Previously on Oranges to Grapes...

Ko ends up searching the big score of his mystery all by himself because Camilla, Pico and Balto abandoned him to cram for a big test. Meanwhile, the Hell-Sent girls finally arrive in Mesagoza, but must wait until tomorrow to take any further action...

-

However, readers, while the main characters are dealing with their own situations, the disruption that has beset the Paldea region has not been idle.

All 18 crystal domes placed around the region have been seemingly still on the outside... but inside was a different story. Within the walls of the dome were the poor Pokemon unlucky enough (or stupid enough) to make direct contact with the surface of the dome, locked into their shrunken, dormant state as they were trapped inside the crystal walls themselves. As for the people who made the same mistake, their fate was different, yet equally punishing.

Further inside the domes' walls were the towns, dens and bases they captured, all coated in a layer of sparkling crystal as if the locations themselves were Terastalized. The captured people were among those places... but their faces had grown listless, complacent, apathetic, as if their drive to do anything had been completely drained from their bodies after being trapped for days, and they had just... given up trying. In fact, that was exactly what happened.

Because in the Battle Courts of 8 of the domes...

in the big tents of 5 of the domes...

and in the caves of the remaining 5 of the domes...

a small mass of crystal was pulsing with light inside a crater, indicating that they were the objects that fell from the sky after the Great Crater erupted with light. Those masses seemed to be sleeping, if objects could be sentient. While they were, near-invisible currents of energy were flowing to them from all different directions inside the domes, as if the masses were hearts recieving blood from their veins without sending it back out because they had no arteries.

The capillaries of those currents were actually the people and Pokemon the domes caught, and the energy in those currents was their life-force being drained away little by little, just enough to drag the process out. But after several days of sipping from all those straws, the tempo of the light pulses began to pick up speed... meaning the masses were starting to stir!

At that point, the currents were getting thicker and wider, going from sipping to swigging to CHUGGING life-force until all the sources in the domes were completely drained... with slurping noises playing near the end. That slurping seemed to signal more Diademons to form from the walls of the domes, but on the inside this time. Each of them had different head adornments depending on which dome they came from, and all of them seemed to be saying the same thing... whether they knew it or not.

"Oh, boy! The moment has finally arrived!" said one in one dome.

"This is what we've been waiting for!" said another in another dome.

"Come on, everyone! Let's go!" said a third in a third dome.

And so, in all 18 domes around Paldea, armies of Diademons were gathering around the Battle Courts, big tents and caves where the pulsing masses were, and that pulsing was beginning to reach a fever pitch as elemental sparks were starting to fly from them in short bursts. Meanwhile, those small masses of crystal were getting bigger and bigger... then later started changing shape and color in places while elemental energy was pooling around them!

"Oh, gosh, it's happening!"

"They're almost here!"

"Here it comes! Here it comes!"

Finally, the changed masses rose up from their pools, carried by what appeared to be bipedal constructs of energy clad in patterned fabric... and when the process was complete at last, what stood before the pools were robed figures... each donning a large Tera Jewel on their heads. They each took notice of the masses of Diademons standing before them, and spoke.

"Come, Diademons, don't be agast,
For the Diamants have arrived at last.
Approach us at once, and kneel and bow,
For the time of the grand master plan is now!"

"We obey, o Diamants!" the armies replied en masse as though a dormant hive-mindset had been activated in them. They all moved closer to the Diamants, as they were ordered, and instantly fell facedown in reverence.

Pleased with their subordinates' obedience, the Diamants spoke again.

"Already well-trained since our being began,
Now we'll let you in on our grand master plan.
The Paldeans around us have reveled in crime,
Believing they've lost their comeuppence to time.
Having stolen the light upon which we sustain,
Leaving nothing down in the Great Crater to remain.
Their unaccountability left us one recourse,
So we're taking all of the light back by force.
Now they are the ones who are left with no shine,
And that sort of karma serves them just fine.
We'll see how easy they get their battle joys,
With their Tera Orbs reduced to decorative toys!
And if some whiny griper tries to work up a fuss,
We'll shatter those bastards, just like they shattered us!"

That speech made the Diademons want to cheer in triumphant praise, but they didn't dare rise up from their bowing out of obedience to their masters. That caught the Diamants' attention, and they gestured for the groups to get on their feet, which they did without question.

"Now rest, Diademons, for the hour draws near.
If we can't gain respect, we'll settle for fear!
FOR THE LIGHT!"

"For the light!" the armies repeated, and that alone became their chant. As the meetings within the domes drew to a close, the future of Paldea became less and less certain... What was to await the region? What is the Diamants' endgame? And what would become of the land if there were no way to Terastalize anymore?

Beats me, but I do know one thing: If Paldea wants to be rid of those domes and what's inside them, now would be the time for heroes!

-

To be continued.