Previously on Oranges to Grapes...

Rosita and Jessica assume their alter-egos to make quick work of some Diademons on Soccarat Trail while Eartha ducks into Groundblight Shrine, leaving the powered-down felines with cautious hope...

-

As expected, Eartha found herself in total darkness, just like Rosita and Jessica were when they touched the door of a shrine. "Hmm... Okay, I've got the first step down pat, now I just have to find a way out of here. Shouldn't be too hard to find," she said as she perked up her ears and pivoted them this way and that, trying to listen for any sounds, no matter how small or insignificant, coming from the outside world.

But no matter how closely she listened, all that met her eardrums... was the sound of her own footsteps displacing the dirt she was walking on. "...Huh. That door must be sealed airtight. I can't hear anything but my own feet."

"Well," a goofy-sounding male voice said, "I wouldn't say airtight... mostly because I don't know how air can be tight."

"Who said that?" Eartha asked, pivoting her ears towards the sound.

"Probably one of those fancy-fangled philosopherers, or deep thinker people I've heard so much about."

"I mean, who are you?" the vulpine girl demanded now that she could pinpoint the source of the voice.

"Well, that's a little rude to ask who someone is when they don't know who just walked into their own personal space," the voice countered.

Eartha was starting to get exasperated... but then she stopped, took a deep breath, and got an idea. "You know what, you're right, that was rude of me. Let me try again." She then cleared her throat and said, "Hello there, my name is Eartha. What's your name?"

"Well, that's more like it," the voice said in a more pleased tone. "You can call me Anton. How do you do?"

"Actually, I'm a little worried," Eartha said as she lowered her ears on instinct. (Which isn't as effective if you can't see it, but what can you do?) "A few friends of mine were recently attacked by crystal monsters, and I was wondering-"

"Crystal monsters, you say?" Anton interrupted. "You sure it wasn't any of those Terastalized Pokemon?"

"Actually, no," Eartha answered. "Anyway, as I was saying, would it be possible if you could help us in dealing with them, please?"

"Well, of course it would," Anton said, "but first, I've got bad news and good news. The bad news is, obviously, we're still stuck in this here chamber."

"What's the good news?" Eartha asked.

"If I can just remember where the exit is," Anton explained, "maybe I can get us out of this here chamber!"

"I'll see if I can help, then," Eartha said as she started groping around in the darkness, feeling the walls until her paw touched something metal. "Anton, I think I found the door!"

"Well, strike a match for freedom, Eartha!" Anton said as a circle of light appeared in the chamber, then grew into a waxing crescent until the outside was visible again. As expected, Rosita and Jessica were right outside, relieved that their new friend was all right. "Eartha! Thank legendaries you're okay!" Rosita said.

"Of course I'm okay," Eartha said. "How's a little darkness gonna hurt me?"

"So, how was it in there, besides dark?" Jessica asked. "Did you make a connection with the spirit in the shrine?"

"I sure did," Eartha said with a smile on her muzzle. "Anton, say hello to my friends, and friends, say hello to Anton!"

"Hello, fellow compatriots!"

Everyone looked inside the chamber, and standing next to Eartha was a walking, packed clump of soil and gravel in the shape of a moose, only reaching up to the fennec fox's mid-thighs.

"Ah, welcome back to the outside world, spirit of Ting-Lu," Conner said.

"Yeah, good to see you again!" Leopold added.

"Likeways!" Anton replied.

"So now, three spirits of the Treasures of Ruin have been freed from their tombs," Rosita said.

"Guess there's only one thing for Anton left to do now," Jessica hinted.

"Oh, right. Now, where did I put that door?" Anton asked as he looked around. "Ah, there it is!"

At that point, the door to Groundblight Shrine shone with chartreuse light, hovered in midair, had eight lines of chartreuse light stick into its sides, and began spinning. "Shield your eyes!" Rosita called out, knowing how the next part was going to go.

The resulting disk began spinning around, kicking up dirt and rocks in its wind, making the spectators flinch except for Eartha. Soon the disk hovered over her and concentrated into itself, shrinking down to the size and shape of a Poke Ball, then lowered itself down into the vulpine girl's paws.

"Forged from the door of Groundblight Shrine and the stakes that kept it sealed," Anton began as Rosita started lip-synching with him, "I give you, Eartha Crust, our new bond as partners... your Sealing Ball!"

Eartha then did a double-take. "How did you know my last name?"

"I read it on the name tag of your sash."

"Oh, right."

"Great!" Jessica said. "Three girls, three spirit partners, three Sealing Balls... Our team is really coming together nicely. But I can't help but feel like we forgot something..."

"I think I know what it is," Eartha said as she looked down. "My Rotom still needs attention, and until it does, it can't help us with camping or picnics... or making new bodies for Leopold."

-

To be continued...