Previously on Galarian Days...

Zander is transported to the distant past by the Mythical Pokemon Celebi as per a request in writing passed from the commander of the Apricorn Rangers. There, he is treated to the sights of key pivotal moments in Galarian history, such as the arrival of Eternatus and the Power Spots. But when Celebi takes him to the time of the kings of Galar after the first Darkest Day, he learns an awful secret: the kings had shafted Zacian and Zamazenta out of their rightful ruling over Galar all those millenia ago. With a new goal in mind, Zander tells Celebi to return him to the present, and it does so...

-

Zander opened his eyes after Celebi transported him back to the present... and found himself smack-dab still in the Slumbering Weald! "What the- Hey, what gives?"

"Cele," Celebi said apologetically.

"Note to self," Zander said to himself, "Celebi's time travel powers only move through time, so you need to be back at the last place you were when you were first warped. Now what am I going to do? I'm all the way on the other side of Galar, and now I'll never make it back to the Champion's Cup in time!"

"Night!"

Zander looked towards where the sound was coming from, and saw that it did indeed come from a Corviknight... on a Flying Taxi outside the weald! "Did someone mention the Champion's Cup?" the nearby cabbie asked.

"I did!" Zander called out as he rushed out of the weald to catch the taxi. "Heh... I need to get back to Wyndon Stadium, and quickly!"

"Hey, there's no bird Poke quicker than my Corey, here," the cabbie said as the Corviknight (apparently named Corey) bent down for some affectionate pats on his beak, which he leaned into happily. "He's recently been named the fastest thing on two fully armored wings, and I just happened to be going that way myself."

"Could you give me a lift?" Zander asked with some hope in his voice.

"Absolutely! Hop in!"

Zander got into the cab and buckled in, then looked out the window at Celebi and bid it a fond farewell. Celebi waved goodbye back and let the blue-green energy waves envelop itself before it warped off to who-knows-when, its job apparently done.

"You ready down there?" the cabbie's voice over the intercom asked, snapping Zander out of his thoughts.

"I'm ready!" Zander said back.

"Alright! Hold on tight, 'cause here we go!"

With that, Corey flapped his wings and lifted the cab off the ground, then took of through the sky bound for Wyndon Stadium...

-

During the ride, Zander looked out the window at the world passing by in awe, his eyes twinkling in amazement. Why did it take me so long to ride one of these, he thought to himself.

Fortunately, it didn't take long for the Flying Taxi to reach his destination, and as soon as the cab touched down, the cabbie announced, "Okay, here we are: Wyndon Stadium!"

Zander unbuckled and got out, then told the cabbie and Corey, "Thanks for the ride!"

"Think nothing of it, kid," the cabbie said. "Just remember..."

"If you've got somewhere to be, just call up Galar Taxi!" they sang together.

Zander laughed and said, "Love that jingle," but remembered he had a mission to carry out. "Time's running out!" He then rushed up the stairs and back into the stadium's lobby and said, "Look out, Wyndon Stadium, because I'm back in the stadium, back in the lobby, back in the now, and I am-"

"Too late," the desk worker said as he clacked an "On Break" sign on his desk. "The semifinals are already underway, so we're no longer accepting new applicants. Standard League regulations."

"What!?" Zander exclaimed. "But I can't be too late! I already collected the Gym Badges and completed the medallion!" He even flashed his Challenge Band with its full medal to prove his point. "What am I supposed to do now!?"

"You do what every other Gym Challenger who misses the deadline does: you wait for the open invitationals after the Cup," the desk worker explained. "But hey, if you don't mind waiting until after I come back from my break, I can still give you your honorary participation medal frame for seeing the Gym Challenge through."

Zander let out a resigned sigh and said, "That sounds reasonable," then made his way to one of the couches in the lobby to slump into. But just as he flopped onto the cushion, the lobby doors opened again, and in came...

"Sophia?" Zander asked after he looked up. "What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Sophia asked rhetorically. "I came here to support you in the Champion's Cup! By the way, sorry I wasn't here earlier, the beds were so cozy and I didn't have an alarm on. But the better question is, what are you doing sitting on the couch by yourself instead of the locker rooms prepping for a match?"

"Because I chose my side-quest over the Champion's Cup, and now the semifinals are underway. And standard League regulations say once the finals are underway, they won't let anymore Gym Challengers register... according to the desk worker who told me all that," Zander explained as he lowered his head. "So that's it, then. I'm too late, so I failed."

"Okay," Sophia supposed, "so why are you still here?"

"Because I'm waiting for him to come back from his break so he can give me my 'honorary participation medal frame' for 'seeing the Gym Challenge through.'"

"Well, did you ask him if there was still something you could do to get in?"

"That was the first thing I asked him, and you know what he told me?"

"No, what?"

"He said that now I have to wait for the open invitationals after the Cup, just like every other Gym Challenger who misses the deadline."

"So, you didn't fail after all," Sophia reasoned. "You were just... postponed."

Zander perked up a little and said, "Yeah, you're right. I didn't fail my mission, it'll just take longer for me to carry out!" He then turned to face Sophia and said, "Thanks, Sophia. That really cheered me up."

Just then, the desk worker came back and walked up to Zander and said, "Well, here you are, sir, as promised."

Zander stood up and said, "Well, thank you, my good man." He then took the medal frame and added, "And I will most certainly attend the open invitationals."

"Good to hear," the worker said. "Have a nice day!"

As soon as the desk worker returned to his post, Zander opened the medal frame and placed his badges inside, then closed the medal back up and put the strap around his neck. "Not bad, huh?"

"Not bad at all," Sophia said.

-

Meanwhile, the desk worker waited patiently for the two friends to leave the lobby. Once they did, he reached up to his earpiece and said, "Good news, sir. He says he'll be back for the invitationals."

"Good," a familiar voice said. "I shall pass that along to miss Elle."