Previously on Galarian Days...

Zander recalls a bad memory involving a Pokemon Nursery, then defeats Klara in a surprise battle...

-

At last, Zander stepped into the city of Hulbury! He took in everything his wolf senses could pick up: the aromas of Incense burning in the marketplace with the smells of the Captain's Table prepping for the lunch rush, the sounds of the Maximizers doing a sound check on their instruments with the horns of the ships coming into and sailing from the port, and the sight of Wingull flocks flying around the city. But what kept his attention was the sight of his next goal: Hulbury Stadium with its new Poison theme.

"Okay, second badge," Zander said, "better watch out, 'cause the insects didn't get me!" He then walked down the path to the stadium, but saw Dan at the entrance, stern as ever. "Uh, is something wrong in there? I'm here to challenge Selene, if I may."

"My apologies, Challenger," Dan explained, "but Selene is on temporary leave with a 'personal project' of hers, so the Gym is closed until she gets back."

"Seriously?" Zander asked incredulously. "Why would someone waste their time on art when they have more important responsibilities to keep up?"

"Hey, its not my job to tell Gym Leaders to stay," Dan said, "only to report the progress of Gym Challengers back to the Pokemon League."

"Well, did Selene say where she would be?" Zander asked.

"Try the lighthouse," Dan said, pointing to his left. Sure enough, Zander saw the same blonde woman in the paint-splattered Poison Uniform from the ceremony by the lighthouse, painting something on a canvas... while guarded by a Trubbish.

Zander wrinkled his nose and said, "Oof, she sure picked the right Pokemon to stand guard for her. I can smell it from here, and it is- wait a second, wait..." Zander sniffed the air again and said, "Oh, actually, not so bad. Smells... oddly minty fresh?"

"Yes, Selene has been feeding her Trubbish those sprigs of Mint that change a Pokemon's Nature," Dan said. "Says it beats the alternative: breeding Trubbish with different Natures."

That put a smile on Zander's muzzle. "Her... I like." Deciding to be bold, he made his way to the lighthouse, but stopped at a bench where he decided to sit. The Trubbish standing guard noticed Zander, but sensing no ill will from him, it waved at him happily, prompting Zander to wave back.

"And... finished!" Zander heard Selene say, making his ears perk up. "Thank you, Toxtricity... and Toxtricity. Both of you were great models."

As both Toxtricity voiced their gratitude, (while Rillaboom and Obstagoon were quietly ignored) Selene called her Trubbish back into its Heal Ball, then carried her art supplies with her back to the stadium, passing Zander along the way.

As soon as Zander heard Selene re-enter the Stadium, he stood up and went there as well until he got inside. When he did, he was greeted by someone in a blue superhero costume and a Lure Ball-themed helmet, who gave him a Lure Ball capsule and said, "Hey. Name's Lure Blue. Take this."

Zander took the capsule, opened it, and read the note. "Congradulations. By meeting with Lure Blue, you have officially sent all 3 Apricorn Rangers from mid-southern Galar back to HQ. Please put this capsule together with the others you have collected, and the purpose of this search shall become clearer to you." Following the note, Zander took out the webbing and brought it close to the capsule, and the light shone in his paws again. When it faded, the resulting item was a ball with a set of mirrors inside, and Zander pocketed that to approach the Poison Gym Trainer standing at the end of the ooze-patterned floor.

"Ah, welcome to Hulbury Stadium, Gym Challenger, where things get a little tougher," the Gym Trainer said. "Are you ready to face the perils of the Poison-type?"

"I am," Zander confirmed.

"Then you must change into your uniform right over there," the Trainer said, directing to his left. Zander entered the changing room and got out properly dressed in 45 seconds flat, then entered into the chamber...

-

Inside, the chamber was a mint-green with a maze of grates creating a path to a wall with a pictue of a closed eye, while a system of pipes hung from the ceiling. Dan approached Zander and said, "Thank you for your patience for Selene, but now you must face her Gym Mission before you can face her!" He gestured behind himself and explained, "The Gym Mission is that you must prepare a rainbow for the eye... with paint provided by switches you must press throughout the maze! But be warned, Gym Trainers guard these switches, so you must defeat them to gain access! With all that said, let the Gym Mission begin!"

One blow of the whistle later, Zander chose to go for the red switch first. He was then stopped by the first Gym Trainer Phillipe. "Oh, trying to press the red switch without me knowing, eh? That makes me angry!" He then sent out a Gloom while Zander sent out his Fletchling. After a quick Peck, Gloom was knocked out, and Zander won! "I wasn't really angry, you know..."

Suddenly, Fletchling started glowing white, and it grew a little larger while a crest sprouted on its head. When the light faded, Fletchling had evolved into Fletchinder!

Zander then pressed the red switch, and under the grate, a pipe was pouring red paint into three of six vats. One was filled all the way up to the top, but the two on its sides were only filled halfway. Not wanting to waste time, Zander navigated through the grate maze to the yellow switch next, guarded by Pierre. "Ooh, I'm so nervous, but I have to stop you from pressing this switch!"

Pierre sent out a Koffing, and Zander sent out his Sandygast, knowing that he wouldn't be able to use Ground-type moves if Levitate was involved, but at least he wouldn't take much damage, either. Sandygast used Astonish, but Koffing hit it with Sludge in retaliation. Zander saw it as the perfect opportunity to try one of its newer moves: Mega Drain. A pulse of green energy shot towards Koffing from Sandygast, and the last of Koffing's energy was siphoned out of it, knocking it out. Pierre then sent out a Stunky, but Sandygast was able to thwart it with Sand Tomb quickly, giving Zander the win against Pierre. "I was too nervous!"

After Zander pressed the yellow switch, yellow paint was being poured into the vats, filling one halfway, one completely... and some went into a vat filled halfway with red paint, completing the filling and causing the colors to mix into orange. With only one more switch to press, Zander made his way to the blue switch, guarded by Jean-Claude. "You want to press this switch, but a rose by any other color still has as many thorns!"

Jean-Claude sent out a Roserade, but with Zander's new Fletchinder, all it took was a simple Flame Charge to strike it down. But Jean Claude also had a Skorupi, which met the same fate, giving Zander the last victory against the Gym Trainers. "You may press this switch, but a rose by any other color still wilts as easily..."

After pressing the last switch in the mission, blue paint flowed into the rest of the vats, leaving one filled with blue and the other two filled halfway with blue, making green in one vat and purple in another. With all six vats filled with different colors, they all drained into an arch of clear tubes over the eye, causing it to open to reveal a rainbow iris to show its amazement at the rainbow it saw, then the wall tilted back to form a bridge to the exit door. Zander then crossed the bridge, approached the door, and with the whoosh of resulting steam, the door opened and the whistle blew again to signal that the Gym Mission was complete!

-

Zander walked down the dark hallway to Hulbury Stadium's pitch, composed of dark purple linoleum covered with splatters of paint: blue, magenta, lime green and violet, to name a few colors. As he reached the center of the pitch, Selene also made her way there until the two of them met face-to-face.

"Welcome, Gym Challenger," Selene said, "to Hulbury Stadium. You probably already know, but my name is Selene."

"I do know," Zander said, "and I also saw you down at the lighthouse earlier, with your friendly, minty Trubbish keeping watch."

"Oh, you saw that?" Selene asked. "Yeah, sorry for making you wait. When inspiration hits me, I sort of lose focus on anything else. But now that my project is complete, I am now brimming with battling energy, and I feel that facing you will help me burn it off!"

"We'll see," Zander said as the two Trainers took their battle positions on the pitch. Selene sent out a Croagunk, while Zander sent out his trusty Sandygast. Not surprisingly, Croagunk started with Sucker Punch, dealing super-effective damage to Sandygast.

"Behold, as my artistic battle style uses every color at my disposal!" Selene bragged. But undeterred, Zander ordered Sandygast to retaliate with Sand Tomb, dealing super-effective damage right back! "Trying to make me suffer, huh? Joke's on you; I thrive on that!"

Sandygast went on the defensive with Mega Drain, siphoning Croagunk's health enough to survive a hit from its Astonish, but the Sand Tomb in effect finished Cragink off. Selene sent out a Mareanie next, and it started of with Toxic Spikes, but Sandygast used Sand Tomb again and finished it off with Mega Drain. But Selene smply retorted, "Oh, don't think you've painted me into a corner just yet!" before sending out her last Pokemon... Trubbish. Not wanting to come off as a one-Pokemon wolf, Zander decided to swap Sandygast for a Pokemon he felt needed to stretch its legs, (so to speak) Klefki.

"Now, behold the power of my magnum opus!" Selene said as she called Trubbish back into its ball, which then grew to basketball size. After holding it up dramatically, she threw the ball behind her, and Trubbish blew up in size three times before crashing to the ground and roaring in pride.

"Time to put the finishing touches on my masterpiece!" Selene said as Trubbish used Max Ooze... but it didn't do anything to Klefki. Klefki used Draining Kiss, but it only took a fraction of Trubbish's health. Klefki kept up the onslaught of Draining Kisses, but Trubbish used Max Guard on its second turn, and on its third, it shone brightly before the ground beneath Klefki cracked and a pillar of light blasted it upwards, sapping its Speed. Once the Max Strike was done, Trubbish shrunk back down to normal size, but it only took one more Draining Kiss to finish it off, making the victory go to  Zander while Selene made a surprised face, then slumped and said, "I think I may have hit artist's block..."

Zander and Selene walked back to each other, then Selene commended, "Well, that was very invigorating. You and your Pokemon were quite the mavericks in this battle, and the colors you used painted such an amazing picture for the crowd!"

"Thank you, Selene," Zander replied, "but you gave them quite the show yourself, and me quite the struggle!"

"My, such a good sport!" Selene said. "Oh, before I forget, I believe you earned yourself this Poison Badge for winning."

As Zander shook Selene's hand, a piece of gold with a purple skull picture was set into his Challenge Band: the Poison Badge.

"Now you just need to go back to Motostoke to face the 3rd Gym Leader," Selene said. "It may be difficult, but you probably got this, so don't sweat it!"

-

Closed captioning sponsored in part by...

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