Previously on Oranges to Grapes...
Director Clavell informs Camilla, Pico and Balto that their confinement boundaries are expanded to within school grounds so they can retrain their bodies for everyday use again. Back in Porto Marinada, Rosita and Jessica head out to search for more spirits and bearers, but are stopped at the last second...
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And who else was there to stop the girls and their spirits but the very same husky they managed to dodge last night, clad in his denim outfit. "I thought I heard something outside my house chatting last night, and your voices sound real similar to what I heard."
"Okay, that one was not my fault... maybe," Jessica defended.
"Don't worry, I can get us out of this one. Just follow my lead," Rosita mumbled, then told the approaching canine, "Okay, sir, you caught us. The truth is we were near your house last night, but we were only there because we were looking for some friends of ours that got separated from us at the marketplace."
"That's right," Jessica added. "And if it looked like we were encroaching on your personal property, let us assure you that that was not our intention."
"Is that so?" Mr. Mijuumi pondered. "And did you ever find these friends of yours?"
"Ah, as a matter of fact, we did," Jessica said, "but legendaries love them, we were looking in the wrong place."
"Yes," Rosita tacked on, rolling with it. "Turns out they were hanging around the ice cream and crepe stands waiting for us to share a snack together."
"I see..."
As Mr. Mijuumi looked both felines over, he saw no indicators that they were lying; they were looking square at him, there was no sweat forming, and they were looking to their right.
"Well, then, if that's all that was, I'll let it slide... with a warning," the big dog said. "But don't let me catch you lingering around someone's house longer than you need to. Some people in this town can get a little stand-offish, but I'm willing to get the facts first, so thank your lucky stars I was there and not someone else."
"Oh, thank you, sir," Rosita said.
"Yes, thank you, mister... mister..." Jessica started, but then followed up with, "I'm sorry, but I just realized we never asked you your name."
"Baron Rhett Mijuumi at your service," the big dog formally introduced. "Auto-mechanic by trade."
"Mijuumi, hmm..." Rosita said, pondering... but then shortly said, "Nice to meet you properly, Baron Rhett Mijuumi. I'm Rosita Verdes."
"And I'm Jessica Winters, windmill maintenance worker by trade."
"Please, just call me Rhett... and the feeling's mutual."
"Well, Rhett, sorry we have to cut this meeting short," Rosita said, "but we're sort of on a quest around Paldea. Perhaps you've heard of the... independent study project?"
"Oh, you mean the Treasure Hunt issued by the Foremost World Renowned Pokemon Academy of Paldea?" Rhett asked. "Man, that's a muzzleful."
"Yeah, that... and we just call it the Academy for short."
"Well, don't let me keep you from it, then!"
"Thanks, Rhett!" Jessica said as she and Rosita finally got a move on down the boardwalk to the beach. "Nice meeting you!"
"If we ever get a car, we'll know where to look to get it fixed!" Rosita called out as they walked away.
"Bye, girls! Hope you enjoyed your stay in Porto Marinada!" Rhett said. "Hah... those were some nice girls. And who says cats and dogs can't get along?"
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Back at the beach, Rosita was still pondering the recent encounter, mumbling something over and over. "Mijuumi... Mijuumi... Mijuumi..."
"Everything okay, Rosita?" Conner asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," the caracal dismissed. "It's just... that name, Mijuumi. For some reason, it sounds familiar to me."
After overhearing the conversation, Jessica asked, "Familiar how?"
"I dunno, it just kinda rings a bell with me somehow."
A "ding" was heard in the background, prompting Leopold to say, "Yes," but it turned out to be someone getting a text on their Rotom Phone.
"I know I heard that name from somewhere," Rosita said to herself. "I just can't put my finger-bean on where, and it's going to drive me crazy until I figure it out-"
"Waterfall ahead," Leopold said, stopping everyone.
"-or when I lose my train of thought."
"Well, we'll have to keep going somehow," Conner said as he pointed with his eye-stalks, "because I can sense another one of us up ahead a ways, and if we're going to stand a chance against those crystal monsters, we're going to need as much help as we can get."
"But how?" Jessica questioned. "The way's blocked by water, and niether of us can swim!"
"That's where I come in!" Leopold said, and with another one of his ice-sighs, the water started freezing up down a path to the other side, creating an ice bridge! "Now come on, we'll need to hurry and cross if we want to find our next member!"
Once again, both girls carrying their partners decided not to question anything as they hurried across the frozen path before the waterfall could wash it away. Just as they made it to the other side and touched dry land again, the ice bridge cracked apart and floated away in little ice floes.
"Good job, Leopold," Jessica said as she fed her partner a Qualot Berry treat to reward him. "Now, as long as you're here with us, we have a way to cross water!"
Rosita took out her Rotom Phone to pull up the map, then added, "And we're gonna need it, because now we're headed right towards... Casseroya Lake."
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To be continued.
