Previously on Oranges to Grapes...
The Pomegranetes finally get on with wrapping up their photo hunt around Kitakami, so Samuel offers to escort Gari around to get the rest of his photos. But when our three heroes request to see the Crystal Pool, they must first overcome one obstacle: paperwork.
-
Land of Kitakami
There's a fair amount of paperwork before you get to see the pool
So allow for extra time. (Poko-pon!)
While they're doing that, let's see how Samuel and Gari are doing.
-
"Okay, obviously we can't climb up the stairs to get to the signboard in Kitakami Hall, so we'll have to take the long way around," Samuel said as he and his charge made it back to the Wistful Fields. "Think you can be up for that, Gari?"
"I'll try," Gari said as he made long strides on his crutches, "but we'll probably have to make a few stops along the way. Sorry for that."
"Hey, just because I'm a rabbit doesn't mean I can't be patient," Samuel assured as the two reached the ramp to Infernal Pass... or, so he hoped. They actually went up the side of Oni Mountain before coming to a dead end in the path.
"I... think we might be lost and/or stuck," Gari commented.
"No, we are not," Samuel stated as he took out his Rotom Phone, "because I know exactly where we are and how to get us where we need to be." After a few seconds on hold... "Haruto, I need your help again."
-
One Flying Taxi ride to the entrance to Kitakami Hall later.
-
"Well, that was embarrassing," Samuel said with his ears drooping after he and Gari got out of the cab.
"Guess there's no other way around it," Gari supposed at the foot of the stairs. "We'll have to climb the stairs to get to my last signboard photo."
"I see," Samuel said as his ears perked back up. "Then I'll be right beside you, every step of the way." He then stood next to Gari, and together they walked up the stairs one step at a time. "By the way, feel free to not answer if you don't want to, but... what did happen to your leg?"
"You know, we've probably got enough time before we reach the top, so I'll tell you," Gari said. "It was the start of the Foremost World Renowned Pokemon Academy of Paldea's independent study project, the theme of which, as always, was 'A Treasure Hunt.' Most of the student body, including myself, had set out to journey around the Paldea region to collect Badges so as to challenge the Pokemon League. But upon reaching our first town, we hit somewhat of a pothole: the whole town had been encased in a dome of peridot crystal! Naturally, the majority of the group thought we could strong-arm our way through the dome, but by the time I tried, I saw that everyone who touched the dome instantly disappeared. Hoping to abort the process, I tried to jump ship off of my Cyclizar... but that was a mistake in itself. Not only did I lose my Pokemon to the dome, I landed on my foot wrong and stepped on a rock, throwing out my ankle. To make matters worse, I fell towards my hurt side and hit the side of my knee on a fallen branch! Ooh, let me tell you, the pain was so agonizing I screamed and passed out... but that's all I can remember."
"Ouch," Samuel winced, his ears drooping again. By that point, the pair had reached the top step and entered the Festival of Masks, but the stands were ignored. "You mean, you don't remember anything after you came back to?"
"Not entirely," Gari said. "All I remember after that was I'd somehow entered the town and the dome was gone, but my leg was still in major pain. So much so that I had to call for a Flying Taxi ride back to the Academy and got carried back to my dorm on a gurney. Turns out I was unconscious for so long that my injury went untreated, and by the time I got help, my leg seemed too far gone. But I didn't let that stop me."
"Oh?" Samuel asked with one ear perked up as they reached the second set of stairs. "What did you do?"
"Easy," Gari explained as they climbed up again. "Thanks to the support of the Academy, I got transferred to a dorm room on the ground floor and got access to online classes so I could complete assignments, and with no distractions due to being ignored by most of the other students, I was able to pull off a perfect score on the big test, mainly called the FWR-PAPAR for short, which was part of how my being here in Kitakami got locked in."
"Only part?" Samuel inquired once they reached the top and turned the corner for the last set of stairs to climb. "Okay, sorry if these questions are getting intrusive, but now you've got me curious, and it would haunt me if I didn't ask; what's the other part?"
"Oh, no, it's no trouble," Gari assured before they came to the last set, and as they started climbing... "The other part was because a surprise plan for one of the students fell through. Apparently my name and his name sounded similar, I can't remember what it was, but I was supposed to show up from out of my room and surprise him, he'd be disappointed, but then our chaperone would look at the card again and say she made a slight error in pronunciation, and then... Ta-da! But, well..."
"It didn't turn out that way?" Samuel asked.
"No, it did not," Gari admitted as they reached the top step and got off. "He lost his temper and got set upon by our chairwoman's Glimmora to stop and go to his dorm. By that point, the atmosphere had gotten so tense that no one dared to speak up, and now... here I am."
"Yes you are," Samuel said with a flourish behind him... showing the signboard nearby! "The both of us got so absorbed into the conversation, we reached the signboard ourselves and didn't even notice! But it still doesn't take away anything from the conversation, because I got to learn about a new face visiting our community, and if you ask me, that is what society is all about."
"Thanks, Samuel," Gari said as he ambled up to the signboard, "and I couldn't agree more. Say, if and when I ever get to come back to Kitakami, preferably when I'm in better shape than this, what say I look you up and we can pick up where we left off?"
"Sounds good to me," Samuel said, and no more words were said as Gari's Rotom Phone snapped his last signboard photo (with him smiling warmly), and Samuel's Rotom Phone was used to call the Flying Taxi one last time...
-
(Scene transition: Kitakami Flying Taxi)
-
"Sorry again for yanking you around the land, Haruto," Samuel said as he and Gari arrived back in Mossui Town.
"No, I understand," the cab driver said, "it comes with the job." And with a flapping of their brown wings, his Noctowl flew to their next stop.
With that said, both boys came up to the community center's door when suddenly, "Ah, Garibosh, you're back! And you must be Miss Otore's cousin I've been told about," Ms. Briar greeted. "How's your Mightyena... and your paw?"
"Both doing fine, thanks for asking," Samuel said, "and you're right. Samuel Otore at your service, and you would be?"
"Ms. Briar of the Blueberry Academy," the book-themed woman said, "and current chaperone of these students of the Foremost World Renowned Pokemon Academy of Paldea. Thanks again for helping Garibosh navigate the region to complete his assignment. I hope he wasn't too much trouble."
"Oh, not at all," the male bunny assured. "He and I got along just fine."
"It's true," Gari added, "but what happened to your paw and Mightyena? And how does she know about that?"
"I can explain that," Pico spoke as he, Camilla and Balto came out of the center behind their chaperone. "I got antsy from the long trip here and took out my frustrations on what was supposed to be a friendly greeting... too far."
"But we've long since moved on and everything's fine now," Camilla cleared up. "As for how she knows, she was there when it happened after you walked in without us."
"But that's old news," Balto chimed in. "We're out here now because we've just finished getting permission for one more stop here in Kitakami before we have to go back to Paldea tomorrow."
"Hey, better you than me," Gari said. "I've had more than enough traveling around here for one field trip, and I'm just gonna go back to my room and rest the rest of the day." He then crutch-walked into the building while adding, "Gotta stop to heal, guys. Gotta stop to heal."
"Enjoy your break, then, Garibosh," Ms. Briar called after Gari. "You deserve it. Everyone else, next stop: the Crystal Pool!"
-
To be continued.
