Previously on Galarian Days...

Zander and Sophia perform a culinary experiment using Zander's pocketed food tins, resulting in a brand new type of curry they dub as Surf 'n Turf Curry and a new ingredient Zander calls Mixed Leftovers. After they eat, Zander recalls how he was encouraged by Leon to continue his quest despite the Darkest Day having already been stopped, and the rest is history as he and Sophia return to Wyndon...

-

"Well, here we are," Zander said as he and Sophia walked into the station. "Where it all began, and where destiny brought us again..."

"Exactly," Sophia said.

"Even though the Champion's Cup isn't until tomorrow," Zander realized, "but that's okay, because who's keeping us from enjoying everything else Wyndon has to offer?"

"Well," Sophia supposed, "maybe we can squeeze in some sightseeing before dark. Where do you want to go first?"

"Well, I don't know about you," Zander said, "but I'm going to try and make a Combee-line for the Ferris wheel. You in?"

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Sophia said. "Sign me up!"

"Oh, boy-oh-boy-oh-boy!" Zander said, happily wagging his tail as he and Sophia hopped onto the monorail, which now had a stop for the Ferris wheel since last year. After they got off, the two friends paid the operator and hopped into one of the cars, and the wheel took them away...

Inside the car, Zander and Sophia sat across from each other, enjoying the scenery as they rose from the ground. "You know, Sophia," Zander said during a midway point, "I've been thinking lately..."

"Yes, Zander?" Sophia asked. "What is it?"

"I sure have come a long way since the last few times I came here to Wyndon," Zander began. "A year ago, I decided to become a spectator of Pokemon battles." He then pointed towards Wyndon Stadium and added, "Like over there, I was sitting in those very stands during the finals of last year's Champion Cup, but little did I know that Chairman Rose would cause fate to intervene, and for restarting the Darkest Day, that man can bite my fluffy, tricolor tail!"

"Ouch," Sophia said.

"But I digress, because fate may have put me smack-dab in the start of the second Darkest Day, but I carried myself as hard as my wolf muscles could push towards my destiny... with a little help from an irate Pokemon Breeder, and an upset Trainer... and encouragement from Leon himself, may I be forgiven for my wrongs against them all."

"I'm not even going to ask about the former two," Sophia said, "but the latter is already water off a Golduck's back."

"Let's just say I was a hole back then. But then I kept carrying myself towards the Slumbering Weald where I met Zacian and Zamazenta... 's holograms, and they chose me to become the Wolfen Knight of Galar. And now, a year later, (which was how long it took me to get over my new fur color and everyone else to get used to it) I've come full circle back to Wyndon... but unlike everyone else, I don't really care about becoming the new Champion. Is that wierd?"

"Not to me, it isn't," Sophia said. "Everyone has their own dreams, Zander. Yours is to fulfill your duties as the Wolfen Knight of Galar, and mine is to... become a patissier."

"You want to be a pastry chef?" Zander asked in surprise. "That sounds like a nice dream."

"Oh, it is. I want to be able to put together delicious sweets for people to enjoy, like shortcakes, pudding, ice cream, maccaroons, brownies, parfaits..."

"Cream puffs, churros, shaved ice, cookies, cupcakes, jellies?" Zander threw in.

"Cake pops-"

"Gummies-"

"And mille-feuille!" they both said together.

Suddenly, the Ferris wheel came to a stop, and an announcement was made over the radio inside the car. "Attention, passengers, we are currently approaching our designated closing time, and as such, we will no longer be accepting new riders until tomorrow. As such, we ask that all current riders please leave in an orderly fashion via the designated exit. Thank you for riding with us, we hope that you enjoyed, and have a nice day."

After the announcement, the wheel made constant stops to let out other passengers until Zander and Sophia's car reached the bottom again. Their exit door opened up, and the two friends stepped out and left the ride, albeit a bit wobbly since gravity was kicking back in.

After regaining his center of gravity, Zander said, "Whew, I don't know about you, Sophia, but all this talk about sweets has put me in the mood for dessert. Any ideas?"

"Just grab a can of Lemonade and call it a day, because it's getting late," Sophia said. "I'm just gonna go check into the Rose of the Rondelands in the meantime." 

Zander frowned and said, "Just for that, I'll be checking into a separate room."

"Fine by me," Sophia said as she walked up to the hotel while Zander rode the monorail back to the station.

After purchasing his beverage, Zander rode the monorail back to the hotel and checked in, making his point concrete. Once he was inside the room, he sat down at the desk to drink his Lemonade. As he nursed his drink, he looked at himself in the mirror and started a conversation with himself... made funnier by dividing his face with the notepad at the desk.

"So, C. Zander, we meet again," Zander said after closing the eye on his cyan side so his magenta side could talk.

"Indeed we do, M. Zander," he then said after switching sides. The conversation then carried on with constant switching.

"Once again, Sophia has left the scene."

"I know. Do you think we did the wrong thing by not joining her?"

"Nah. If anything, us being in seperate suites is probably for the best."

"What do you mean, for the best?"

"Dude, she's a girl, we're a guy, and we spent a lot of time together, getting to know each other. If both of us were in the same room together at the end of the day, what do you think would happen?"

"Maybe with other people, that would happen, but if we set out some ground rules beforehand-"

"Wake up and smell the curry! Ground rules go out the window when opposite genders are involved! She has her schedules and ablutions, we have ours! Do you really want them intermixing?"

"...No."

"Then it's agreed. Sophia is a girl, and she's our friend, but she stays our friend and nothing more. End of story. Period."

"Understood," Zander said before putting the notepad down and polishing off his Lemonade. After tossing the can into the wastebasket, he went to turn off the light and get ready for bed...

-

Back at Rose Tower, Turner had returned to Elle's office with a stack of papers in his hand. "Good news, miss Elle. The preparations for the Champion's Cup are complete, and the memo has been printed."

"Excellent, Turner," Elle said as she got up from her desk. "Once again, you have proven your loyalty is unflappable."

"All in the line of duty, miss Elle," Turner said with a smile. "Now, about that soda-"

"Of course, Turner, I haven't forgotten about my end of the bargain, since you held yours up so nicely." As soon as they were on the elevator platform, she added, "But it will have to be caffeine-free. I don't want to lose any sleep before I personally watch the tournament myself. Okrrr?"

"Well put, miss Elle," Turner said, and the two co-workers rode the platform down to the lobby...

-

Closed captioning sponsored in part by...

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