Previously on Oranges to Grapes...

After recieving their up-to-date Pokedex app updates and the keys to their dorms, Camilla, Pico and Balto have phone conversations with their guardians before settling down...

-

As for the days until the independent study project, they continued on like normal. Camilla, Pico and Balto attended classes and got to know their teachers a little better. Camilla found out that Ms. Tyme used to be a Gym Leader before she gave the position to her sister Ryme, Pico learned that Miss Miriam used to be the Academy's school nurse before she became the new health teacher (but still treats the students and their Pokemon as part of a promotion Clavell gave her), and Balto got to meet Mr. Salvatore's Pawmot that he raised when it was a quiet, scared Pawmi that wandered into the Academy years ago.

Not only that, but they got to meet their other teachers around the Academy and learn about them as well; Miss Raifort the history teacher and her facination with certain Legendary Pokemon, Mr. Hassel the art teacher and his family constantly nagging him to quit teaching and return to his family heritage of commanding Dragon-type Pokemon, and Mr. Saguaro the home ec teacher who eased up on his rigidness and embraced his sweet tooth to encourage his students to stay true to themselves.

But, on the day before the "independent study project" was supposed to take place, the students of the Academy were gathered at the building's indoor schoolyard, where the battle studies teacher Ms. Dendra stood in front of the crowd.

"Another day for enjoying the great somewhat outdoors! Osu!" Ms. Dendra exclaimed with her usual energy. "Listen up, ya rascals! Today is our last free day before the 'independent study project' gets underway! All of you have been outstanding so far, but let's keep those powerful vibes up, because once the project starts up... you'll all get pushed hard by the world out there!" She then folded her arms before continuing, "However! That's what these recess periods are for; to keep you all active and on your toes! Osu! So I wanna see you all taking the most advantage of these last few precious moments here! Run that track, battle in those courts, balance on those logs- whatever floats your boat and keeps it running at full throttle! And remember- say it with me!"

"Osu! Osu! OSU!!!" the whole crowd shouted with their coach.

"That's what I like to hear!" Ms. Dendra said proudly. "Now, go play!"

And all the students were left to their own devices in the schoolyard; some ran the track, some used the playground equipment, and some held Pokemon battles in the battle courts in the center.

However, as much as Camilla, Pico and Balto wanted to find their own fun, they had something more pressing on their minds... namely, where Sylvan, Rima and Spike were during the night, and how their missing always managed to coincide. Fortunately, the former trio managed to gather the latter trio together, and all six of them were huddled in the shade of a tree by the shed.

"So," Pico stated now that all 6 classmates were gathered, "now that all 6 of us are together, I think it's about high time we addressed the Cufant in the room... the very big, deceptively stylized, 'makes you think you're outside, but you're really not' room."

"Okay," Rima supposed, "what do you want to know?"

"Well, first off," Camilla started, "we know that every night at dinnertime, the three of you go to Every Wich Way in town, but the thing that strikes us as odd is that you all go together. Which begs the question: Are you three close friends, or is that just coincidental?"

"Well, allow us to explain," Sylvan said. "Yes, it's true that we all leave the school grounds together, but the thing of it is that there's more than one Every Wich Way location in Mesagoza, and we all choose seperate locations."

"Right," Spike added. "And each location has different sandwiches on their menu, some better than the ones here, no offense to the cafeteria staff."

"You could say, a preference of taste?" Rima punctuated cutely.

"So, to answer your question," Sylvan concluded, "yes, we have attended the Academy longer than you three have, but our restaurant visits are scheduled and coincidental."

"Oh," Camilla supposed. "I... guess that makes sense."

"Well, now that all that's out of the way," Balto said, "time for us to play before the special day! Oop, made a rhyme!"

That coaxed a laugh from the other five classmates before Camilla said, "You're silly, Balto... but you're also right!"

"Yep, no better time like the present," Pico agreed. "The sun is out, the sky is blue... and look how green the grass is in here!"

"Hey!" the husky huffed. "Two of those statements are offensive to those of us who can't see color!"

"Right, sorry," the lizard said.

"Uh, guys?" the bunny said. "You might wanna look at this."

Both anthro boys looked to where Camilla was pointing, and saw Rima, Sylvan and Spike frozen in place; blankly staring, standing still, almost as if something was going on in their minds. Suddenly, the three took on a more sinister face before grabbing the shoulders of their uniforms.

"We remember now," Rima said.

"This is our last chance to redeem ourselves," Sylvan added.

"And we're not gonna waste it!" Spike topped off.

Before any of the anthros could ask what they were going on about, bright flashes of light shone where the other trio stood. When the light faded, no longer stood three of the students of the Foremost World-Renowned Pokemon Academy of Paldea, but in their places stood three humanoid, blank, null, sparkling, translucent figures with long, tapered protrusions coming out of their shoulders... even their faces were blank, with the only part of them having a face was their large, angry eyes glaring across the schoolyard!

"What is going on!?" Pico demanded, half-confused, half-scared.

"Nothing that need concern you!" Rima said.

"All that matters is everyone here must answer for their crimes!" Sylvan tacked on.

"But you haven't acted against us, so you get to live," Spike piled on.

"That's what you think, you GLASS POLES!" Camilla and Balto shouted before she threw a kick and he went in for a chomp, but as soon as both attacks made contact-

"MY FOOT!!!" the poor bunny yelled in pain.

"MY TEETH!!!" the poor pup hollered into his paws.

"Who's the glass pole now, ya dumb fluffs?" Sylvan gloated as the kick bounced off of him harmlessly.

"You guys, that's who!" Spike boasted as the bite didn't even put a crack in his crystal body.

Pico tried to make a run for it, but Rima grabbed him by the tail and said, "Oh, no you DON'T!"

As the lizard pulled, his assailant kept her grip solid, resulting in-

"MY TAIL!!!"

Rima then lashed Pico's severed tail at him, knocking him down. "Congradulations, pleather-head! You and your friends get to die heroes!"

May we be forgiven, the three anthros thought at the same time without knowing, for what we must do to survive. They each took out their Poke Balls and called out the orders:

"Rosie! Use Magical Leaf!"

"Apple! Use Incinerate!"

"Prinsh! Ushe Aqua Jet!"

After the flashes of light burst from the balls, Camilla's Sprigatito and Pico's Fuecoco blasted leaves of multicolored light and blazing-hot flames respectively, while Balto's Quaxly shot itself into the crossfire surrounded by water. As soon as all three attacks connected, the three crystal people were bashed HARD by a rocket of boiling-hot water surrounded by shining leaves, ramming them into a wall and cracking their bodies all over!

As the three crystalline humanoids saw that they apparently failed their mission (whatever it was), a single sentence escaped from them in unison:

"Even if we die... others will replace us."

All three of them were then shattered in a dazzling burst of glory, with the shrapnel dissolving into harmless, glittery powder in midair. When the whole mess was over, all that was left of the squabble were three small, clear rods that looked like translucent scepters.

The three anthros returned their Pokemon back to their Poke Balls before hobbling over to the rods, then each of them picked one of the clear items up and held it in their hands.

"So," Camilla said in awe, "three of our friends weren't really friends at all. They were all just pretending so no one would suspect their true motives... whatever they were."

"Still," Balto puzzled, "why can't I shake the feeling that we forgot somethi- Oohh, do I dare look behind me?"

The three then slowly and nervously turned around to find the rest of the students looking at them with their eyes wide open and mouths agape, supposedly in shock... but the sight that put another pit in their stomachs was Ms. Dendra with her arms folded.

"So, uh," Pico hazarded, trying to diffuse the tension, "how much did you see?"

"Enough to know what to tell the director," their battle studies teacher said bluntly.

That was enough to make them all go, "Gulp..."

-

To be continued...