Previously on Galarian Days...
After waking up from his nap, Zander enters Ballonlea and challenges Ballonlea Stadium, where he is thrust into a game show by Gym Leader Monty. Eventually, he finally faces the impromptu host, ultimately earning the Psychic Badge from him...
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Zander was back outside the stadium and into Ballonlea again. "Welp, time to go out of this little village the way I came in: through Glimwood Tangle. Man, if I have to put up with one more Impidimp-"
"Perhaps I can be of assistance, then." Zander turned around to see who just spoke, and it was Monty again. "I have some business to attend to back in Hammerlocke. If you'd like, I can teleport you with me there."
"You can do that?" Zander asked, but realizing he had a chance to bypass the Impidimp entirely, he added, "I'll just have to take you up on that offer!"
"Good, then let's get started!" Monty said. "Just close your eyes and hold out your... paws, and don't open them until I say so."
"Alright," Zander said as he did what he was told. Monty then took Zander's paws in his hands, and a whoosh was heard.
"Okay, you can open them now," Monty said. Zander did so, and he found himself back in front of Hammerlocke Stadium!
"Wow, that was quick!"
"Teleportation usually is," Monty admitted.
"I'll say," Zander agreed. "That's something your brother couldn't possibly know, that's for sure."
"What couldn't I possibly know?"
Zander turned around again, and right behind him was none other than the Psychic Gym Leader-in-training, Avery.
"My, oh my, speak of Giratina!" Monty said. "What a surprise to see you again, Avery!"
"Stow the pleasantries, Monty," Avery snapped. "I will ask you again, wolf. What couldn't I possibly know?"
"Several things off the top of my head," Zander said, "but why don't we start with the way you just walked right past me back at Ballonlea Stadium without so much as an 'Avery, Teleport?'"
"I was going through some personal matters. Nothing that need concern you."
"Well, like it or not, it does concern me," Zander challenged. "Now, are you going to tell me what the problem is, or do I have to conk you down several pegs like I did with your girlfriend, Klara?"
"Do NOT call that woman my girlfriend!" Avery spat back.
"Then spill!"
"You want to know why I ignored you!?" Avery shouted. "Because I was trying to make amends with Monty so I would be a part of his family again, but he wouldn't have it!"
"Trying to what to be what now?" Zander asked, thrown for a loop.
"I'll explain," Monty interjected. "Zander, I think I know what you're talking about. Before you came to Ballonlea Stadium, Avery was there to discuss an amends with me, but the only way to get close to me was to challenge my Gym Mission. So, he did just that."
"And what a fat lot of good it did me," Avery said. "I shlepped my way through that glowing mushroom forest to find out the profession of the Galarian Psychic-type Gym Leader bloodline had been downgraded into a basic cable broadcast, constantly stopped with tired tedium."
"It's not my fault you couldn't find the element of fun," Monty said.
Avery was about to call on his powers of levitation again, but instead he took a deep breath and said, "Okay, maybe I was upset that I was supposed to be the next Psychic Gym Leader, but didn't. Maybe I was upset that your name is associated with the Psychic Gym this year instead of mine. Maybe I was upset that instead of being accented by a swirl of four vibrant, beautiful colors, my League Cards have to have muted, dusty yellow with logos of Kubfu's face. But none of that mattered, because all I wanted was to be let back into the family again! That was it! But no, after all the questions, the battles, and the Gigantamax Orbeetle you set upon me, you didn't say, 'Of course, dear brother! It was foolish of us to cut you out of our lives the way we did! Welcome back, we missed you so much!' No! What did you say to me after all those ordeals!?"
Zander stepped back a few paces from the tension while Monty said, "I said, 'Sorry, Avery, but that decision isn't mine to make.'"
"Exactly!" Avery shot.
"Listen, if you would just let me explain-" Monty started, but Avery cut him off.
"No! I have been trying hard to change on the Isle of Armor, but it has become glaringly obvious that you won't! Perhaps I should just go back there, where I have at least some semblance of being welcome!" Avery then turned to go down the stairs through the dragon's mouth, but stopped to bitterly spit, "But before I go back, I have one thing to say: your father may have sired me, and I may have rested in your mother's womb, but you are not... my brother."
Zander waited until Avery was out of sight and earshot before he finally said, "Yikes."
"Yeah, sorry you had to see that," Monty said. "Anyway, I should get to those errands I came here to run. Just head down the bridge on Route 7, and when you reach the end, turn left and keep going straight until you reach the snowline on Route 8. Circhester will be dead ahead."
"Right," Zander said as he walked away. "Thanks for the warp ride here and the directions!" With that, he made his way down both aforementioned routes, battling Trainers and strengthening his Pokemon, until finally he made it to the snowline of Route 8, just as Monty said.
"Whoo! This has to be one of the few, proud moments that I'm glad to have fur," Zander said as the snow gently fell, but then he said, "Hold on, why do I have this feeling that I forgot something?" Suddenly, realization hit him! "AAAAHHHH!!! I never caught any new Pokemon back in Glimwood Tangle!"
At that, a Snover was rustling around in the tall grass. "That works!" Zander said as he sent out Klefki as a formality. Once Klefki took a hit fom Snover's Icy Wind, it retaliated with Draining Kiss, weakening it enough for Zander to use one of his Great Balls. The light swallowed Snover up into the ball, and it landed on the ground and wobbled for a few seconds before the "thoomp" was heard, completing the capture. Zander picked up the ball and said, "Good. Crisis averted, team at capacity."
As Zander pocketed his most recent capture, he finally took the last steps into the stone-hewn, snow-covered town of Circhester. Almost all of the buildings were made of solid stone, steam was rising from the pools of hot water around town, and Galarian Darumaka, Carkol and mostly Snom were dotting the town, ready to say hello to anyone passing by.
"Okay, I think I have enough time to waste before I put my 6th badge on my band, so I'm going to use that time to have a look around town," Zander said to himself.
"Sounds like someone needs a tour guide, then!" a familiar voice said behind him.
"You'd think I'd get used to people talking when I'm right in front of them," Zander said before turning around and seeing... "Sophia! Here to make another delivery, or just coming from one?"
"Not this time," Sophia answered. "I clocked out of my shift an hour ago, and now I'm coming back home to rest."
"Home to rest?" Zander asked, letting the words mull over in his head before 2 and 2 clicked together. "Wait, you're telling me that-?"
"Exactly!" Sophia answered for him. "Zander, welcome to Circhester... my home."
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