Nestled in the eastern shores of Galar, Silvercrest City isn't usually a place trainers competing in the League would visit. And yet, those who are willing to go for a little detour to visit this sleepy little port town are in for quite a treat. That's what a trainer by the name of Nigel Greengrass had in mind as he Ballonlea, yet another badge in hand. A nearby path outside Glimwood Tangle led to a lonely train station. According to the timetable, the train to Silvercrest City should be arriving within 30 minutes.
Letting his Pokémon parners (Nate the Inteleon, Max the Toxtricity, Fiona the Thievul, Greg the Drednaw, Vivian the Flapple and Thomas the Drakloak) out of their balls, Nigel himself sat down on the station bench, already feeling the fatigue on his legs.
- Good job everyone, keep it up and championship shall be ours! Nigel said to his assembled team.
All of them made noises in agreement except Max who, true to form, stood apart from the rest of the group. Despite his aloof nature, he has nonetheless been a valuable asset during the journey. The phone in Nigel's pocket suddenly rang. It was his sister Yvonne who stayed behind in their hometown of Turffield.
- Hi sis, what's up?
- Oh, I'm fine thank you. I saw you beat Opal. You were great back there.
- Yeah, I sure was. Managed to win it with just two Pokémon left. As for my current situation, I'm waiting for a train to take me to Silvercrest City.
- Really? Are you taking a part in the Contest they're holding over there?
- Not really, I'm just going there to see the sights. It was a pleasure talking to you sis, goodbye!
- Bye, Nigel.
As Nigel shut down the phone, the telltale noises meant that the train was arriving to the station. Sensing that the journey would be quite uncomfortable for him, Nigel returned Greg to his ball just in case. The train ride itself went quite smoothly with no Pokémon from other trainers trying to intrude Nigel's space which was fortunate. Sensing that he was about to be hungry, he ordered a sandwich from the food carriage for himself and the most scrumptious berries available from his faithful companions.
After approximately 3 hours, the quaint port city that is Silvercrest City came to view. Besides sightseeing, Nigel also had an another reason travel to the city, namely to see his grandma. Stepping off the train and putting the rest of his Pokémon back to their balls, Nigel immediately went to the bus that would take him to her doorstep. But before he could do so, he heard a voice calling out to him.
- Well, well, what do we have here? You thought you could find a Gym over here? How about we test our mettle?
Nigel turned around and saw a fancily dressed trainer pointing a finger at him, eagerly awaiting to battle.
- Look, I'm kinda busy, ok? I really don't want to battle. But ah well, if it's battle you want then it's a battle you're going to get! Prepare to be crushed!
The battle itself went over relatively quickly as all three of the trainer's Pokémon were weak to Drakloak's moves. Nigel then boarded the bus that would take him near his grandma's doorstep. After 15 minutes, Nigel excited the bus and walked towards a humble little shack where her grandma resides. As he approached the front door, Nigel began considering the options for all the wonderful places they could experience together. Maybe it's the Whistling Rocks? Or the Museum of Pokémon Training (Galar being the region with one of the first recorded instances of formal Pokémon battling)? Standing before the door, Nigel gave it a few knocks...
