Cherry Magica: Chapter 3

**Budding** (Japanese: **葫芽**) is the 3rd chapter of Arc 1 of *Magicae Amicitiae et Harmoniae*.

## Summary

*Kyubey learns that two Plant Elementals have been detected as Chosen Ones. However, although she has become friends with Cherry and Valerie, Michelle has yet to learn how to open up to others. Worried, the two girls and the Incubator decide to help her out, but they are unaware that a Vertex attack might happen.*

## Diary Entry

### Valerie Harper

*Cherry-san, Michelle-chan, and I have been Puella Magis for a few days now, and we're getting along great with our Pokémon. Michelle-chan has still been rather nervous and is still calling us "Miss Lovedream" and "Miss Harper." so we're trying to help her adjust. Even my singing scared her! But today, we got two new Chosen Ones, and one is even a dude. What the....? Both of them even have plant powers.... interesting.*

## Transcript

(A few days after becoming magical girls, Cherry and Valerie, as well as Michelle, are sitting down together. The latter is still extremely nervous.)

Valerie: \*sings\* **I became a magical girl and the future's so bright! We'll eventually become stronger and stronger togethe-**

Michelle (covers her ears, frightened): **Miss Harper, t-that's too loud!**

Cherry: **What do you mean?! The future *is* bright!**

Hanae: **I agree!**

(Michelle simply looks away, unsure of what to say. Valerie offers her a Lum Berry that Wakana went to pick, but Michelle doesn't take it despite wanting to. Her vocal chords freeze up with terror.)

Cherry: **Something wrong?**

(Meanwhile, a 15 year-old girl is visiting Hoenn. She flashes back to what happened an hour earlier, when she first met a Rowlet.)

###

*Akari: **It sure is a beautiful day! I heard that three magical girls have recently begun to fight! Except... I'm not sure what a magical girl is...***

*(Suddenly, she notices a group of kids and feathers are flying about.)*

*Akari: **Huh?!***

*(The kids are cruelly tearing out the Rowlet's feathers, leaving her half-bald. She screams in pain. Akari gasps.)*

*Kid #1: **Hahahaha! Wimp!***

*Akari: **What do you think you're doing?!***

*Kid #3: **Stay out of it!***

*(Akari, enraged, charges through the group of kids, making them flee. She grabs the half-bald Rowlet and tumbles to the ground.)*

*Akari: **How dare they!***

*The Rowlet: \*panting\* **Thank... you...***

*(Suddenly, however, the Rowlet's feathers begin to grow back, and after several seconds, they are completely restored. Akari is stunned.)*

*Akari: Did I just do that...?*

*(Akari looks at her skirt. She earned her Harmony Mark!)*

*Akari: **I did it! I got my symbol!***

###

Akari: **Heather, this is going to be amazing visiting this region!**

Heather: **I know!**

(Back with Cherry and her friends...)

Cherry: **So, Michella-chan... we want to help you interact with others better!** \*gets in Michelle's face\* **Isn't that great!**

Michelle (extremely uncomfortable): **S-stop that! You're getting in my face!**

Pollie: **Baby steps.** \*whispers\* **This may take a bit...**

Valerie: **Cherry-san, not helping.**

Cherry: **Sorry...**

Kyubey: **I'll help you too!**

Michelle: **Really...?**

(A young teen boy with light yellow hair, however, is taking a stroll nearby. He stops to pick some Berries before continuing on his way. Kyubey, however, suddenly perks up since she detects a Chosen One. She perks up again upon sensing another one.)

Kyubey: **Girls! I just sensed two Chosen Ones!**

Cherry: **REALLY?!**

(Wakana ends up using Ember out of shock and comically burns Kyubey's face.)

Wakana: **Already?!**

Michelle: **More people I have to talk with?**

Kyubey: **They're both Plant Elementals! Should we g-**

(The girls' phones suddenly ring, and they immediately transform once they know what's going on. Time stops. All civilians and Pokémon are frozen except for the three girls, Kyubey, and their Pokémon. Elsewhere, however, Akari and Heather, as well as the yellow-haired boy, also are not frozen in time, but they are confused when time stops.)

Akari (confused): **Wha?!**

Bryce (confused): **What's going on?**

(A rainbow light then floods the land. Cherry, Valerie, Michelle, their Pokémon, and Kyubey find themselves in the Jukai. However, they suddenly see a bluish-black haired girl with gray eyes and a boy with blonde hair also there.)

Cherry: **Who are they?!**

Bryce: **Uhhh, where are we?**

Hanae: **A dimension called the Jukai.**

Akari: **This is weird...** \*suddenly sees Cherry\* **Who are you?**

Cherry: **Cherry Lovedream!**

Valerie: **Valerie Harper.**

Michelle: **Michelle... Michelle Brooks.**

Cherry: **And these are our Pokémon! This is my Cherubi, Hanae!**

Akari: **Well, I'm Akari Berlitz and this is my Rowlet Heather- You're... YOU'RE MAGICAL GIRLS?!**

Bryce: **And I'm Bryce Forrest. I've never seen a magical girl before.**

Valerie: **Nice to meet you!**

Kyubey: **It's nice to meet you two too. You are Chosen Ones destined to prot-**

Michelle: **S-something is coming.** \*shudders in fear\* **It is... a V-Vertex..**

Akari, Bryce, and Heather: **A WHAT?!**

(Suddenly, a blue, vaguely fish-like creature approaches - the Aquarius Vertex.)

Heather: **WHAT THE?!**

Bryce: **What the heck is that abomination?!**

Kyubey: **If you make a contract with me, you can transform and fight it! What are your wishes?!**

Akari: **I want be gaurunteed to have a descendant eventually!**

Bryce: **I want a wooden statue of a Treecko!**

(Their wishes are granted. Akari's and Bryce's Power Necklaces let out a small ball of light, forming into Harmony Gems, and a phone appears out of thin air. Strange creatures fly out of their new phones.)

Akari and Bryce: **....WHAAA?!**

(Cherry and Valerie are struggling to fight the Vertex while Michelle watches. Kyubey then instructs Akari and Bryce how to transform.)

Kyubey: **Once your phones are in your Harmony Gems,** \*looks at Akari\* **have Heather tap the button on the screen in the shape of your Harmony Mark**, \*looks at Bryce\* **or tap it.**

(The two nod and tap the button. After the transformation sequence...)

Akari and Bryce: **WHOA!**

Cherry: **YOU TRANSFORMED!**

Akari: **HEATHER, WHY ARE YOU STUCK IN THIS WAND?**

Heather: **Teehee, looks like you're a Burst Magi!**

(Bryce, on the other hand, gets a wrist-mounted device from the yellow Dream Pixie.)

Kyubey: **Check out your new powers!**

(Akari fires a boast of leaflike feathers from her Burst Wand, while Bryce fires vines from his vine summoner. The Vertex fires huge bubbles of water, but they block it. Their gauges are filled by one point. However, they don't know how to fly and trip.)

Bryce: **How do we use these wings? They're huge!**

Valerie: **I'll teach you that later.**

(Once their gauges are full...)

Kyubey: **You need to perform a special ritual to defeat the Vertex. Okay, say "Elemaximum!"**

Akari and Bryce: **Elemaxmimum...?**

(In a flash, their outfits turn into robes and they have gold rings behind them. Cherry and Valerie also activate their Elemaximum.)

Kyubey: **Now you two, go to the the Magi app, select the sealing option, point your phone at it, and say "Magic of Friendship, Light of Hope, protect our happiness and give us everlasting joy!"**

Cherry: **Say it with us, you two!**

Cherry, Valerie, Bryce, and Akari: **Magic of Friendship, Light of Hope, protect our happiness and give us everlasting joy!**

(The core of the Vertex is exposed. Cherry uses her staff from a new Dream Pixie she suddenly got last time she used Elemaximum, and Valerie uses a rubber Torchic she got the same way.)

Cherry: **AI NO... BLASTER!!!**

Valerie: **AIR RAID... SIREN!!!!**

Akari: **ARROW.... QUILL FLETCHETTE!**

Bryce: **EXPLOSIVE... ABUNDANCE!**

(The core is destroyed and the Vertex disappears.)

Michelle: \*shudders\* **That was terrifying...**

###

(Later, back in their civilian forms...)

Akari: **That was epic!**

Bryce: **...except maybe that eardrum-shattering attack...**

(Valerie giggles nervously.)

Cherry: **So, would you two like to join our team?!**

Hanae: **You'd work great together!**

Akari: **Okay!**

Bryce: **We'll join. I also found this Roselia earlier. I decided to name him Thor.**

Cherry (whispers): **Michella-chan, this is a great opportunity to introduce yourself to them!** \*shoves Michelle forward\*

Michelle: **AHHH! I-I.... m-my... my name is... M-Michelle.... Br...**

(Michelle, however, can't bring herself to finish the sentence. Instead, Valerie sings a song, and Cherry joins in. The Pokémon, Kyubey, Bryce, and Akari enjoy it, but Michelle covers her ears since she hates loud noises.)

Thor: **I admit, this probably *will* take some time....**

Heather: **Mmmhmm.**

(Thor and Heather comically start to fight by using Razor Leaf and Peck at each other. As the iris-out closes, their Trainers sweatdrop and say nothing.)

***To be continued....***

## Major Events

* In a flashback, Akari Berliz befriends a Rowlet, who later ends up becoming her Burst Partner.
* Akari, as well as Bryce Forrest, are transported to the Jukai for the first time.
* Akari and Bryce become magical warriors.

## Characters

### Magis

* Cherry Lovedream
* Valerie Harper
* Michelle Brooks
* Bryce Forrest (debut)
* Akari Berliz (debut)

## Attacks Used

* Ai no Blaster
* Air Raid Siren
* Arrow Quill Fletchette
* Explosive Abundance

## Trivia

* This is the first chapter in which a Burst Magi appears.