Episode 7

Season Four

Presenter: Real questions require real answers. We’ve asked a lot of questions this series, and in a short while it’ll be time to get some answers. I get to tease you a bit first though ;).

Day Nineteen

Presenter: Following the departure of Nosepass, the contestants take to their rooms for the night. By being the last contestant departing for bed, Hitmonchan actually nominated himself for a little early wake-up call. The other contestants meanwhile wake up at the normal time, but soon realise something is wrong over breakfast. Just where is Hitmonchan? Mission Possible begins.

Ivysaur: Well guys, this is really the beginning of the end.

Hitmonlee: Is Hitmonchan not down yet? It’s not like him to miss breakfast.

Lairon: Hang on, isn’t that an envelope at Hitmonchan’s seat?

Presenter: I thought we’d never get there. The letter reads:

Contestants, drop breakfast, this is more important. Hitmonchan has been kidnapped and attached to him is a time bomb, designed to detonate exactly two hours after you read this message*. He does not know where he is, but has been supplied with a mobile phone which take only make outgoing calls, thus until he realises he can make contact with you, you will have to search for him using only the photos and maps left out for you. They must all be left behind, thus you must quickly make notes on what you think you will need using the notebooks and pens left for you. If you can find Hitmonchan within two hours, 20,000 will be added to the prize fund. Good luck.

*slight exaggeration

Hitmonlee: So we’ve got to find Hitmonchan? We’d better sum up these pictures then.

Presenter: Hitmonlee picks up one of the two pens lying in a cross shape in the middle of the map. Did somebody say X marked the spot? Well it doesn’t anymore.

Ivysaur: I don’t think it’d be wise to move until we get a phone call from Hitmonchan; we might end up going in completely the wrong direction.

Presenter: And they don’t have to wait long, as at that very moment, Hitmonchan having been pacing around a room at the top of an abandoned lighthouse on the coast, finds and phone and decides to see what ringing the number stored in the phone does.

Hitmonchan: Hello?

Ivysaur: Hitmonchan?

Hitmonchan: Is that a pizza place?

Ivysaur: No, it’s me, where are you.

Hitmonchan: I’m not sure. There’s a window half open behind me but all I can see is the sea… oh and that I’m at least one floor up.

Ivysaur: What’s your room like?

Hitmonchan: I’m not sure but there are no corners.

Ivysaur: … circular then?

Hitmonchan: That’s the one.

Ivysaur: So you’re most likely in a lighthouse… right, we’ll come and find you.

Presenter: The contestants head towards the nearest lighthouse, a whole fifteen minutes away, only to find it locked. It’s the wrong lighthouse.

Ivysaur: I was just speaking to that fisherman and he tells me there’s a lot of lighthouses around the coast, all a unique colour.

Lairon: Well what colour was the lighthouse in the photos?

Ivysaur: I can’t remember… possibly green.

Lairon: Green sounds good.

Ivysaur: Shall we go with green then?

Lairon: Yeah, go and ask that fisherman where the green lighthouse is.

Presenter: The fisherman gives the contestants directions to a lighthouse a whole hour away. A one-hour trek later, and the contestants arrive at the green lighthouse. This lighthouse is unlocked, and the contestants soon find Hitmonchan at the top. The challenge has been passed.

Presenter: Well congratulations contestants, the prize fund now rises to 205,000, which is fantastic. Your next challenge will take place tomorrow at the Battle Pyramid. Have a great day, I’ll see you there tomorrow.

Hitmonchan: I feel very annoyed – the other contestants all got to spend time watching each other, whilst I had to work alone.

Hitmonlee: It’s strange. As you get further and further, your have less suspects to consider yet the mental workload seems to multiply. It’s no longer just an adventure – it’s now a game, and my vote’s currently on Lairon, who didn’t really help in trying to remember the colour of the lighthouse.

Ivysaur: I’ve been swinging my main two suspects around in my head for quite a while, but over the last two days one thing in particular has made my mind up for me.

Lairon: Hitmonchan… my gut instinct is that he’s not the PokéMole, although I can’t explain why. It’s just a feeling I’ve got. Although that might just be indigestion.

Day Twenty

Presenter: Welcome to the last of the seven features of the Battle Frontier, entitled Battle Pyramid, which is notoriously considered the hardest of the seven places to negotiate. Our challenge will take place on the first four floors – in a moment I’ll ask you to pick a numbered ball out of this bag, which will correspond to the numbered floor you will run. This challenge is essentially a tag-team race – as soon as the first floor runner reaches the teleport pad to the second floor, the second floor runner can begin. Each teleport pad is guarded by a Pokémon, and progression can not be made until either yourself or the Pokémon faints; battles will not count towards your time limit, although losing your battle will incur a five-minute penalty, and you have to get the fourth-floor runner to their teleport pad before twenty minutes is up to pass the challenge, and earn 20,000 for the prize fund. Now, let’s choose some balls. Who wants to go first?

Hitmonlee: I will.

Presenter: Well then, you have chosen ball number… one, and so will run the first floor. Who next?

Hitmonchan: Me.

Presenter: Hitmonchan, you have chosen ball number… three and so will run the third floor. Who next?

Lairon: Go on then.

Presenter: Lairon, you will be running the… second floor, meaning that you Ivysaur will be running the fourth and final floor. If you’d like to take your positions, the challenge will begin shortly.

Presenter: The challenge begins and Hitmonlee sets off. The layers of the Battle Pyramid are all dark and a giant maze, and although easily possible, it’s very easy to get lost. Hitmonlee wanders around, and finds the exit after just two minutes, where he is faced by a battle with a Dustox. Hitmonlee starts the battle off with Tackle, which leads Dustox to respond with the super effective Confusion. Hitmonlee is weakened significantly, but replies with Mega Kick, which lands a Critical Hit, meaning both Pokémon are now feeling very weak, but a Psybeam from Dustox is enough to finish the job off. Hitmonlee has lost the battle, which means that after the first floor, the time left stands at seven minutes.

This is the cue for Lairon to set off. Lairon makes steady progression through the maze and arrives at his battle after three minutes. There he finds a battle waiting, this time with a Metang. With both Pokémon having such high defensive stats, the Tackles are flying in for quite a while until a final Take Down attack from Lairon knocks out Metang. The contestants are halfway through the challenge, and have used up ten minutes – exactly half of their time limit.

Hitmonchan is now allowed to start. After a few wrong turns Hitmonchan finds his warp pad after three minutes, and a battle with an Exeggutor ensues. Exeggutor starts off with Hypnosis, but Hitmonchan quickly dodges and in one swift movement uses Mega Punch. Exeggutor tries to respond with a Stomp attack, but despite hitting Hitmonchan, Exeggutor finds itself on the end of a Counter, which deals a lot of damage. Exeggutor starts charging up for a Solar Beam, but a Fire Punch from Hitmonchan is enough to knock out Exeggutor. This victory leaves Ivysaur with the task of completing her floor in seven minutes or less, meaning finding her warp pad within two minutes would guarantee a victory in the challenge.

Ivysaur sets off and eventually finds her warp pad, but after 5 minutes – slower than any other contestant. The total time now lies at eighteen minutes, meaning that if Ivysaur can win her battle – against a Hitmontop – the contestants will pass the challenge. Hitmontop starts off the battle using Rolling Kick, which hits Ivysaur but is quickly countered using Poisonpowder. Hitmontop replies with a Quick Attack and Ivysaur in turn replies with Razor Leaf. The poison appears to be really affecting Hitmontop, who tries a Rapid Spin, but Ivysaur dodges and uses Ancientpower. Hitmontop is still standing, but the poison finally takes its toll, and Hitmontop faints. The contestants have passed the challenge.

Presenter: Well congratulations contestants, you’ve won again and the prize fund now lies at 225,000, a truly fantastic total. Your last challenge before the final ever elimination will take place at the hotel lobby tomorrow. I’ll see you there.

Hitmonchan: I once again feel let down that I couldn’t personally watch and analyse each contestant, and still have no idea who I’m going to vote for in the upcoming quiz tomorrow.

Hitmonlee: I’m a little gutted I’m the only one who lost their battle, but Ivysaur is really starting to catch my eye suspect wise – she put a lot of emphasis and risk on her battle after taking so long to get to her warp pad. I think that after following my game plan perfectly for so long, I’ve gotten too far for my number to be up tomorrow, so it’s time I took my suspect and stuck with her.

Ivysaur: I’ve decided a high-risk approach is best. I’ll learn everything humanly possible about my suspect and dedicate all my time to him from now on. If I’m wrong, I’ll end up going home. It’s a risk that I’m willing to take.

Lairon: Hitmonlee could well be the PokéMole – it’s not the first time he’s gone down too easily in a battle for my liking.

Day Twenty-One

Presenter: This is going to be short and sweet.

Presenter: Contestants, welcome to The Easy Challenge. It’s PokéMole tradition to have a so-easy-it-hurts-and-isn’t-really-anything-you-could-possibly-call-a-challenge challenge on the last day before the final begins. So tell me, which series of PokéMole are we on now?

Lairon: Erm… I don’t know.

Presenter: Please be joking.

Hitmonlee: The rest of us know it’s four.

Presenter: Congratulations, you’ve passed this miserable excuse for a challenge, and won 10,000 for the prize fund, meaning you’ve maintained a one-hundred percent winning record this episode, and the prize fund is now frozen at 235,000. The last elimination will take place tonight. I’ll see you there.

Elimination

Presenter: The remaining four contestants must now stretch their memories to the maximum, to try and piece together the clues that have been under their noses from the word go. Have any of them worked it out yet? All they have to do is pass this final elimination and a place in the final is theirs.

Presenter: I think each one of you is owed a huge congratulations for getting this far. I’m sure three of you never expected to get to this point, yet here you are. You’re all so close to that final, but unfortunately, one of you will not make it past the final hurdle. I wish each and everyone of you the very best of luck. Lairon, we’ll start with you.

Presenter: As Lairon’s name is entered into the computer, rather than showing a red or green screen, the number 8128 flashes up on the screen. Following this unexpected occurrence, the elimination continues as normal...

PokéMole: Dear diary. It’s nearly time that everyone finds out my identity, assuming nobody has worked it out by now. I’m glad with the work I’ve put in over the last three or so weeks, but can’t make up my mind whether I want to go out with a bang or let the winner have as much money as possible. I’ve enjoyed myself this year, but recently it’s been harder and harder to take money off them – we’re all so close together. Or we were until I got that supposed “secret PokéMole” eliminated…