Previously on Oranges to Grapes...
After clearing out two of the crystal domes around Paldea, and collecting two Prime Tera Jewels to partially restore the central Battle Court in Mesagoza, our heroes conduct a game plan to do it some more. Meanwhile, Ko finally sets out on his real Treasure Hunt...
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(Dome 3: In the Sepal of the Beholder)
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This time, Pico, Dina and Rosita had exited the east gate, and were heading back down the path along South Area 3. "Not to sound like I'm in a hurry or anything here," Rosita asked, "but why can't we just call up a Flying Taxi ride and fly to the closest stop to Artazon?"
"Because, as much as I'd like to see Hilda again," Pico explained, "there's a few questions I'd like to ask your friend here, and I'd need time for the answers."
"Me?" Dina asked, happy that she was regarded as someone's friend.
"Yes, you," the lizard confirmed as he regarded the axolotl. "Like back in Cortondo, while I was lapsing into Spanish in a panic, what did you mean when you said I 'did that, too?'"
"Because I met someone else who was like that after I was sealed out of my hometown of Montenevera," Dina explained, "before I became Cure Envy."
"Great, more flashback," Rosita said. "Hopefully this part of it ends closer to you at Firescourge Shrine."
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(Flashback)
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Gasping for breath after her outburst, Dina told herself, "No... No! I can't just let it end like this! There's gotta be a way back in!" But after she witnessed an Academy student charge towards the dome and vanish upon contact, her heart sank. "Oh... I'm homeless. I'll have to find somewhere else to start all over now. But where?"
Figuring she wouldn't get anywhere if she didn't move, Dina started walking down the mountain path in her search for a new home. She slid down snowy slopes until she reached a patch of rocky dirt edged with grass, then looked out over a cliff and saw a small town with two Pokemon Centers... across from two other crystal domes.
"Aha!" the axolotl exclaimed. "A small town not captured by a dome! Perhaps there will be my new place to live!" And so she started parkour-hopping from ledge to ledge until she reached a flat slope, then continued to Dalizapa Passage until she came to a fork in the path. "Alright, let's see here. So I just came from Glaseado Mountain Path, Medali is 90 degrees that way, and the town I saw is in the opposite direction of Medali... but there's no sign for it. Welp, maybe I'll know what it is when I get there, I will."
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Skipping to arrival.
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At last, Dina reached the town. "Here I am already!" she said. "Now let's have a look at what this place is called. Hmm... 'Zapapico.'
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(Flashback paused)
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"Wait, wait, wait," Pico interrupted. "I don't need a whole flashback to figure this out. You're talking about-"
"Pico, please!" Dina cut in. "You can't hurry a backstory if you want the whole context here!" But after a brief pause, she added, "Wait a minute... I just realized! Your name is also part of the name of that town!"
"And," the lizard tacked on, "Zapapico is also where I live, along with-"
"We're at the dome!" Rosita interrupted, and the group found themselves near the emerald dome over Artazon.
"This is not over," Pico said with a sigh. "But until some Diademons get here, I need to finish my-"
But Pico was cut off again with the arrival of several Diademons, topped with patches of spiky grass and adorned with Sunkern Leaves.
"!MADRE DE MARIA!" the black reptile shouted in frustration.
Figuring there was no point in dragging out the talk, Rosita took out her Sealing Ball and said, "Come on, Dina, let's put another pin in the flashback and get this over with."
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Rosita and Dina raised the Sealing Balls over their heads and shouted together, "Precure Ruination!"
Conner and Bea dissipated into grass and flames, and it swirled around the girls and made their clothes turn into colored light... then they started changing!
First, their torsos were surrounded in grass and flames and collected into their tops.
Next, more grass and flames collected around their waists and became their bottoms.
Then, even more grass and flames collected around their limbs until they became their arm and leg covers.
Finally, they threw the Sealing Balls in the air as more colored light poured from their heads and became their hair, then the balls got on their chests and became their adornments.
"Antithesis of forgiveness, Cure Grudge!"
"Antithesis of gratitude, Cure Envy!"
"Answer for your injustices! Hell-Sent Precure!"
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"Alright, Diademons, you know the drill here!" Cure Grudge said to the horde. "Your 3s are glass!"
"And we're gonna shatter them!" Cure Envy added!
"Uh," one of the Diademons piped up, "don't you mean, 'our 3s are grass, and you're gonna mow them?'"
After a dull, unamused glare...
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Cure Grudge leapt into the air and sent out all of her vine laces, and they grabbed half of the Diademons all over their bodies!
"This is the punishment for your crimes! Precure... Grasswither..."
The vines pulled with all their might, and it tore the Diademons apart with each vine coiled around a piece!
"FRENZY!!!"
The vines flailed all over the place, bludgeoning the pieces into the ground before they smashed them all together in midair!
"You have issues!" the Diademons seemed to say before they were shattered into diamond dust.
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Cure Envy ignited into flames and ran at full speed towards the rest of the Diademons!
"This is the punishment for your crimes! Precure... Firescourge..."
She crashed into the Diademons multiple times, forcing heat energy into their bodies and making them hotter and hotter!
"INFERNO!!!"
With a snap of her fingers, the Diademons exploded spectacularly in a massive blaze of glory!
"You have issues!" the Diademons seemed to say before they was shattered into diamond dust.
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"Well, that was unneccessarily brutal," Pico said as he took out his scepter. "But, in any case..."
After the diamond dust was absorbed, Pico fired a beam at the emerald dome, making it shine and crack until finally, it was also shattered. The Pokemon and people were still unmoving, but Pico knew what was coming next.
"Alright, Diamant," the lizard called out as Rosita and Dina powered down, "we've already disposed of your lawn-headed mooks, so go ahead and come out, speak in your little poetry, blast me with your powers, I don't care!"
That was met with another floating kimono appearing, this time in a green bush pattern with a Grass Tera Jewel for a head as it spoke,
"So you've beaten another Diamant once before,
But I can assure you, I won't be a bore.
For though we are set on making Paldea pay,
We'll each try to beat you in a different way.
Now let's see you boast as much as you want,
When you face off against the Bouquet Diamant!"
The Bouquet Diamant then raised its sleeves, and light shimmered from them... but this time, it was concentrated into a massive beam of green energy that crashed upon the ground and moved towards Pico, leacing behind a trail of foliage in its wake! But after a quick dodge, the lizard taunted, "Ha! Missed!"
But the green kimono wasn't aiming for Pico as it moved the beam towards the girls! Dina was about to transform again, but before she could spit out the phrase, the beam nailed her directly!
"NOOOO!!! DINAAAA!!!" Rosita shouted in anguish as she watched her fellow Hell-Sent girl get swallowed up by the beam, and when it moved back towards Pico, all that was left of Dina was a bush trimmed into the shape of an axolotl, with pink lily flowers for gill-fronds and a pink caladium leaf for a tail.
The Bouquet Diamant spoke as it kept blasting,
"Now that you've witnessed the power I wield,
Prepare to be one with the plants in this field!"
Realizing the danger he was in, Pico sent out one of his newest catches to try and fend off the attacker. "Go, Combee! Use Gust!" In a flash of light, the bee Pokemon appeared and flapped its wings to kick up a burst of wind, but all it managed to do was push the fabric back and break the Diamant's concentration.
Seeing the opening, Pico called out, "Now, Combee! Use Struggle Bug while the Diamant's distracted!"
"Com... BEEEEEEE!!!" Before the floating kimono could fire another beam, the three-headed bug Pokemon blasted it with a flurry of chartreuse wisps that tore it to shreds!
"AAAAUUUUUGGGHHHH!!!" The Bouquet Diamant shouted in anguish before it shone and exploded in a shower of light, restoring the energy of everyone in Artazon and reversing the damage caused... including returning Dina to her normal state.
"Precu-" she started, but stopped when she saw the town back to normal... then looked down to see Rosita weeping bitterly. "Why with all the crying?"
"She thought you were gone forever when you got turned into a topiary," a male voice said, and Dina followed it to find Conner next to his partner.
"So that's where you've been this whole time!"
Meanwhile, a small Grass Tera Jewel with the Grass-type logo floated towards Pico, and the mysterious voice spoke again. "Pico Hatsuki. You have broken the influence of the light over the Grass-type, which has earned you the respect of the community of Artazon. Now, by accepting this Prime Grass Tera Jewel, you shall gain even more power to aid you in your quest, but do not falter. There is still much work to complete."
After Pico pocketed his second Prime Tera Jewel, a certain man had exited his house and called out, "You there! In the bergundy slacks!" When the lizard turned towards the voice, he was face-to-face with none other than Gym Leader Brassius himself! "Are you the one who has removed the dome over Artazon?"
"I am," Pico confirmed.
"Then allow me to say this for doing so," the Grass-type Trainer said. "You... are completely... and utterly... AVANT-GARDE!! Because of you, my inspiration and drive for new art has returned and increased ten-fold! I can already feel all the new ideas flowing through me like precious sap in a Sunflora! Oh, is there anything I can do to repay your bravery at all!?"
"Well," Pico supposed, "there is one thing..."
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(Bouquet Diamant defeated!)
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To be continued.
