Previously on Galarian Days...

Gym Leader Monty teleports Zander back to Hammerlocke and meets up with Avery, who decides that he's done wasting his time trying to make amends and renounces his family ties. Zander escapes the fallout and makes his way to Circhester, where he finds out his friend Sophia Zuker lives there...

-

"Surprised?" Sophia said while her wolf friend was reeling from the info bomb he took.

"Wait, hold on," Zander stopped, "just give me a second to process this." A few seconds later, he collected himself again and said, "Okay, I'm good."

"Good," Sophia said. "So, how about that tour?"

"Getting to take a look around town with someone who knows the territory?" Zander said with a wag in his tail. "How can I say no?"

"Great!" Sophia said. "Then follow me, and let the Sophia Zuker Tour of Circhester begin!"

With that, both friends started down the path. "First stop on the tour is the Hotel Iona, where Trainers and travelers alike can rest their laurels after being on the road for so long. And luckily, the hotel is actually... two hotels!" Indeed, both buildings were next to each other, practicing the same profession.

"Interesting," Zander said.

"I know," Sophia agreed. "So, do you want to book a room at one of them, or continue with the tour?"

Zander looked up and saw the sun was already starting to set. "That sounds like a good idea right now. Which building would you recommend?"

"I'd say... the left building," Sophia said.

"Thanks. I'll be back as soon as I have the key," Zander said before he left her, then came back a few minutes later. "Okay, I've got the key."

"Good, because now it's time for our next stop of the tour," Sophia said, leading Zander between the hotels. "And now, welcome to the Hero's Bath, a hot spring where legends proclaim that the two kings of Galar rested after stopping the Darkest Day. Nowadays, however, it's been used as a hot tub for Pokemon."

Zander let the steam from the hot water waft towards him, then took a look around at the markings and designs on the walls around the bath. "Also interesting. Part of a little side quest I'm having on the Gym Challenge is to brush up on Galarian history, and this will definitely help with that." Just then, his stomach growled again.

Grroooorrrrggg...

"Whoops, sorry about that," Zander said with some mild embarassment. "Guess I've been so caught up on the Gym Challenge that I haven't had dinner yet."

"So, taking some extra credit classes on Galarian history and in the mood for food?" Sophia said as she took Zander by the paw. "Then wait until you see what's next on the tour!"

Zander was then led down to the local steak restaraunt, Bob's Your Uncle. "What better place in Circhester to eat a hearty meal than the local cuisine?" Sophia asked as they entered the place together. Once they were seated, she added, "Go ahead and place your order, Zander. Dinner's on me tonight."

Zander decided on a medium-well steak while Sophia chose her usual: a plain burger and fries. As their orders were submitted, Sophia said, "And now, if you'll direct your attention behind me, you'll notice a piece of the legend that was believed to be lost..." Zander looked in that direction, and sure as day, next to the poster of Bob, was a fifth tapestry depicting the two kings of Galar, who seemed to be mourning over two headstones... 

"The kings of Galar!" Zander exclaimed. 

"Correct," Sophia said. "After the Darkest Day had been stopped by the sword and shield Pokemon, their job had been completed. As a result, they had been sealed away in the Slumbering Weald to rest until they were needed again."

"Which was last year, when Chairman Rose attempted to start the Darkest Day back up," Zander said.

"Right," Sophia said. "And the current champion and Hop fought Eternatus, Zacian and Zamazenta came by to help, Eternatus was captured, Zacian and Zamazenta were caught soon after, and, well... that was that."

Just then, Zander and Sophia's orders were ready and placed in front of them. While cutting a small piece of his steak, Zander was thinking to himself, I wonder if I should tell Sophia that it's not that anymore... that Zacian and Zamazenta chose me to become the Wolfen Knight of Galar because of a new crisis that's about to affect the region... no, not while the people letting loose the Dynamiasmas are still at large. I need to find a tactful way to make her aware without freaking her out... but how?

Noticing Zander spaced out, Sophia swallowed her mouthful of food and asked, "Uh, Zander? You okay?"

"Huh?" Zander asked before realizing he hadn't taken a bite yet. He quickly popped his cut of steak into his muzzle and chewed while nodding, then swallowed to say, "Oh, yeah, I'm good. Just letting this hot stuff cool a little... and also wondering if I'll have enough time to challenge the next Gym before nightfall."

"Oh, you'll have plenty of time," Sophia answered. "They keep the Gym open until 9:00."

"Okay, good," Zander said, and the two continued their meal without another word. Once their plates were empty, Zander said, "Whew! Well, that was delicious. Thanks, Sophia."

"Don't mention it," Sophia said as she went to pay for the meal. After she came back, she handed Zander something. "Oh, and if you're still up for facing the current Gym Leader of Circhester, then you'll need this."

Zander took the item, which was the League Card of the Ground-type Gym Leader, Winston. The front had his image in a battle pose, the Ground Gym Logo, and his uniform number, 190 was backgrounded by a brown camoflage pattern. On the back it said, "Winston is the employee of a landscaping company, always on call for clearing out land for new buildings, which his Ground-type Pokemon have down to an art. As such, he spends most of his time away from his wife and children, all of whom he deeply misses. Sometimes during battles, he tends to vent his stress from work, which makes him come off as brutal..."

"Working dad type, huh?" Zander said as he pocketed the card. "Sounds like I'll have to push hard, then."

"Oh, one more thing," Sophia added, "this also came with the meal." She handed Zander a Bob's Food Tin, which he also pocketed.

"Bonus points!" Now full and happy, Zander followed Sophia out of the restaurant and up the path to Circhester Stadium, now with a Ground-type theme. The both of them then entered the stadium, and a person in a yellow superhero costume with a Moon Ball-themed helmet approached Zander. "Let me guess, your name is Moon Yellow, and you have something for me?"

"Right on both accounts," Moon Yellow said, and Zander was given a Moon Ball capsule; the last one.

"Um, who was that?" Sophia asked as Moon Yellow left.

"Part of another side quest, don't worry," Zander said before he read the last note from the capsule. "Congratulations! All seven Apricorn Rangers have been returned to headquarters in Wyndon, where they will be ready to present you with your special surprise. Simply merge the last capsule with the others, and you shall gain an item you must present for the plan to be complete."

Zander took out the silver-bottomed ball, and with the seventh and final capsule merged with it, it gained a top that was glittering gold with the letters "GS" engraved on the front. Zander had only heard of such an item in old books and television, and now he held it in his paw: the legendary GS Ball.

"I think I know what it is I have to do in Wyndon that's so very, very important now," Zander said as he pocketed the shiny item, "but first, I must gain the clearance to get to Wyndon, and there's only one way to do that."

As Zander walked up to the changing room to get into his uniform, Sophia said, "Okay, Zander. If you need me, I'll just be sitting on this couch, watching you attempt the Gym Mission... and wondering what's going on here."

Now in proper attire, Zander walked up to the Gym Trainer at the end of the brown camo carpet and said, "I'm here to challenge the Gym Mission, if I'm not too late."

"Oh, no, you came just in time," the Gym Trainer assured. "We'll just need you to pick up the Trap Detector for the Gym Mission once you're inside. You'll need it." Zander's path was then cleared, and he braced himself for what was to come...

-

Zander found himself in a large, brown chamber with aisles of flat desert landscape, free of rocks. He was also holding a pair of divining rods on cylinders in both paws when Dan approached him.

"Welcome, Gym Challenger, to the Gym Mission of Circhester Stadium!" Dan announced in his usual tone. "Allow me to explain how it works: the flat landscape may look like a cut-and-dry path straight to the other side of the chamber, but it is actually riddled with invisible pitfalls! That's where the Trap Detectors you hold come in, as they will vibrate when you approach a pitfall! Therefore, you must let them guide you to a path through the chamber! But, be warned-"

"Gym Trainers will attempt to impede my progress. I know," Zander said.

"And if, in a lapse of focus, you do fall into a pit, you will have to start over from the last platform you were on!" Dan added. "Now, with all that said, let the Gym Mission begin!"

The starting whistle blew, and Zander was on his way. As soon as he stepped off the first platform, a man's voice said, "Can you hear me? You're gonna have to depend on that shaking to get through, now." Deciding to trust the voice, Zander felt the detectors vibrate lightly in his paws as he walked forward, letting the feeling guide him to the first checkpoint where the first Gym Trainer, Sandy, was waiting.

"Hope you're not too banged up from the falling!" Sandy said before she sent out her first Pokemon: a Galarian Stunfisk. Zander sent out Sandygast in retaliation, and it started and ended things with Bulldoze, quickly knocking it out! "You ended up banging me up! Ouch!"

Zander continued walking, letting the Trap Detectors lead him to the end of the first aisle. Once he stepped onto the end platform, the ground shook, triggering the pitfalls into revealing themselves. "That's right, there you go... Take your time, now. No need to rush this," the voice said. Zander kept walking, though at one or two points he did end up falling in a pit and had to start over. Eventually, though, he did make it to another platform and was challenged by another Gym Trainer, Malachai.

"Take it from me, if you think you can take on Winston, you've got another thing coming!" Malachai sent out Dugtrio while Zander stuck with Sandygast. This time, Sandygast hit Dugtrio with Giga Drain, knocking it out with one shot! "What I meant was that Winston's very strong, and can be angry when he wants to!"

With Malachai out of the way, Zander kept going through the maze of traps until he got to the end of the second aisle. Once again, the ground shook, and any covered pits were tripped to reveal themselves. As he ascended the stairs to the last aisle, a cloud of dust came up and clouded his vision. "Alright, here comes the tricky part. You'll have to keep moving, even if you can't see. Ah! Don't rub your eyes!" Now with the smell of dust interfering with his nose and the blowing interfering with his hearing, Zander was left with only the shaking Trap Detectors to lead him to the next platform trail where he would be safe until the third Gym Trainer, Ebony, saw him.

"I see you, Gym Challenger, even with all this dust!" While Zander stuck with Sandygast, Ebony sent out a Quagsire. One Giga Drain later, however, it went down like the others. "I couldn't see clearly, though..."

"Keep moving. Don't stop now," the voice said as Zander stepped off the path and onto the next platform, only to be stopped by another Gym Trainer, Clayton.

"I will not be passed! Especially with Winston as my boss!" Clayton sent out a Runerigus and Zander sent Zandygast... again. This time, Sandygast went with Astonish, and Runerigus went down like that. "Oh, man! Winston's really gonna let me have it now..."

"You have to keep trying as many times as you need to," the voice said as Zander stepped off the platform, navigating the traps and falling a few times with his senses dulled by the dust. It was only a matter of time before he reached another platform, and surprisingly, the dust cleared to reveal the stairs to the exit! "Don't start letting me down, now. You're almost there." With his wolf senses back in commission, Zander finally made it through to the end of the last aisle, and the last shake of the ground revealed the pitfalls he didn't trip. "Good job, very well done! Now come on up here and let me have a look at you!" Zander followed the voice's encouragement up the steps, and with a whoosh of steam, the finishing whistle blew and the exit doors opened to signal the Gym Mission's completion!

-

Zander walked down the hallway towards the pitch; this one was composed of sand packed into rock, colored in various shades of brown. From the other side came a rugged man in a Ground Uniform and a hard hat, and his stubble was a dark yellow if you looked closely enough. The man in question was, in fact, the Solid Foundation, Winston.

"So, you must be the last-minute Gym Challenger for tonight?" Winston asked in the voice Zander heard back in the chamber. "I'm Winston, and it's a pleasure to meet you in person."

"Likewise, I'm sure," Zander said.

"Now, I'm supposed to head back home after this match, so let's make it quick," Winston said. With that, both Challenger and Leader took their places. Zander sent out his go-to, Sandygast, and Winston kicked things off with Golurk. With it's higher Speed, Golurk hit Sandygast with Curse, but the cut in HP let Sandygast finish it off with Astonish. Winston then sent out Diggersby, and Sandygast took damage from the Curse, but it compensated with Giga Drain to sustain itself and knock it out at the same time! Winston then sent out a Seismitoad that used Muddy Water, and the super effective damage combined with Curse knocked it out flat! Seeing no other viable option, Zander sent out his new Snover, and it used Razor Leaf to knock Seismitoad out!

Down to his last Pokemon, Winston said, "My hard work is starting to crack... but I will not be buried!" He then sent out Sandaconda, and Zander knew what was coming next.

"Fine! Some Gigantamax power should get you back on the level!" Winston called Sandaconda back into its Timer Ball, which grew to basketball size. With a frightening scowl of frustration, Winston chucked the ball behind him as hard as he could, and Sandaconda burst out and swelled in size three times in its sand-tornado shape. After it hissed in triumph (which sounded like a breathy roar in its current state), Snover used Icy Wind to tear out a huge chunk of its health.

"Put that insubordinate in its place, and keep it that way!" Winston shouted, and Sandaconda burrowed underground, tunneled up to Snover, and burst up from underneath with a sand twister following behind. Undeterred, Snover hit Sandaconda with another Icy Wind, knocking it out and making it explode!

As Zander howled in victory and Snover fist pumped, Winston took off his hard hat to reveal his messy, yellow hair and put it on his chest. "Somewhere along the way, I must've done something wrong... Guess I better reflect on that later." Suddenly, Snover started glowing brightly, and it grew in bulk while its head seemed to grow horns. After the light faded, Snover was gone, and in its place was its evolved form, Abomasnow!

Both Trainers walked back up to the center line, and Winston said, "Sorry if I came off as mean during the battle. Guess the stress of being a Gym Leader got to me again."

"Understandable," Zander said. "Did I at least make good on making the battle quick?"

"You did," Winston said. "That kind of attitude has earned my respect, as well as this Ground Badge."

As Zander shook Winston's hand, a piece of gold with a brown image of the earth's crust was set into his Challenge Band: the Ground Badge.

"And now I can return home to my family," Winston said. "I know they miss me as much as I miss them."

-

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