Previously on Oranges to Grapes...

Director Clavell announces the beginning of the independent study project, the Treasure Hunt. But while Camilla, Pico and Balto are still recuperating, all the other students recklessly set out on the hunt, only to come across an obstacle with even less reck: at least two major locations in Paldea are encased in crystal and swarming with Diademons of different colors...

-

And so, all of Paldea has been overtaken by crystal. Most of the student body of the Foremost World-Renowned Pokemon Academy of Paldea have been captured by Diademons, and the only three that aren't are confined to their dorms to recover from injuries they suffered the day before.

Ah, flapknackers. I was kind of hoping I'd set up a scene where some kind of hero would rise to the occasion and try to save Paldea from its menace.

Wait a minute... maybe I forgot someone...

-

Meanwhile, back in Los Platos, Rosita Verdes had changed into a more casual wardrobe: white t-shirt, black shorts, white socks, black shoes, and a brown backpack. The side pocket of said backpack was bulged out a little, indicating that her Sealing Ball was inside. "Well, today's the day, Conner," she said out loud. "The independent study project of the Foremost World-Renowned Pokemon Academy of Paldea is underway. Pow, that's a mouthful."

Before she left, however, she took out a piece of paper and a pen, and began writing,

"Dear Mother, 

By the time you read this, it will be apparent that I have left the house. That is simply because I have decided to go out on my own terms. Note that this does not mean I am cutting you or Dad out of my life, because I love you both too much. It simply means that I don't need to participate in some school project to find something to cherish my whole life. I just need to find myself and how I can fit into the Paldea region, and if I waited around for some school to tell me to do so, I'd probably die waiting. Rest assured, I will be back, but I just don't know when that will be yet.

Warmest regards,
Rosita Verdes

P.S. The bathroom needs more air freshener. You know why."

After she set the note on her newly-made bed, she left her room and then her house. As soon as she was outside, a cluster of leaves and grass swirled around on the ground near the path until it formed her snail partner, Conner. "Time to head out?" he asked after he was complete.

"Yep," the caracal answered. "The Academy's project started, and now I can help you get the others like you to join me. Now, hop on."

Rosita lowered her paw to the grass, and Conner slunk onto it at his own pace. (He was a snail, after all.) As soon as he was on her paw, she scooped him up and placed him on her shoulder before heading out.

"Goodbye for now, Los Platos," Rosita said as she walked along the path. "Sorry I can't stay until next year, but life is too short!" She then exited out of the aforementioned town and into Area One of the South Province before asking, "So, where to first, Conner?"

"Well, so far the closest presence I'm sensing is," Conner said before pausing... then after a few seconds, he pointed with his eyestalks and said, "that way, to the west."

"To the west it is, then." Rosita followed where Conner was pointing, as if he were a compass made of leaves and grass... only to stop at a high rise. "Welp, can't get there from here. Better go around-"

"There's no need for that," Conner interrupted. "Just because we're at a wall doesn't mean we're at a dead end. We can just climb over!"

"And how?" Rosita questioned. "Granted, I have claws, but keratin can't last against rock."

"If I add a small taste of my power, they can," Conner said. "Observe." He then focused on the wall in front of him, and something surprising happened. The grass at the bottom of the wall started sprouting vines that crawled up, up, UP the wall, bending side to side in places along the way. After a few seconds, the vines reached the top of the wall, having formed a makeshift ladder!

"Whoa!" Rosita exclaimed. "You can control plants!?"

"Well, of course," Conner said, still focusing. "Don't you remember the binding and lashing back at Grasswither Shrine? Now, start climbing! I can't hold the vines up forever!"

"Right!" Rosita rushed up to the vine ladder and grabbed hold. After testing it with a few tugs, she pulled herself and started climbing. Halfway up the ladder, the vines started turning brown at the bottom, but she kept going up.

"Cool!" the caracal said as she neared the end of her climb. "We're almost to the top! Nothing can stop us now!"

"Just as long as you don't look down," Conner said... right before there was a crunch below them.

Against her partner's warning, Rosita folded her ears back and looked down, and saw that the browning was catching up to her. "WREER!" she yowled.

"I told you not to look down!" Conner reminded her. "Just keep climbing!"

Rosita fought through her nerves and kept going up, using her claws to try and gain speed. But just as she reached the top and pushed herself over, the vine ladder had turned completely brown and dried up before crumbling away and collapsing off the wall entirely. "Hah.. hoh," she panted before standing up. "Guess I should've listened when you said you couldn't hold the vines up forever. You feeling okay?"

"I'll be fine," Conner assured. "What matters is that we made it to the top, and when I create another ladder in the future, the longer it is, the quicker we'll have to climb it. It's called the Principle of Ruin... which I just made up, I'll admit."

"Okay, answered a few more questions," Rosita supposed, "but I'll save more for later. Let's just keep going."

And so, both caracal and snail in tow continued walking through the South Province; first through Area Four, then Area Two until they found a small sparkle in the grass. As Rosita walked over to pick it up, she heard a small "grik."

"What was that?" she asked.

"Sorry, that was my stomach," Conner apologised. "After not having a body for so long, I forgot about those little things that come up every now and again."

"Well, let's see if we can't find something to fix that," Rosita said as she bent down to pick up the sparkle, which turned out to be...

"Ooh, a Kelpsy Berry! My favorite!" Conner said happily, and Rosita held it in front of him to munch. "Homp! Mmm-mmm... homp..."

"You must really like these, don't you?" Rosita asked as her partner happily snacked away on his little treat.

"Mmm-hmm," Conner agreed. After swallowing his last bite, he added, "Yummy! Thanks for the Kelpsy Berry, Rosita."

"Don't mention it," Rosita said, and they both continued onward...

-

To be continued.