Previously on Oranges to Grapes...
In a fit of frustration, Dina blurts out the last moments of her backstory due to a lack of tact from Pico before the group returns to Mesagoza to chart their next move. Meanwhile, Ko starts selling jars of his multi-Berry jam in Los Platos to put money into the Academy Expansion Fund...
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Later, however, Ko had just packed up his stand to head back to Mesagoza himself, satisfied with his sales for the day. He then found a place on the hill to set down his box and took out his Rotom Phone to pull up the calculator app. "Okay, so I just sold 26 jars today in Los Platos," he said to himself as he punched in the numbers, "and at 500 Poke a jar, that totals up to... Ooh, 13,000 Poke! Hopefully that should put a dent in the fund."
With more motivation, he picked his box back up and said, "Now I just have to put in my first installment back at the Academy, and then it's off to the next town to sell! I'm only holding off on selling directly in Mesagoza because I want to get the word of mouth out to the smaller towns first." As he carried his box back to the southern gate, he wondered, "Although, come to think of it, perhaps I should've started out in Cabo Poco instead..."
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(Dome 13: Respect for the Undead)
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Meanwhile, the group had hit a little snag in their mission... they had no direct route back to Montenevera on foot! "Boy, I think we're lost," Balto said as he looked at the map on his Rotom Phone.
"We're not lost, Balto," Camilla said. "It's just taking a while for us to plan a route back to Montenevera, that's all."
"Perhaps I could help, maybe?" Dina offered.
"After what happened last time?" Pico scoffed. "We're trying to get to somewhere in Paldea, not get stuck somewhere in it."
"Bite your tongue, Hatsuki," Rosita warned. "The last time one of us brought up the last time, we were about to be up the river without an oar."
"Hey!" Jessica popped off.
"BUT!" the caracal continued, "all it took was an apology on their part, and we were back on track. So that's what we need to do."
"How, Rosita?" Pico demanded. "You expect us all to shlock all the way back to Zapapico just so Dina can come back to Hilda and apologize for flying off the handle so we can get our Flying Taxi privileges back?"
"Yes!" Rosita exclaimed. "Yes, yes, yes, yes and YES!"
"Not to mention after Dina apologizes," Eartha added, "if my memory serves proper, Zapapico was where Dina came in from Montenevera, so we can just retrace her steps to get there from here."
"Well, well," Dina said with pride. "And here I thought no one cared about my backstory context."
"Don't get used to it," Eartha replied. "This is just my Girl Scout training kicking in."
"Fair enough," the axolotl said with a shrug. "Now let's see if we can't salvage this day!"
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One hurried trip back to Zapapico later.
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Hilda was helping nurse her Squawkabilly back to health after her mishap. "There, there, it's all right. Everything is gonna be okay," she cooed, but was cut off by the sight of someone she recognized walking up to her cab. "Oh, it's just you."
"Yes, it's me," Dina said. "But before you start, I just want to say something in my defense. Before you came earlier, I was going through a personal crisis, and I took it out on you. I know that's not an excuse, but it is what happened, and for that I will say... I'm sorry."
Hilda blinked... and the Squawkabilly blinked as well. "Wow. I've had some rude customers in my days, but none of them ever came back to apologize. Thank you."
"So does that mean you forgive me?" Dina asked with budding hope.
At that, the Flying Taxi pilot reached out her hand and said, "Sure, no hard feelings."
Meanwhile, Pico oversaw the handshake and said to the group, "Okay, Hilda and Dina are good. Taxi access is back on!"
"Good, because I propose a change of plans," Jessica said. "What if we request a drop-off at North Area 3 and head to Montenevera from there instead?"
Balto asked warily, "But... won't that make Hilda feel used?"
"It's her job," the snep pressed. "Plus we shattered some Diademons at the tanzanite dome, so there'll be plenty of diamond dust for Pico to take the dome down."
"Sold," Pico stated.
Balto was about to say something, but just like at Levincia, Camilla sternly shook her head no and wagged her finger-bean at him. So, instead, he put his paw down and said, "You're right."
"I am?" Jessica asked. "I mean... I am!?"
"Yes, you are. Chairwoman Geeta gave us a mission, and like it's been said before, she's the boss, so what she says goes," the husky stated. "Human relationships be durned."
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Skip ahead, skip ahead, skip ahead, skip ahead....
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"Okay," Dina said as the group closed in on the tanzanite dome, "FINALLY we're back at Montenevera."
"And just like the girls said," Pico added as he absorbed the leftover diamond dust, "there's enough of this glitter to charge up my scepter for another pop. They were right!"
"Yeah, tell us something we don't know," Rosita said, a little proud of the fact.
The beam of light was fired, and the dome was removed. "I'm... home," Dina said with a tear in her eye as her hometown was in view of the world again.
"Not quite yet," Camilla pointed out. "Remember, we still have to find and defeat the Diamant that governed the dome we just took down."
"And if I recall correctly," Eartha added, "one of the Diademons we shattered told us that 'they were footsoldiers acting under the orders of a higher influence.' Perhaps we'll get to know what that influence is now that we've gotten further than last time."
"Um," Pico said as the group walked through the snowy mountain town lit softly by the glow of the purple-flame candles, "I think the Diamants are the higher influence."
"Close," a sly-sounding voice spoke, making the group double-take.
"That came from my neighborhood!" Dina exclaimed. "Follow me!" As the group climbed the stairs to the second tier of the town where Every Wich Way was, just as the axolotl heard, there was a dark-purple kimono with a sinister, lavender eye pattern and a Ghost Tera Jewel for a head, floating where a group of kids and a Bergmite usually were.
"It's true we command the Diademons so,
But here's some more info we feel you should know.
Us Diamants are shards of something much greater,
But what that thing is, you'll have to know later.
For disturbing the Graveyard Diamant's tomb,
The time has come for you... to face your DOOM!"
By raising its sleeves and collecting the sparkles, the Graveyard Diamant summoned four purple fireballs and sent them flying around town... away from the crowd. "Um," Pico piped up, "the fireballs missed us. Seriously, are you even trying to hit us?"
"No."
"The Distortion World do you mean no!?" But as the air around him got warmer, Pico looked around and saw what the kimono meant by no. The fireballs had touched the candles all over town, and now their wicks were spraying purple embers at the group. "Oh.... ay, basura."
But he suddenly realized something as he took out one of his Poke Balls. "Wait, I know! Apple, come out and use Snarl!"
"Cro!" As Pico's Crocalor appeared from the white light, it bared its clenched fangs and angrily snarled. "CAAALLLLLL!!!" That resulted in shockwaves of black energy bursting all around, dispelling the ember spray and extinguishing the candles before any damage could be suffered. Some of the waves even hit the Diamant, stunning it.
"Now finish it off with Bite before it has a chance to recover!"
"Cal-LOR!" Apple caught a big mouthful of fabric in his jaws, and pulled with all its might, causing...
SSSHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRPPPPPP!!!
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!"
Shower of light, restored energy, reversed damage, blah-de-blah... and Dina siezed an opportunity to check her house and see how it fared during the containment. "Just two more left to go," Pico breathed, "and my part of the mission will be complete."
"Pico Hatsuki," the voice said as the Prime Ghost Tera Jewel descended before the lizard, "you have broken the influence of the light over the Ghost-type, earning you the respect of the community of Montenevera. As you accept this Prime Tera Jewel, your ability and strength will continue to increase, but know that those you have yet to vanquish will only respond in kind."
"Noted," Pico said as he pocketed his sixth prize. "Just one more thing left to do before I can close the book on this portion of the mission."
"Perhaps I can help with that part," a familiar voice offered.
Pico then turned around and saw Tyme standing before him. "Wha- Ms. Tyme, what an unexpected surprise!" he said, unsure what to think of the situation. "I, uh, mean, er, what's one of the great educators of the Foremost World-Renowned Pokemon Academy of Paldea doing all the way out here in Montenevera?"
"Why, checking up on my sister, of course!" Tyme said. "Remember, I used to be the Gym Leader here before I gave her the title to go teach."
"Right, very sweet of you, and I didn't forget," Pico said. "But, uh, follow-up question, how long were you here?"
"For a while," Tyme admitted. "I brought myself up to Montenevera myself before I got stopped by the dome, and since I couldn't get rid of it like you and the others can, I... tried to brute-force my way through and was trapped. But thank you for rescuing me and all the others, sweetie!"
"Ah, well," Pico said, a little bashful, "I did set out to rescue a Gym Leader from the tanzanite dome as well as the rest of the town, so technically..."
"She's not the only one," another voice added.
What is it with people and adding to the conversation offscreen lately, Pico thought to himself as he turned to the new voice and found the current Gym Leader of Montenevera, Ryme!
"And I appreciate the concern, sis," the MC of RIP said, "but it's gonna take a lot more than being stuck under some glass bubble to put me down! Keepin' it on ice like we do it in the North Province!" She turned to her sister's student and added, "And don't worry, boy, I'm down to snap a pic with you... and your teacher here."
"Word."
(Graveyard Diamant defeated!)
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To be continued.
