other one go?" Shaking her head, Luxray ran after Gloom, her scowl settling in response to the scene moments before, as she mentally agreed with herself to head back to camp.

Little was she aware of the eyes watching her within the vast jungle...

CAST UPDATE

Ferocious Blastoise: Absol, Arrokuda (and Cramorant), Drifblim, Espeon, Lampent, Samurott, Scrafty, and Trumbeak.

Killer Charizard: Cranidos, Druddigon, Fletchinder, Gabite, Gloom, Luxray, Scolipede, and Sneasel.

Screaming Venusaur: Bisharp, Cyclizar, Dubwool, Gengar, Growlithe, Noivern, Salazzle, and Typhlosion.

The Cast of Total Pokémon Island

Absol (Marianne Pechman), the Disaster Magnet
Arrokuda & Cramorant (Adam Ramsey & Jasper Benelli), the Best Friends
Bisharp (Oliva Baumer), the Soldier
Cranidos (Calvin Black), the Temperamental
Cyclizar (Cyrus McCarley), the Independent
Drifblim (Scout Moynhian), the Slacker
Druddigon (Maddox "Dax" Spiotto), the Gentle Giant
Dubwool (Michelle "Chelly" Kent), the Cowgirl
Espeon (Jubei Leblanc), the Mentalist
Fletchinder (Claire Thompson), the Gamer
Gabite (Violet Caputo), the Ventriloquist
Gengar (Leopold Hardie), the Paranoiac
Gloom (Gerald Grayson), the Apathetic
Growlithe (Blaiyke Siegmund), the Explorer
Lampent (Doran Chaplin), the Drifter
Luxray (Rayna Diaz), the Overachiever
Noivern (Sorrel Chapman), the Regal
Salazzle (Angela Duke), the Actress
Samurott (Rassah Dmitriev), the Survivalist
Scolipede (Axel Droog), the Punk
Scrafty (Tracey Casentini), the Retail Worker
Sneasel (Amanda Niccals), the Rocker
Trumbeak (Shelby Flynn), the Perfectionist
Typhlosion (Joan Sullivan), the Knight

TPReboot: Total Pokemon Island - Chapter 1 - TPReboot (2024)

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