Previously on Oranges to Grapes...

Our heroes continue to remove the domes around Paldea... but with the complication of Rosita dreading a repeat of what happened at Zapapico. But while Pico was the one who defeated the Fountain Diamant and collected the Prime Water Tera Jewel at Cascarrafa, it was Balto who surprised everyone with knowing Kofu...

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(Dome 10: A Day Gone Herbal)

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All seven anthros were gathered together at the Kofu Lounge for a bite to eat, with each one ordering so that at least one of everything was selected. Eartha had chosen the Dandan Noodles, Balto picked the Tofu Pudding, Camilla and Dina went for the Hot and Sour Soup, Rosita and Jessica wanted the Oolong Tea, and Pico decided on the House Special Hot Pot. And the best part was because Balto knew Kofu personally, everything was half-price!

While they were waiting for their orders to be completed, Camilla decided to break the ice. "So, Pico," she asked, "what exactly were all those favors you've been cashing in with the Gym Leaders we've rescued so far?"

"I thought no one would ever ask," Pico replied. "I've been asking for photo ops with the Gym Leaders so I could post them online for people to see that their cities are open again. Wanna see?"

Everyone nodded yes, prompting Pico to take out his Rotom Phone and pull up the Photos app. When he showed the crowd the screen, it had photos of the moments he shared with the strongest Pokemon Trainers of the Paldea region... that he saved so far.

"Okay," the lizard started, "so here's one of me having one of Katy's cupcakes in Cortondo, and giving my approval." He then showed everyone the photo before scrolling to the next one. "Here's one of me in Artazon voicing my appreciation for Brassius' best piece, in plain sight of its creator." That one showed Pico imitating a Surrendering Sunflora statue while the artist gave a bemused smirk. "Here's one of Iono giving me a nickel tour of Levincia while low-key making it one of her stream's plots, major disappointment there because I didn't hold her hand, just the outside of her big sleeve."

As he showed the group the third photo, Kofu came to the bar with a large platter of the restaurant's menu. "Thanks for waiting! Your order is ready!"

And with a few swipes of the screen, Pico snapped a photo of the Water-type Gym Leader setting the platter down. "Thank you, Kofu, we'll enjoy this meal to the fullest! Ready, and..."

"Time to dig in!" everyone said together.

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One discounted, but still hearty and flavorful meal later.

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"Thanks for the food!" everyone said in front of empty cups and bowls.

After the meal was paid for and everyone left, Eartha patted her full tummy and said, "Well, that was delicious."

"I'll say," Dina added as her meal was also digesting comfortably inside her.

"Look, I don't mean to be 'that girl' or anything," Rosita said as the group walked to the elevator to the first tier, "BUT, there was a Copperajah left in the room before we had to clear out the sapphire dome. Jessica."

"Hmm?" the snow lopard queried.

"What exactly do you hope to get out of seeing Rhett again?"

"I think I know what it is," Balto offered. "I picked up on it when she was asking about my dad while we were clearing out the peridot dome."

"No, you didn't," Jessica dismissed.

"Yes, I do," Balto asserted. "You like my dad, don't you?"

"What's it to you?"

As the group rode the lift down to the bottom, the husky said, "Don't think my dog senses didn't pick up anything from that conversation. That smile you had on after I told you Baron Rhett Mijuumi was my dad, the way you ended your sentence with, 'He was nice...'"

"Well, he was," Jessica said while the group got off the lift and onto Cascarrafa's water-locked Battle Court. "He noticed me and Rosita looking around his front lawn the last time we were at Porto Marinada, but chose to wait until the next morning to confront us about it. He also didn't raise his voice or lose his temper with us about it, even though he could have. By the grace of Arceus, our paws weren't crushed in his when he shook them!"

"So you respect him for it?" Balto asked curiously.

"Well, who wouldn't?" Jessica blustered as the group left Cascarrafa and were on their way across Asado Desert. "He's a strong, handsome person who doesn't abuse his strength, but doesn't act like a pushover either! I admire that kind of strength in a man!"

"Well, maybe you should tell him that," Rosita quipped.

"You know what, maybe I should!" Jessica shot back. "Maybe I should do that just so you would get off this stupid conniption of yours!"

"Yeah! I dare you!"

"You dare me?" Jessica challenged. "To confess my feelings about a father I happen to admire on a dare? How would that even work?"

"Just walk right up to his front door, knock, and when he answers, tell him what you just told us," the caracal explained.

"LOOK OUT!!!" Camilla suddenly shouted as two wheel-like objects suddenly barreled towards the group, forcing them to dive into the sand to dodge them!

"What the ha!?" Balto said after sputtering out some sand. "Who's throwing tires at us!?"

"Those weren't tires, Balto!" Camilla answered. "They're a pair of territorial Donphan!"

As if to prove her right, the "tires" suddenly turned around towards the group, kicking up sand as they skidded backwards!

"Jessica, if we manage to survive this," Eartha said, "you totally should tell this Baron how you feel!"

"I found the dome!" Dina said as she spotted the chocolate diamond dome. "Quick, we can goad the Donphan into crashing into it so there'll be Diademons to shatter!"

"No time to argue!" Rosita said before the group dodged again, making the tires skid into the dome and bump into the dome's surface, just as Dina predicted. "Now, everyone who can transform, do it so we can get the drop on them!"

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"Answer for your injustices! Hell-Sent Precure!"

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As six core-headed Diademons adorned with Phanpy Nails made their presence known, Camilla took out her crystal scepter and picked up some leftover diamond dust. "Well, at least the Donphan aren't attacking us anymore."

"Right, almost forgot about the last time we were here," Cure Hatred said. "Well, here's some more for the road!"

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"Precure Triangle Plus Formation!"

Cures Grudge, Hatred and Fear leapt into the air, and once they reached the apex of their jump, quickly linked paws to summon the force-field semispheres before Cure Envy jumped after them and grabbed ahold to boost them further into the air with her flame-jets.

"Our powers united together as one," Cure Grudge started.

"Take this!" all four said together before the glider looped around to plummet back down towards the army!

"Precure! Ruinous... CRASH!!!!"

At that call, the Cures' elemental energies began to pool together and morph into a giant face with angry, piercing eyes and a jagged mouth that let out an eldrich roar before it collapsed upon the earth and the army all at once!

"You have issues!" the army seemed to say before they were all shattered into diamond dust.

-

Camilla's scepter absorbed the dust from the fight, but realized that as soon as the Diamant inside the dome was defeated, the Donphan would go on the attack again. "Everyone!" she called out as she shot the beam at the dome, "Look around for something the Donphan would be trying to protect! That may be why they were on that rampage!"

"I'm on it!" Eartha said once she and Anton separated. "Anton, see if you can pick up something in the sand!"

"Right, Eartha!" As the moose made of dirt pressed his hoof into the sand to scan the area, the chocolate diamond dome was removed. "Wait, I think I found something! Look behind you!"

Camilla turned around to where Anton was talking about... and found something that made her not believe her eyes! Nestled up against a rock wall was a small cluster of cyan-colored eggs. "Sweet baby carrots... Those are Phanpy eggs! They must've been trapped under the dome while the parents were away, and it made them lash out in grief!"

"Right!"

Camilla quickly whipped back around to find a floating kimono in varying shades of brown with a Ground Tera Jewel for a head. "Tearing apart families to carry out your evil deeds... That's repulsive!"

The kimono narrowed its eyes of light before saying,
"It was no concern of ours where the monsters propagated,
Whether young, old or otherwise, all had been fated.
And our deeds are not evil, we just ask for a price,
And what we were given did have to suffice.
Now the Hemisphere Diamant has one thing to say,
You beat half our legion, and for that you must pay!"

"You're the one who'll be paying! Go, Rosie!" As soon as the Floragato solidified onto the scene, the Hemisphere Diamant raised its sleeves and made the sparkles gather. Suddenly, the ground beneath them began to tremble before instinct kicked in and both Pokemon and Trainer jumped before the ground burst with brown sparkles and sand!

But as Camilla and Rosie touched back down, the ground trembled again, forcing them to move away, but the tremors followed them wherever they went before the ground burst again! "Hey! No fair keeping us from using moves!"

But the Diamant only replied with,
"Fair went out the window with your compliance,
And this is your punishment for all your defiance!"

"Oh no you DON'T!" Cure Hatred shouted before she extended one of her ice-blades... then flung it off of her paw and at the kimono! "Icicle Kunai!"

"Gah!"

The hit from the projectile stunned the Diamant, and Camilla took advantage of the lapse! "Rosie! Now! Use Magical Leaf while it's vulnerable!"

"Mrow!" Rosie quickly whirled her yo-yo forward, and a storm of glowing leaves were blasted at the Diamant, shredding it to tatters!

"AAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGGGHHHHH!!!!"

As predicted, the Diamant exploded in a shower of light that restored energy and reversed the damage, including the energy of the Donphan that attacked earlier. But Camilla wasn't afraid as she said, "Donphan... and Donphan. Your fight is not with me. I have just liberated your eggs from tyranny, and have allowed no harm to come to them. If you don't believe me, see for yourself."

Both pachyderms looked at the lapine that spoke to them, then looked towards each other. Sensing no ill will from her, they decided to trust her and came back to their nest. Sure enough, all of their eggs were present and accounted for without a single scratch!

Cures Grudge, Hatred and Envy were powered down, and Conner, Leopold and Bea were sent to translate the grateful Pokemon.

"Thank you," Conner said for the papa. "We were worried that we would never see our children again."

"And we apologize for our hostile behavior earlier," Bea said for the mama. "If there is anything we can do to repay you, all you need to do is let us know."

As soon as that sentence was finished, something unexpected happened. One of the eggs in the clutch started to shine, as it began to change shape. Four stumpy legs, floppy ears, a trunk... and when the light faded, there stood a new, fresh baby Phanpy!

"Mama! Dada!" Leopold said for the baby.

"Our first child!" Conner and Bea interpreted as the Donphan came to hug the newborn in their trunks.

"Awww," everyone in the background cooed.

"Parents and child together as a family," Camilla said. "Thank you, but I only came here for the crop of plants inside that cave over there."

As the bunny pointed to the Quaking Earth Titan's den, Conner said for the dad Donphan, "Those shiny, yellow sprigs? Go ahead, knock yourself out."

"Take as much as you like," Bea added for the mommy, "Camilla Otore."

Camilla was surprised that the mama knew her name, but remembered there was another part of her quest as she turned around to find the Prime Ground Tera Jewel floating there. "Camilla Otore," said the voice. "You have broken the influence of the light over the Ground-type, which has granted you access to one of the Paldea region's pantries. Once you accept this Prime Tera Jewel, there will be one more remaining for you to gain in your quest. Do not falter."

"Trust me," Camilla said as she pocketed her fourth Prime Tera Jewel, "I plan to do as little faltering as possible." She then turned to the group and called out, "You guys go ahead, I'll catch up with you at the Pokemon Center!"

"Okay, see you there!" Rosita said before she led the group to the red kiosk outside the desert, leaving Camilla and her Floragato to travel up to the rockside cave where they found the glowing, golden plants they were looking for... the Sour Herba Mystica.

(Hemisphere Diamant defeated!)

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To be continued...