But there was still one problem for them to work on: Larcy Phu’s dirty tactics. Captain Mirsha Grelinek has long attempted to get him to play honourably, but her frustrations with him reached a head when he caused an injury to Antola Maeir during practice. “No more iron-reinforced padding,” she told him when the results of Maeir’s X-ray revealed a fractured collarbone from when Phu shoulder-checked him. “No more reflective mouthguards. No more sneaking oil into your gloves to pour on the Yooyuballs. No more sharpened cleat spikes. I’ve had ENOUGH!”

Her teammates were shocked at this display of anger from the normally patient and understanding Grelinek, and talked to Larcy Phu in private. It took a few arguments and a couple guilt trips, but eventually Phu saw the error of his ways and decided to clean up his act. To that end, he apologised to his captain and asked if she could help him. Grelinek admitted she wouldn’t be able to do much on her own, but she knew a few friends who could help…

And so the alliance with Brightvale was born.

Despite being the one to ask Brightvale for help himself, at first Larcy Phu ran into friction with the other team’s players – in particular, Kayn Hireck, the plushie Skeith who remembered a certain pair of extra-spiky cleats catching on his fabric in Year 23. The two of them fought at every turn until Team Roo Island – who was also training with Brightvale at the time – intervened. Their well-timed confetti poppers turned every argument into a joke, and eventually Phu and Hireck realised how silly it was to fight about the past when they were working so hard to improve the future. Though they’re still on shaky terms, they’ve at least learned to smile at each other a little more – and to laugh when something goes wrong! On the other hand, DiLanche seems to have found kindred spirits in Orie Dinelle and Fenny Vail, and her confidence seems to be improving even further – but there are some questions of whether or not she remains committed to Yooyuball alone, or if there are other opportunities she is considering for the future…