Previously on Oranges to Grapes...

Our future students arrive at the Academy at last, but though four anthros enter... only three remain as Rosita is disqualified from enrollment. Now the survivors are about to choose their first Pokemon...

-

As the light from the balls faded, Camilla, Pico and Balto were looking down at Clavell's feet, where their starter Pokemon options were standing.

Sprigatito, the Grass Cat Pokemon was licking its paw to clean behind its ear.

Fuecoco, the Fire Croc Pokemon was waving until it burped a little fire, then blushed.

And Quaxly, the Duckling Pokemon was smoothing down a cowlick in its glossy blue coif.

"As you can see," Clavell explained, "each of our aspiring students begins their semester at our academy with one of these three starter Pokemon. Once their choice is made, they shall raise them into strong, reliable companions for our... "special project," and that is all I shall divulge for now. We shall enter the academy shortly, but first, which of these three shall you choose?"

Camilla was the first to pick as she approached the pack. She looked down, and Sprigatito was the only one of the three who looked up at her. Their eyes met, and the feline Pokemon let out a soft "mew," melting the bunny's heart. "I choose Sprigatito," Camilla said, "and I shall nickname her... Rosie."

Pico was next, and he wanted to be sure that his choice would benefit his future plans. So, he looked towards Fuecoco, and saw more than just a fire in his eyes... and his belly. "My choice shall be Fuecoco," the lizard stated, "and I shall call him Apple."

Obviously, that left Balto with Quaxly, but he didn't mind because the avian Pokemon waddled up to the husky and wrapped its wings around his leg, apparently liking the touch of his fur against its feathers. "And it looks like Quaxly already chose me," Balto said, "so I'll call him... Prince."

Clavell smiled at the sight, pleased with the choices that were made. "Excellent," he said. "Now that your choices have been made, please return them to their Poke Balls so we can enter the Academy."

One by one, Rosie, Apple and Prince were swallowed up by beams of red light that returned them to their balls before their trainers followed the academy director to the academy he was... well, directing. But before they reached the front door of the school, Camilla looked behind her and thought, Wherever you are, Rosita, I'm sorry you couldn't join us at the Academy, but I hope you'll be alright, and I hope you feel better soon...

-

Nice as that wish was, it could not be further from possible. After being exiled from the Academy, Rosita was forced to return to Los Platos in shame and couldn't re-enroll until next year. Put that on top of her other traumas, and the poor caracal ran away from her town in frustration, going back to the only place she could think of to make herself feel any semblance of better: the lighthouse on Poco Path, where she first met false hope before it all got flushed down the pot.

"All this because I couldn't catch one Pokemon in a lousy Poke Ball," she mumbled to herself, lamenting. "It's not fair. All I wanted was a head start, and I couldn't even get that. And apparently, people don't have a shred of sympathy for you if you can't match them in ability, because it's too much to ask!" She then took a deep breath and screamed as loud as she could...

"WHY CAN'T PEOPLE CARE!?!?!?"

That alone must have been loud enough to reach past the ponds, because five seconds after, something strange happened. The grass around the lighthouse started growing faster at Rosita's feet, then all of a sudden, it lashed out and grabbed her by the ankles and wrists!

"What the-! HEY! Let me go!"

But the grass ignored her entirely as it kept growing, lifting her up off the ground before carrying her away to a ledge. It then flung her over to another ledge where more tall grass caught her before wilting and crumbling away.

"AAAHHH- Ooof! What is happening!?"

Rosita's questions remained unanswered as the grass carried her to the rock wall in Area One of the Southern Province. As old grass lost its grip and let go, new grass was there to take its place and bind her, making it look like she was crowd-surfing on an uncut lawn. Eventually she was dropped onto a cushion of grass... right in front of the door to Grasswither Shrine.

"Oof," the caracal said as she was finally let go and stood back up on her feet, only softly lit by the purple glow of the shrine's door. "Well, at least now I can figure out what's going on here. Just need to catch my breath-"

Just when she thought it was all over, Rosita had just leaned on the shrine's door... with her paw right slap on the glowing purple line. She was suddenly engulfed in purple energy... and disappeared.

-

To be continued.