Previously on Oranges to Grapes...

Ko has been having his own adventures back at the Academy. He's suggested a fundraiser to Director Clavell to raise money for an expansion during a school assembly, and that earns him an audience with Chairwoman Geeta...

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(Dome 9: In for a Poke, In for a Wave)

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Back on the other side of the west gate, Camilla, Pico, Balto and the Hell-Sent girls walked down to their next destination on foot, hoping that it would give Rosita some time to cool off and apologize to Balto. But as they walked farther and farther, the caracal stubbornly stuck to her convictions that she would make something go horribly wrong once they were back in Porto Marinada.

Hoping to lighten the mood, Jessica piped up with, "So, we're almost to my old stomping grounds back at the turbines. What say we stop there for a few minutes so we can discuss the plan? Because I didn't see any Diademons coming from the dome over Cascarrafa, but I'm pretty sure blue means Water-type."

"Oh, thanks for reminding me," Pico said as he took out one of his Poke Balls. "Come on out, Smoliv!"

As the little olive Pokemon was sent out, the snow leopard tried to change the subject. "Okay, while Pico's feeding his Pokemon EXP Candies, how's Camilla going to deal with the brown-"

"Rosie has that covered," the bunny said. "Grass is super effective against Ground."

"Boy, you two are never at a lack of an answer for anything, are you?" Jessica said. "Then riddle me this: is Pico the only one who has more than one Pokemon in his party?"

"Nope," Camilla said as she took out a second Poke Ball. "I've also got the plural form of the word. Would you like to meet him?"

"Oh," the snep girl said upon hearing a male pronoun. "Okay, sure."

As Camilla sent out the second member of her party, Pico's Smoliv was starting to glow with blue light. The fruit on its head split in two and moved down to the sides, while its nubby legs grew longer and longer among a bushel of leaves that bloomed around them. When both constructs of light dimmed, two Pokemon were standing before the group: a Cyclizar that Camilla sent out, and a Dolliv that had evolved from Pico's Smoliv.

"Wow!" Jessica remarked. "How long has that been on standby?"

"A while," both the bunny and lizard said together without realizing it.

"Okay," Eartha suddenly said, "prattle has been spoken, tension eased somewhat, now let's keep going."

"Yes, let's," Rosita added.

"So that's just it?" Jessica questioned. "We're never going to address this?"

"What's to address?" the caracal replied with a shrug. "I'm just trying to learn from someone else's mistake."

"Are you really that broken that you can't stand a little embarrassment?" Balto asked. "Why did your parents even have you?"

"Puppy-pup, I've been asking myself that question for as long as I can remember."

"Well, I'm sorry you're uncomfortable," the spotted feline asserted, "but you'll have to find a plus to this. Balto may not be the only one to get something out of seeing Rhett again."

"Well, who else would?" the feline with the earlashes demanded. "The only people here who've been to Porto Marinada besides him are me and-"

"Dome's here," Dina pointed out as the group had the sapphire dome in their sights.

"-you," Rosita finished her sentence. "There. Now was that so hard?"

"It is when your train of thought keeps getting thrown off," Pico said.

"Okay, you've finished a sentence," Jessica said as she prepared to face the upcoming army. "Now let's get ready to shatter some Diademons once they're here."

As if on cue, six Diademons topped with splashes adorned with Arrocuda Scales popped from the surface of the dome. "Well, here we are!" one of them said.

"They could hear us?" Rosita asked in disbelief, but shook her head and took out her Sealing Ball before adding, "Questions for later."

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Rosita, Jessica, Eartha and Dina raised the Sealing Balls over their heads and shouted together, "Precure Ruination!"

Conner, Leopold, Anton and Bea dissipated into grass, snow, dirt and flames, and it swirled around the girls and made their clothes turn into colored light... then they started changing!

First, their torsos were surrounded in grass, snow, dirt and flames and collected into their tops.

Next, more grass, snow, dirt and flames collected around their waists and became their bottoms.

Then, even more grass, snow, dirt and flames collected around their limbs until they became their arm and leg covers.

Finally, they threw the Sealing Balls in the air as more colored light poured from their heads and became their hair, then the balls got on their chests and became their adornments.

"Antithesis of forgiveness, Cure Grudge!"
"Antithesis of love, Cure Hatred!"
"Antithesis of courage, Cure Fear!"
"Antithesis of gratitude, Cure Envy!"

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

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But as soon as the transformation was over, the Diademons tensed up their bodies, and a watery aura pulsed from their bodies before they darted forward in water tunnels, which Balto recognized as...

"Incoming Aqua Jets!"

The non-magical anthros dove for cover, but two of the watery tendrils crashed into Cures Fear and Envy, forcing their transformations to cancel!

"AH! I'm hit!" Dina shouted. "I- I, I... Oh, this actually feels kind of nice."

"Speak for yourself," Eartha said as she was soaked, forcing herself to get down on all fours and shake off the water like a fluffy-tailed chihuahua.

"Grudge, Hatred, look out!" Camilla shouted as the tendrils looped around. "The Diademons are coming in for another attack!"

"Don't worry, Camilla," Cure Hatred said as she extended her ice-blades. "We've got this." As the tendrils closed in on her, she swung the blades at them, causing the water to freeze into solid ice and lose momentum. "Grudge! Now!"

"I'm on it!" Cure Grudge said as she lunged her vine-laces at the ice-rockets, catching each of them with one while the leftover laces looped around to bundle them all together. She then grabbed the length of the vine-bundle with both paws, swinging them around and around until finally, she swung them up and over her head and yanked them down to the ground!

"Lanyard Suplex!"

None of the Diademons had time or the ability to say anything before they were shattered into diamond dust... or rather, diamond frost. (Hey! That could be a chewing gum!)

Pico's crystal scepter then made quick work of the next parts: first the frost, then the dome. As soon as Cascarrafa was free again, the group looked around for the Diamant responsible. Once they reached the fountain at the center of town, there floated a blue, striped kimono with a Water Tera Jewel for a head, vibing with the scenery of being surrounded by water until Pico shouted out, "Enjoying your element, Diamant?"

That got the Diamant's attention, as it turned to address who spoke after realizing its dome was gone.
"I see that my dome has been recently dashed,
And out of your bodyguards, two have been splashed.
As I was just out admiring the view,
With, even exposed, plenty of blue.
But if you want a fight, prepare to face pain,
As the Fountain Diamant, as they say, makes it rain!"

And boy, did it ever make it rain, for as the sleeves were raised and the sparkles gathered, a deluge of water balls were falling from the sky! "Water in the hole!" Eartha called out.

"Hit the deck!" Dina shouted before diving into a nearby stream. She then popped her head out of the surface and added, "Don't worry! Water can't damage water, so as long as we stay below the surface, the rain can't hurt us!"

No one had time to argue before the water balls made contact, so the group dove into the stream except Pico... and Cure Grudge. "You all stay back! I'll stay on land and help Pico so he can call out orders!" the caracal in green called out as she flailed her vine-laces around the lizard and his Dolliv to smack away the water balls.

...or tried to, but the water balls that got hit simply burst into spray that sprinkled Pico and Dolliv with gentle droplets.

"Alright, Dolliv," the reptile called out through the mist, "use Seed Bomb!"

"Doll!" The olive Pokemon aimed its fruits at the Diamant and shot two large olive pits of green light that wove through the water balls and vine-laces before they hit the kimono and blew up, stunning it and stopping the rain!

"Now," Pico ordered, "finish it off with Energy Ball!"

Dolliv then put its arm-leaves together and concentrated green light between them into a ball of green light, which it fired with, "O-Dolliv!"

"AAAAAAUUUUUUUUGGGHHHHH!!!!"

As the Energy Ball destroyed the Fountain Diamant, it shone and exploded in a shower of light that restored the energy of everyone in the city and reversed the damage... including wicking away the moisture from Pico, Cure Grudge and Dolliv so they were perfectly dry and refreshed, making them feel like they just got out of a shower without having to take their clothes off.

"Good work, you two," Cure Grudge said as she still held her current form. "That's 9 domes removed, 9 Diamants defeated, and soon, 9 Prime Tera Jewels collected. I'd say we're already halfway there!" She then turned around and added, "Now, I'm going back to the stream to tell everyone else the good news... and also fish them out."

"Good idea," Pico said, and as the magical girl left to do what she said, the Prime Water Tera Jewel descended before him and Dolliv.

"Pico Hatsuki," the voice said, "you have broken the influence of the light over the Water-type, which has earned you the respect of the community of Cascarrafa. As you accept this Prime Tera Jewel, know that you have reached the halfway point in your quest, so continue the good work."

"Will do," Pico said as he pocketed his fourth Prime Tera Jewel just as he was rejoined by the rest of the group... some of which were still wet from being in the stream.

"Vaultin' Veluza! What's going on here!?"

As everyone who heard looked around to see who said that, they saw none other than Gym Leader Kofu crossing the bridge after exiting his restaurant, the Kofu Lounge, to investigate. "I could've sworn there was this downpour of rain a few minutes ago, and here everything's dry as a sandy shore!"

"Oh, there was definitely some rain," Pico said as he approached the large man, "but I stopped it. My name's Pico Hatsuki, by the way."

"Well, nice to meet you, Pico," Kofu said before sniffing the air. "Wait a second... Does anyone else smell wet dog?"

"Sorry," Balto piped up. "Didn't think to bring a towel."

"Vaultin' Veluza!" Kofu shouted again. "Balto Mijuumi, as I live and breathe! Good to see you again!"

"Good to see you too, Kofu!" the husky said with a wag in his tail.

"Wait," Pico stopped, "you two know each other?"

"Well, of course," Balto explained. "Cascarrafa and Porto Marinada are sister cities, and whenever Kofu would pop over to my neck of the region to buy something at the auction, my dad and I would run into him sometimes."

"And now that's finally come full circle!" Kofu said as he gave the husky's head some gentle pats. "Ah, I remember when this one was just a wee pup reaching no higher than the second rope in my apron, and now he's grown into a fine young dog! How is Rhett doing, by the way?"

"Oh, he's doing great, thanks for asking," Balto answered as he leaned into the hand giving him sugar.

"Good to hear! But anyways," Kofu said as he moved his hand away and regarded Pico, "is there anything I can do to thank you for saving Cascarrafa?"

"Actually, there is," Pico answered, "and don't worry, I won't ask for a free Badge. The last few Gym Leaders have been assuming that and were wrong."

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(Fountain Diamant defeated!)

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To be continued.