Previously on Galarian Days...
Zander and Wufu confront Raphael after defeating the Dynamiasma, and Raphael gives them his rare League Card to defuse the tension. After a reassuring handshake, Zander becomes privy to more of Wufu's time on the Isle of Armor, namely how he got his current wardrobe and aquired a taste for Galarian Slowpoke tails. When they reach Stow-on-Side, Gym Leader Basil greets them on arrival, and the two anthros destroy another Dynamiasma...
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"And that's what we believe is happening," Zander said, as he and Zander were regrouped with Basil in the lobby.
"So, let me see if I have this straight," Basil said, running the conversation in his head. "You two believe that these so-called Dynamiasmas, as you put it, are being planted by a Pokemon League supervisor under the orders of a man in black... and a woman in white?"
"That's basically it in a Nutpea shell," Zander confirmed.
"Is that so?" Basil pressed as he adjusted his glasses. "Because, as I see it, Dan would never do such a contemptible misdeed on his own accord."
"Are you saying he didn't put a monster on the pitch of your stadium?" Wufu asked. "Then what would you call what we just broke into white dust!?"
"Easy, Wufu!"
"I was not saying anything of the sort!" Basil defended himself with. "But what I AM saying is the man and woman you mentioned may have some sort of influence on Dan to force him to do it. Some sort of hand... like, a higher authority."
"Higher authority?" Wufu questioned. "You mean, like... a boss?"
"Something to that effect, yes."
"But that's impossible!" Zander challenged. "Dan is supposed to work for the Pokemon League, and the only person over hi-" But, suddenly, something clicked inside his brain, and things were starting to piece together for him. "Basil, I think you may have helped us more than you realize today. Thanks to you, I may be able to get to the bottom of this whole thing and stop the opposite crisis!"
"Well, Pokemon battles are not the only thing I plan out very carefully," Basil said with a smile. "Ah, speaking of which, I would like you to have this as thanks for clearing out the pitch for me." He then handed Zander his own rare League Card depicting him taking notes in front of a set of three monitors, and the back of the card read, "Instead of simply waiting for Trainers to come to him so they can challenge his Gym Mission, Basil has a habit of analyzing their battle from the Gym Leaders before him, taking note of every last detail so he can lay out a custom battle strategy for each one. This makes him come off as obsessive-compulsive, but when questioned about this behavior, Basil's answer was simply, 'The way I see it, I was able to take out two Rookidee with one stone this way; by taking up a hobby that also allows me to perform at my job as a Gym Leader properly.'"
"Okay," Zander said as he pocketed the card. "We're gonna let you get back to prepping for the Cup, then... Good luck with that, by the way!"
"Thank you!" Basil called out as both wolf and bear left the Stadium, and ultimately the town.
"What, no Flying Taxi ride to the next town?" Wufu asked as they began their entry into Glimwood Tangle.
"Not this time, Wufu," Zander said once they entered the dimly lit forest, "because I know a shortcut through the tangle. Just try to keep up with me!" With that, he touched the glowing mushrooms along the way to light up a path leading straight to Ballonlea. Fortunately, Wufu paid attention and followed the path Zander marked until the two left the tangle behind, and entered the colorful, storybook-esque town of Ballonlea without incident.
"Wow, that really was a shortcut!" Wufu said in amazement of how fast they got through.
"And no Impidimp to run into this time, don't ask," Zander said, taking a few seconds to catch his breath before his second wind came. "Now, to enlist some help in shutting down the opposite crisis!"
"And is this... Psychic-type Gym Leader the best person to ask?" Wufu asked, remembering another Psychic-type Trainer with a shudder.
"Don't worry!" Zander assured Wufu as they approached the Stadium. "Monty may showboat like his brother, but that's where the similarities end!"
"Somehow, I-" Wufu shouted, but then switched to his inside voice once they were inside. "Somehow, I doubt that."
Surprise, surprise, this lobby was also empty. "Monty? Are you here?" Zander called out.
"Perhaps he was busy evacuating the town as well," Wufu supposed, "just like the last four Gym Leaders?"
"Probably," Zander said, "but he could've brought everyone to safety by now?"
"How?" Wufu asked, but then a flash of light behind him made him do a double-take, and he saw the Prodigy of the Mind himself!
"By teleporting everyone to an undisclosed location, that's how!" Monty said before Wufu could gather his wits about him.
"Monty! Just the person we were looking for!" Zander said.
"Who were you expecting?"
"Not Avery, that's for sure," Wufu said with disdain.
"Pay him no mind, he had a bad experience with him," Zander said before a deep humming rang out from further inside the stadium. "Tell you what, I have a proposition for you: after we take care of what just made that noise, can we ask a favor of you where your... abilities will come in handy?"
"My, oh my," Monty exclaimed, "that big of a favor, huh? What do you plan on using it for?"
But the hum happened again, and Wufu said, "We'll have to get back to you on that later," before he and Zander got to the doorway to the stage. "Until then, don't move."
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Inside the stage, Zander and Wufu were looking around for something to convert into Zander's weapons. "Okay, Wufu, we're backstage of a theater, and those places are notorious for having nooks to hide stuff in. The key here, however, is to find something so numerous that they won't notice one of it missing. As I remember, all the stuff I converted before disappeared afterwards, never to come back. Think you can handle that?"
"Just one question," Wufu said as he held up a clipboard and a pencil. "While you were talking, I found a whole stack of clipboards next to a desk with a cup full of pencils on it. Would this work?"
"...That works!" Zander said as he took the items in question, which turned into his weapons. "Now, let's go!"
-
Once Zander and Wufu were on the pitch, the came face-to-face... -to-face with a giant, magenta octopus, that had a clawed hand at the end of each tentacle, and along with the large, eliptical eye on its main body, there was also a smaller, similar eye on each palm. Every time it blinked, a ball of multicolored energy appeared and became a tunnel of energy rings, blasting into the ground and making the field wierder each time!
"Whoa... did we just lose our sobriety somehow?" Wufu asked, unable to make heads or tails of what was happening.
"Get a hold of yourself, Wufu! We'll be cool as soon as the Dynamiasma's out of the picture!" Zander said before he was spotted by the monster. It then took on an angry look in its main eye, then blasted more energy rings at the wolf. Zander tried to raise his force field to defend himself, but the field was warped before it could block the blast, and the poor wolf was knocked back and landed flat on the ground!
"Zander! No!" Wufu called out. He then summoned up the shadowy aura and shot himself at the Dynamiasma. The monster tried to hold up its hands in defence, but Wufu's punch barreled through each eye until it hit the main one, causing it to moan in agony until it exploded in a cloud of magenta dust!
Wufu then rushed back to Zander and asked, "Zander! Are you okay?"
Zander blinked a few times before his focus came back. "Ugh... Wufu? What happened?"
"You took a pretty nasty hit from the Dynamiasma," Wufu said. "How do you feel? You still remember everything?"
"I... I think so," Zander said as he sat back up. "I'm Zander, you're Wufu, we're trying to stop a crisis... and... wait, what were we going to do after we stopped the Dynamiasma again?"
"You were going to ask Gym Leader Monty to help us with a plan," Wufu said. "Do you still remember that?"
"Oh, right!" Zander said, his mind fully functional again. "I think getting hit by the Dynamiasma's attack must've rattled my memory a little, but I remember everything now! Now let's get back to Monty!"
"Well, at least you're still okay," Wufu said with relief as he and Zander left the Battle Court...
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Closed captioning sponsored in part by...
(Commercial: HIJIKI OKA)
Hello, all. Gym Leader Bede here under contractual obligation to tell you about my sponsor, the HIJIKI OKA line of clothing.
They are made with only the most exceptional fabric...
designed to withstand the most exceptional conditions...
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HIJIKI OKA: Exceptionally crafted, exceptionally celebrated.
(Please tell me this is the last time I have to do this, because that woman is running me ragged!)
