Episode 2

Season Three

Presenter: Answer uncertainly, and you might have wasted your guess. Think carefully, think logically. It’s really second nature – Who is the PokéMole?

Day 4

Presenter: The Contestants were told to assemble at the Blackthorn City Cyber Café, following their early arrival at Blackthorn City that morning. Once there, they learn details about their next challenge.

Presenter: Well Contestants, you probably guessed what was coming today – the PKMN.NET quiz. You will all be given twenty minutes to browse the Emerald section of the PKMN.NET (a lot of which is written by that fantastic Admin, Typhlosion), during which time you must remember as much as you can, as well as devise your own question. We will then sort you into alphabetical order, and you will each ask and answer a question. Eight of you must correctly answer your questions in order to pass the challenge. However, there is a twist. If one, and only one of you, answers your question correctly, you will earn an Exemption – a free pass into the next episode. Anyway, passing this challenge will earn you 5,000 for the prize fund. Now, if you’d each like to take to your computers’, your twenty minutes begins… now.

Presenter: The questions’ the Contestants come up with are:

Presenter: It may also be worth noting not all information is currently available on PUK, and is currently sitting half-completed on Typhlosion’s laptop. Anyway, once all the questions have been devised, the Contestants reassemble and begin to quiz each other:

Corsola: Okay, Jumpluff, what item is needed to obtain a Pichu with the move Volt Tackle?

Jumpluff: I’m pretty sure it’s a Light Ball.

Presenter: That answer is correct. Good start. Jumpluff, you shall now question Loudred.

Jumpluff: Okay, who is the Leader of the Battle Tower?

Loudred: Oh, for gods’ sake... Lucy?

Presenter: I’m afraid that’s incorrect. The answer was Anabel. The remaining seven of you must now answer all your questions correctly to pass the challenge, but in doing so will guarantee Loudred is exempt from the Elimination in two days time. The choice is yours, and the question is for Miltank:

Loudred: Get this wrong and your IQ matches that of a spade…What is the new PokéNav function called?

Miltank: Easy. The Match Call.

Presenter: Correct. Miltank?

Miltank: Porygon, what is automatically obtained after defeating the Pokémon League?

Porygon: Am I right in believing the answer is the National Dex?

Presenter: Indeed you are. Now it’s your turn to ask Psyduck.

Loudred: *Groan*

Porygon: Which Pokémon does Steven use first when he helps you to battle Team Magma?

Psyduck: Psy o.O. Yy, yy, di... Metang?

Presenter: Good guess. Now ask Tangela.

Psyduck: Ask Tangela what?

Presenter: … Your question?

Psyduck: Ooooh, where can Mareep be caught?

Tangela: Well, two places, but I assume you mean the Safari Zone.

Presenter: So far so good. Your turn.

Tangela: Torkoal, who is the tourist-like person who lives in the Battle Frontier?

Torkoal: I think he’s called Scott.

Presenter: Two questions to go. Umbreon to answer.

Torkoal: Which Pokémon can be caught exclusively in Artisan Cave?

Umbreon: … Smeargle?

Presenter: Sorry Umbreon, you’ll have to speak up.

Umbreon: SMEARGLE?

Presenter: Well… erm… yes, you’re right, I think? The last question please…

Umbreon: In the Battle Frontier, Greta gives which symbol to the Frontier Pass?

Corsola: I think all the starting letters are the same, so that’d make it the Guts symbol.

Presenter: You are right, and now we have eight answers out of nine, you have passed the fourth task out of four, maintaining your 100% record and taking the prize fund to 25,000. I would like you to meet me here again tomorrow. Have a nice day.

Corsola: Loudred was very clever today. Earning an exemption whilst also putting the rest of us under pressure to pass the challenge. Very smart.

Jumpluff: Another quiet day for the PokéMole it seems. I have a feeling he or she will be out for revenge in these next few days.

Loudred: Well, we passed the challenge anyway and I’m guaranteed to be in Episode 3. Not a bad days work.

Miltank: I had a sneaky glance at what my suspect was doing during the twenty minutes. Let’s just say I wasn’t aware people were flexible enough to get into those positions.

Porygon: Open data log. The PokéMole must have tried sabotage by now? Right? Close data log.

Psyduck: I have no idea who the PokéMole is.

Tangela: Umbreon seemed a little stressed today, especially when it shouted. Stress of being the PokéMole?

Torkoal: Yet again, Tangela’s leadership skills worry me. He’s very smart.

Umbreon: I can’t believe I shouted. Everyone thinks I’m weird now. It’s not fair.

Day 5

Presenter: The Contestants have once again assembled at the Blackthorn City Cyber Café – just as well, since that’s what they were asked to do.

Presenter: Well Contestants, today’s challenge is rather sneakily called Anagrams, and in a strange twist, it happens to be about anagrams, only this time, we’ve made the challenge slightly better than in previous series’. In a moment, I will ask you to divide into two set teams – one containing five of you, the other containing the other four. You will then each face the same five anagrams, and whichever group works out the most anagrams within the one minute time limit, will win the game. However, there is a twist. Previously today, the PokéMole made a prediction as to which team he or she thinks will lose the game. If the PokéMole is right, he or she will win, and you will not earn the 5,000 available for this challenge. The team of five will consist of Corsola, Loudred, Miltank, Torkoal and Umbreon. The team of four will consist of Jumpluff, Porygon, Psyduck and Tangela. You will all work individually, but this will be a group effort overall. If you’d all like to take to your computers, your one minute begins… now.

Presenter: What the Contestants don’t know is that the PokéMole previously predicted that it would be the team of four who failed. This means that unless the team of four wins the game, the group will fail the challenge. The anagrams the Contestants have to solve are shown below:

Presenter: After only five seconds, the team of five collectively work out two of the anagrams, whilst the group of four are yet to work any out. Ten seconds later, and although nobody in the group of five has managed to singly work out a third anagram, the team of four have worked out their first anagram. A further fifteen seconds on, and at the halfway mark, the team of five have cracked three anagrams, whilst the team of four only two. At forty-five seconds both teams have cracked three anagrams. It’s very close, but at the one minute mark, the team of five have solved all five anagrams, whilst the team of four have only solved four of them. The team of four have lost the game, the PokéMole was correct and so for the first time this series the Contestants have failed a challenge.

Presenter: Well Contestants the team of four lost, just as the PokéMole predicted, therefore you have failed the task and the prize fund remains at 25,000. We now have just one more challenge together before the second elimination, which will take place tomorrow at the Ice Path. I’ll see you there.

Corsola: Well, I guess our winning streak had to come to an end sooner or later. Shame it had to be sooner. I notice Loudred was on the winning team, thus making it fairly easy for him to guarantee us failing the challenge. I think.

Jumpluff: It’s a little sad we finally dropped some money, as I guess part of me felt we were invincible, in that we couldn’t lose a challenge. I guess today bought me down to earth in realising I need to start being more aware in regards to who the PokéMole might actually be.

Loudred: I’m immune. Nobody else is. Haha.

Miltank: My suspect was on the losing side today, so I doubt it’s them anymore. After all, putting themselves on the team they thought would lose would be a bit too risky in my opinion.

Porygon: Open data log. Why do I keep writing open and close data log? Close data log.

Psyduck: I’m beginning to wonder if I’m the PokéMole and was hypnotized to forget that fact. They are being so discreet this series. I saw a glance of the producer’s notes before. They were mostly illustrations of somebody called Phil being murdered. What’s all that about? o.O

Tangela: Umbreon didn’t type anything during the minute today. I kid you not. Although I did solve three anagrams today, which is scary, since we only solved four. Am I the only intellectual on this show?

Torkoal: I’m beginning to wonder whether Tangela could actually be the PokéMole. If this series is supposed to be the hardest yet, such a clever PokéMole would be quite suitable.

Umbreon: I didn’t dare admit I don’t know how to use a computer.

Day 6

Presenter: The day of the second elimination is here, but before that fun time, the Contestants have to face their sixth challenge.

Presenter: Contestants welcome to today’s challenge, called Caving In. We are now in the chilly and infamous Ice Cave, and this is where today’s challenge will take place. Now, the Ice Cave is famous for having a notoriously tricky ice puzzle, but that’s not what we’re here for today. There have been nine holes cut into the ice, and below the ice lie sub-zero temperature waters. We are going to drop you all, complete with a safety harness, into these waters. This is a test of endurance, and five must survive three minutes in the waters in order to earn 10,000. However, if all of you can survive three minutes, we’ll add 15,000 to the prize fund. If you’d all like to go and take your places, the challenge will begin shortly.

Presenter: The challenge begins as soon as all Contestants are dipped into the waters, but Psyduck jumps straight out again straight away. The challenge isn’t two seconds old, yet already the 15,000 is gone. Only three more people are allowed to bow out before the three minutes are up to stand any chance of winning the money. It doesn’t look good, when only five seconds later, Torkoal jumps out, leaving only two more jumps allowed. After thirty seconds, the remaining seven Contestants are still in the water, but Jumpluff has emerged after forty seconds, closely followed by Loudred. The remaining Contestants seem pretty determined, which is just as well, since there is no more room for error, but more than two minutes to go. It appears that the Contestants might have an outside chance of actually completing the challenge, when after one minute and twelve seconds, Porygon jumps out having had enough. The challenge is not halfway through yet, but it has already been lost.

Presenter: Well Contestants, you’d won four in a row, but now it’s two losses in a row. The prize fund is still stuck as 25,000, but the news gets worse. In just a few hours time, another of you must leave, in what will be the second elimination. See you then.

Elimination

Presenter: The Contestants have taken the usual ten-question quiz on the identity of the PokéMole, knowing that the Contestant with the lowest score will be eliminated from the game immediately.

Presenter: So Contestants, we’ve been here once before. Before the elimination, let me once again draw your attention to the wall over there…

Presenter: Another message has been daubed on the wall, this time stating “Lure distant cod”.

Presenter: Anyway Contestants, in half an hour’s time eight of you will be traveling to Azalea Town to continue your PokéMole journey. We know Loudred will be in that group of eight, but someone has to go. Good luck to all of you, goodbye to one of you. One of you is about to disappear quicker than Celtic did from the Champions League.