Air Apparent

Episode Info
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**Transcript**

Season 7, Episode 2a

**"Air Apparent"** is the first segment of the 2nd episode of the seventh season of *Trolls: TrollsTopia*, and the 92nd overall episode in the series. It premiered in August 11, 2022.

## Synopsis

When Cloud Guy gets accepted to Cloud College, he sets out to find a suitable replacement to continue annoying Branch in his absence.

## Plot

Poppy is in her pod humming while painting a picture when Cloud Guy comes to tell her that he needs her help. He gives an envelope to Poppy that reads "Precipitation State University", and clarifies that he's going to Cloud College. He explains that as a younger cloud, he briefly enrolled at an institute of "higher altitude education", until a "no-good" dean kicked him out for "underperforming in class", which he claims to be a ridiculous reason to get kicked out; he never attended any more classes until now. Poppy tells Cloud Guy to just sign the letter and return it to the university as he'll become a Fighting Storm Cloud in no time.

In Branch's bunker, Branch tells Gary that he didn't know sorting leaves by composability made for a practical and fun afternoon. Just then, Cloud Guy shows up and tells Branch that he must find a way to annoy him even when he's not around, so that he stays "that little ball of jangled nerves" he's come to adore, since when he annoys Branch, it pushes him to become a better Troll as he cares about him. He tells Branch to play mind games and get in his head, then explains that he's busy trying to find a Troll to take over for him while he's at Cloud College. He already attempted with one candidate, and has an appointment with his next one.

The next morning, Branch pours sugar into a bowl of cereal, while Cloud Guy and Synth are seen behind a wall nearby. After Synth calls Branch's bowl of cereal a "powdered sugar", Branch gets "Synth'ed" by Synth and Cloud Guy marks an X in a picture of Synth. At night, Branch is sleeping in his bed, while Cloud Guy and Dante Crescendo enter the room. Dante then takes a bowl of water and Branch's hand as he rub Branch's finger with a stick. Cloud Guy then frowns and rips Dante's picture apart.

The next day, Branch gets out of his bunker and sees that his leaves and sand are gone. Branch finds out that Holly was using her hair in a shape of a cloud. Holly attempts a fist bump with Branch, but he refuses at first before caving in, to which she does various hand movements on his fist. She then sends Branch flying and he lands hard on the ground, groaning in pain as Holly holds out her hand.

Cloud Guy says that thanks to Holly, he'll be sleeping soundly, knowing that Branch won't be sleeping soundly himself. And Poppy is just glad that he feels better about leaving for Cloud College. However, whe sticks his hand into one of his body pockets, he realizes that his acceptance letter is gone. He looks through more pockets before witnessing Branch and Holly eating a cupcake together. Cloud Guy gasps and angrily comes out of some bushes when Holly tells Branch she's been "fake-annoying" him. He tells them that he didn't condense yesterday, as both Branch and Holly are cahoots. Branch replies that he taught Holly how to pester him so he'd think he found a replacement and leave.

Cloud Guy is about to destroy the acceptance letter, but Branch refuses and tries to get into an ultimate showdown between him and Cloud Guy. Cloud Guy calls his clones to get the acceptance letter before Poppy appears and stopped them. Poppy told Cloud Guy that he need to admit that Branch is more to him than just a Troll he like to tease. She also told Branch to admit he want Cloud Guy to go to Cloud College not to get rid of him, but because he’d hate to be the reason that he didn't follow his dream.

Branch says that he doesn't have to worry about him because even when he's gone, he'll always be right there with him. He thanks Cloud Guy for making him live a life in a constant state of unease. And yet, somehow, he's a better Troll for it. When he asks himself who has always been there to push him to be a better Troll, it was Cloud Guy. A week later, Poppy and Branch are relaxing on beach chairs with an umbrella. Branch says that he'll miss Cloud Guy, but after one week of no one pestering him. Cloud Guy returns and says to Branch that he put angry bees in the desk of that no-good dean, and he did not like it and he finished. The episode ends with Cloud Guy being back for good.

## Cast

Pop Trolls
* Amanda Leighton as Queen Poppy
* Skylar Astin as Branch

Country Trolls
* Megan Hilty as Holly Darlin'

Classical Trolls
* JP Karliak as Dante Crescendo

Techno Trolls
* Vladimir Caamaño as Synth

Non-Trolls
* Walt Dohrn as Cloud Guy

## Trivia

* The title is a pun on "heir apparent" which refers to someone who has an undisputed claim to be the next heir to the throne of a monarchy, meaning that they will be the next ruler when the current one steps down or dies, and there are no challenges what is so ever to the claim.
* Holly messing with Branch's hand after he accepts her request to fist-bump her is similar to what Cloud Guy does to Branch in *Trolls* when he asks a high-five from him.