Previously on Oranges to Grapes...

After Rosita shows some restraint in temptation, the group heads out to Tagtree Thicket, where Balto not only earns the Poison Prime Tera Jewel, but also has his Quaxly, Prince, evolve into Quaxwell..

-

"Now that we've just collected two more of those, uh, Prime Tera Jewels," Dina offered as the group left Tagtree Thicket to call for another Flying Taxi ride back to Mesagoza, "perhaps someone would like to hear more about how I became Cure Envy?"

But no one responded as they waited for the cab.

"Really? No one?"

"No offense, Dina," Pico answered, "but you piddle around in that story so many times, I'm surprised a wild Lycanroc didn't challenge you for control of it."

"Wha-... I-... you-," the axolotl stuttered, grasping for words until she spat out, "How dare you! I don't piddle around!"

"Actually, Dina," Eartha piped up, "yeah, you do. Every time you start up that story, you drone on and on with filler until you pause somewhere in the middle of it."

"It's called providing context!" Dina fussed. "I only provide the filler so the listeners can gain some understanding about what's going on in the story! And the reason I keep pausing in the middle is because I keep getting cut off with the mission!"

"But you haven't gotten to the point yet!" the lizard fussed back. "And until you do, it's called piddling around!"

"Fine!" Dina griped as the cab landed. "You want the point, hold the filler!? I'll give you the point, hold the filler!"

"Is everything okay?" Hilda questioned. "Because I can come back if you-"

"You stay out of this!" Dina shot. "Just tell the birds to cool it until we're all inside, then back to Mesagoza and floor it!"

As much as Hilda wanted to tell the pink fish with limbs off, she let Dina have her way as the group piled in the cab. As soon as the door was shut, the driver heard two bangs on the cab's roof followed by, "Now!"

"Okay, FLOORING!" Hilda shouted as she stomped a lever somewhere, which poked the Squawkabilly with needles!

"GRAAAAAKKKK!!!!"

That got the flock flapping their wings in a panic, rocketing the cab and everyone in it back to the biggest city in Paldea!

"Now, here's the point, hold the filler!" Dina shouted as the cab soared. "I get out of the lake, decide to bond with my new Diglett, piddle around, piddle around, I learn that it can climb walls by digging up them, it carries me over to the bamboo grove, piddle around, piddle around, we come to Fury Falls, discover a cave where Firescourge Shrine is, we get ambushed by wild Pokemon, I try to get away, get trapped in the shrine, meet Bea, get out, get my Sealing Ball, we fight off the Pokemon, get out, the other girls show up, REST IS HISTORY!!! HAPPY!?!?!?"

By the time Dina asked the last word in enraged fury, the cab had already stopped outside the southern gate and everyone was panting and gasping... most of them in shock, one of them in frustration. The group poured out of the cab and entered the gate, leaving Hilda and the Squawkabilly to fly off to their next job... or at least away from Dina.

"Well, I hope you're proud of yourself," Camilla chided. "You've probably cheesed off the cab driver, and now she'll be less open to helping us in the future."

"Hey, don't tell me, blame yourselves for not wanting to take what I have to share," Dina said. "Once we're back in town, I'm going for a drink."

As expected, once the group re-entered the city, trails of glitter led them back to the central plaza... only Dina broke away from the group to find a vending machine. The trails were followed back to the Battle Court while two small bits of color were fixed at the outer ring, then Pico and Balto presented their latest Prime Tera Jewels to restore the Normal and Poison-type logos to the ring.

As soon as that was done, a small girl dressed in gray had just come up to the group. "Oh, you're back!" she said, catching the attention of the group.

"Um... hi?" Rosita said warily. "Do we know you?"

"Oh, right," the girl said with some embarrassment. "I forgot about this part, sorry. My name's Poppy, and I'm best friends with Rika. She told me that some really strong and nice people are helping fix Paldea back up, and I wanted to meet them for myself."

"Oh, well, hi, Poppy," Balto said. "I'm Balto, and these are my friends, Rosita, Jessica, Eartha, Camilla, and Pico," he counted off as the others waved and smiled when their names were said. "Did you hear that, everybody? We're only two-thirds done with the job, and we've already gotten a fan!"

"More than a fan, Balto," Pico said. "Poppy here is also a Steel-type Trainer, and a member of the Paldean Elite Four."

"That's right!" Poppy confirmed. "And on behalf of Rika, Miss Geeta, and Mr. Hassel, I also came here to thank you for saving Mr. Larry, too!" She then paused, as though something came to mind for her. "Wait a minute, uh, one, two, three, four, five, six... Well, something doesn't look right. Rika told me there were seven people saving Paldea. One of you seems to be missing."

"Oh, you must mean Dina," Eartha said. "Yeah, she got kinda thirsty when we came back to Mesagoza, so she went to find a vending machine so she could get a drink."

Poppy then squinted her eyes and looked around, then pointed as she said, "Oh, isn't that her with her head dunked in the fountain?"

"Well, that can't be," Jessica said as she turned around, but when she saw where Poppy was pointing, she folded her ears back in worry. "Oh, no, it is."

Just as described, the axolotl was headfirst in the west fountain, chugging the waters to refill her gill-buds. After a few gulps, she lifted her head with a gasp. "Hah... hoh... Mesagoza doesn't have enough vending machines, no sirree."

"I am terribly sorry about her," Jessica said to the youngest Elite One. "But it's been nice to meet you, Poppy, so give our regards to the other Elites and the chairwoman!"

"Yeah, uh," Rosita struggled. "We're just gonna, uh, go and, umm... check up on Dina to see if she's okay!"

"Er, that's right!" Eartha piled on. "Us Hell-Sent girls have to stick together, after all!"

"Oh, okay," Poppy said. "Nice meeting you all, too! Bye!"

As Poppy left the central plaza, the group rushed to the fountain to catch up with Dina, who saw them coming up and said, "Oh, hello, friends. Did I miss anything?"

"Just you embarrassing the rest of us in front of a member of the Elite Four," Rosita said. "Drinking out of the fountain? Really? The FOUNTAIN, of all things!?"

"I had to! I was in survival mode!" Dina retorted. "My gill-buds were running low!"

"We'll have to justify your means another time, Dina," Camilla said as she pulled up the map again. "Right now, it's back to business. But first, I have good news, everyone! Our next two domes to clear out will be over Montenevera and the Ruchbah Squad's base!"

"Wait, that actually IS good news!" Dina said. "Hooray! I can come back to my hometown again!"

"And I can finally get some closure with the rose quartz dome!" Eartha cheered.

"Yeah, didn't you get hurt trying to break it before when-" Rosita started, but tried to backtrack after realizing it wasn't a good memory. "Uh, when you... er-"

"Went berserk, yes!" Eartha said, bored. "Dear Mew, we've literally all done it!"

"I haven't," Camilla pointed out.

"Give it some time, you're hanging with the right crowd."

"Right, but more to the main point," Pico added, "that also means Ryme will be busted out and able to see Miss Tyme again."

"And I can get the collectors to pick up another Starmobile," Balto tacked on.

"But before we do that," Jessica interjected, "perhaps someone needs to apologize to someone else for misbehaving?"

As the group left through the east gate this time, they quibbled over who should apologize...

-

Meanwhile, Ko had finally left the Academy to set out on his mission to find his own treasure: the support of Paldea to expand his school. As he carried a large box in his arms, he walked down the path outside Mesagoza's south gate and said to himself, "Alright, time to put some money into the Academy Expansion Fund with my jars of delicious jam... starting with the cozy residents of the sleepy, little town of Los Platos."

As soon as he entered the town, the bear found a nice little place to set up shop on the grassy hill. He then set the box down and opened it, pulling out a plastic square that unfolded and became a large table. He then took out the jars of his jam and set them on the table one by one, then finally finished the setting with a folding paper sign that said, "Bubba Ko's Jam, P500 per jar."

"And now, Bubba Ko's Jam stand is officially open for business!" Ko stated, just as the front doors of two houses were opening. "Ah, just in time, too. Here come my first customers!"

Out of one house was an elderly female rabbit with white fur and long, grayed hair who wore a blue cardigan over a flowered dress and wicker sandals, while the one who left the other house was a tall female caracal with tan fur and brown hair in a bun wearing a light-blue, short-sleeved shirt, denim jeans and black sneakers. Both females approached the table before Ko said, "Good day, ladies, and welcome to Bubba Ko's Jam stand. Would you like to buy a few jars to help the Foremost World-Renowned Pokemon Academy of Paldea expand their building?"

"Actually, I only came out here to investigate what's going on here," the caracal stated, "but thanks for explaining. And now, I'm intrigued. Perhaps I'll buy one jar to start you off."

"Alright, coming right up," Ko said as he placed one of the jars in front of his first customer. "That'll be 500 Poke, please."

"Ah, surprisingly affordable," the feline said as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a 500 Poke-bill to place on the table. "Perhaps if I like what I have, I might bring some of this stuff to work with me and tell my co-workers about it. That could give you a whole influx of new customers."

"Well, aren't you generous, Carla," the elderly rabbit said. "Perhaps I could help him along further, then. I'll take two jars, please."

"Here you go, ma'am," Ko said as he presented two jars to the lapine. "That'll be 1,000 Poke, please."

"Okay," the rabbit said as she reached into her purse and gave the bear ten 100 Poke coins. "Now I have something to put on that excess of bread bags I bought too much of the other day. Thanks for helping my groceries not go to waste!"

"My pleasure, ma'am," Ko said with a smile. "Enjoy your jam, ladies!"

"We will, Bubba Ko!" And Ko, under his new moniker of Bubba Ko, watched as his first customers walked back into their homes to enjoy their new purchases, not knowing that those particular ladies... were Camilla Otore's grandmother, Kotoha, and Rosita Verdes's mother. But that wasn't on his mind, as other residents of Los Platos took notice of the table in the center of town and wanted to try some of that jam for themselves...

-

To be continued.