Previously on Oranges to Grapes...
Briar and the Pomegranetes finally arrive at the Crystal Pool, but they are challenged by the Spirit of the Crystal Pool to face her ultimate form, Ogrewood, the Tree of Masks. Should they succeed, they will be allowed to connect Kitakami's Terastal energy to Paldea...
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Camilla, Pico and Balto then sent out their Pokemon (Rosie the Meowscarada, Apple the Skeledirge and Prince the Quaquaval, respectively) while Briar stood by and gave support from the sidelines. Meanwhile, Ogrewood had her circle of colored mask shapes spin around until it stopped on the red Hearthflame Mask shape, making her crystal form emit a red aura while embers sparked from the surface of the water she was rooted in.
"I've got this one," Balto assured. "Prince, use Wave Crash!"
"Qua... VAL!" Prince shouted as he raised a wave of water from the pool, then charged through it towards Ogrewood at full force. Upon impact, a massive SPLASH resulted, dousing the crystal tree, extinguishing its aura, and shattering the mask shape into red sparkles, revealing three shapes of light that transferred to the head's face.
"Do not get too cocky, paragons," Ogrewood touted. "You may have overwhelmed my first stage, but my first anger point will not make the next one so easily assailable!" The circle then spun again, then stopped on the Wellspring Mask shape, changing her aura to blue while the pool bubbled.
"Wanna bet?" Camilla taunted. "Rosie, use Leaf Storm!"
"Mrer rer rer rer..." the Meowscarada mumbled as she made a series of hand signs with her paws, then... "WREEERRR!!!" With a thrust forward from her paws, a sudden typhoon of leaves and grass was blasted at Ogrewood, dispelling the blue aura, shattering the second mask shape, and revealing two more shapes of light that transfered to the head's face, making her look like she was weeping tears of bitter anguish.
"You insolent ingrates!" Ogrewood griped. "Do not think for one second I will let you get the jump on me a third time!" The remaining two mask shapes spun around, and the Cornerstone Mask shape was the next to empower her, giving her a tan aura and making gravel rise from the pool.
"You're right," Pico reasoned, "because this isn't a sprint, it's a marathon. Apple, use Shadow Ball!"
"Le... DIRR!" the Skeledirge trilled as a ball of dark-purple energy was shot from its mouth, crashing into Ogrewood... but the most it did was make her mask crack down the middle.
"Now, Prince! Follow it up with Close Combat!"
Balto's Quaquaval obeyed by shining orange and charging full force at Ogrewood, bashing her with a series of punches and kicks and making more cracks appear on her mask! "No! Stop it!" the crystal tree shouted. "STOP IT!! HATE!!!"
"Okay, Rosie! Finish it with Night Slash!"
"Wrer!" Camilla's Meowscarada responded as she extended one of her claws enveloped with black energy, then lunged at Ogrewood and slashed her cracky mask, shattering it and dispelling the tan aura.
"Well, dear me," Briar mused in the background. "Maybe the Pomegranetes aren't just one-trick Ponyta after all."
Three more shapes of light were revealed and set themselves into Ogrewood's face, enhancing her expression into one of frustration. "NO! I've come too far to just let it all end like this!" She then slung the Teal Mask shape around, as it was the only one she had left, before it affixed itself to her face, changed her aura to green and made leaves flutter around the pool.
"Apple," Pico said, "hit her with Overheat and shut her up."
"SKE!! LE!!" Apple roared as its body turned red and enflamed itself before a blast of white-hot fire was shot at Ogrewood, making quick work of the last mask and shutting down the green aura before nine more shapes of light appeared. With all 15 shapes assembled on her face, her expression resembled one of deep-seated desperation... but that wasn't the worst of it.
With one final shriek, Ogrewood uprooted herself from the pool, raising her branches and tangling them all together until her whole body was bundled into a giant cudgel, raring to smash the Pomegranetes!
...Or so it looked, if they didn't have an idea ready to go!
"Rosie! Use Flower Trick!"
"Apple! Use Torch Song!"
"Prince! Use Aqua Step!"
"And stop Ogrewood!" all three of them shouted together!
It all happened so fast. The firebird soared at the giant cudgel, catching the flower bomb on its head while the teardrop feathers were fitted onto its wings... making it look like a giant Terastal Tambourine! The two constructs crashed into each other, sending sparks everywhere as they both pushed as hard as they could!
"Heal up! Hang tough! Go all out!" Briar cheered in the background, and three different-colored glitter trails sparkled and swirled into the giant tambourine, strengthening it and making it push the cudgel back harder and harder until-
CRK! TRSSSSHHHHH...
The crystal cudgel was destroyed, scattering shards of crystal into the pool to join with the massive cluster at the bottom with gentle splishes and splashes, and the spirit of the Crystal Pool was reverted to her original form. She gently floated back down to the surface of the water, and her form settled peacefully. "Ah... very well done, paragons-" the spirit said before correcting herself. "No. Very well done, Pomegranetes. It took several years of waiting for the opportunity, but my patience has finally paid off. Thanks to you, I have been able to express the power of my fullest potential... but even so, I was a fool to think that it was enough to stand against your magnificent prowess. But before I make good on my end of the agreement and allow you to transfer the Terastal energy of Kitakami to Paldea, I humbly request one plea."
"Yes, spirit of the Crystal Pool?" the Pomegranetes asked in unison.
"When you return to Paldea and meet up with Terry again... tell him Pookie says you're welcome." And with that, the spirit of the Crystal Pool (supposedly named Pookie) faded into the water, making it shine with beautiful light from the glow of the crystals at the bottom of the pool.
Taking that as their cue, Camilla, Pico and Balto grabbed hold of the Terastal Tambourine again, clapped it, then raised it to the sky, sending the pure, concentrated Terastal energy from the Crystal Pool upward in a beam of dazzling radiance for five seconds before it curved off into the horizon, in the direction of where Paldea was.
"Well, everyone," Pico said at last when the light faded, "it took a few days and a lot of effort and patience on our part, but we finally completed our mission."
"That's right, Pico," Camilla confirmed. "Now the residents of my current homeland can enjoy Terasalizing their Pokemon again, thanks to a generous donation from my old homeland." She then turned to face Briar and added, "To clarify, I used to live in Kitakami-"
"And now you live in Paldea, I know that from context," Briar said.
"Oh, what I wouldn't give to know how everyone back home is going to react when that beam reaches its destination," Balto mused wistfully... "But, we can always find out when we head back to Paldea tomorrow. Right now, I'm kind of worried about Gari. We haven't seen him since we left for the Crystal Pool."
"Then there's only one thing to do," Briar stated, resuming her role of chaperone. "Back to the community center!" And with that, everyone left the Crystal Pool...
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To be continued.
