Spikemuth was abuzz with excitement. The neon lights were shining in the otherwise dismal town, and music was blaring from the Gym, as usual. Even though Marnie had stepped up as the new Gym Leader in her brother's place, that didn't stop Piers from rocking the town. The former Gym Leader was on his stage, singing for the group known as Team Yell. Even once his performance was over, the grunts and their pokemon cheered him on.

"You lot know I don't do encores," Piers told them with his usual dull expression. "Clear out. The main event hasn't even arrived yet."

The trainers steadily dispersed, returning to their own activities, which currently consisted of setting up banners and decorations. They were preparing for a big day---a beloved resident was returning home after years of touring. Maeve was an old friend of Piers and Marnie. The young woman had made it big as a singer, and had left home to perform for all of Galar and for other regions as well.

Marnie stood alone with a small smile as her brother stepped down from the stage. "Try to seem a little more excited, would ya? Your old sweetheart is finally comin' home."

Piers clicked his tongue, a sly smile on his face. "We were never datin', Sis." Despite his words, his cyan eyes held a somewhat hopeful gleam.

"Keep tellin' yourself that, but I see that look in your eyes." Morpeko leaned around her shoulder, smiling brightly. "Honestly, I can't wait to see Maeve again. I was a lot younger the last time she was here, I barely even remember her. If I didn't see her performances on my phone, I wouldn't even know what she looked like."

"She's improved in stage presence and sound...a lot," the male admitted. "Wonder if she'll still be interested in little ol' Spikemuth. This rundown place might not appeal to her anymore."

"Chin up, Bro. She's the one who offered to come back for a performance. She hasn't forgotten about us." She smiled and placed her index fingers at the corners of her lips. "So don't forget to give her a smile when she gets here."

The male gave a low chuckle of amusement at her action. "I'll try to remember." A bunch of the residents and the Gym Trainers started gathering at the entrance to Spikemuth. "C'mon, Sis, we wanna be there to welcome her home, don't we?"

With Marnie tagging along, Piers shambled down the long, straightforward street. Others made room for the pair as they approached the entrance, moving under the shutter that had previously barred passage into the town. They followed the gazes of the other onlookers, seeing what appeared to be a flying taxi, though a very distinct one. The taxi was painted purple with splotches of blue and yellow, the signature colors that meant it belonged to the popular singer. The Corviknight carrying the taxi had a young woman on its back, and the familiar lavender-tipped white hair made it obvious who.

As soon as the large bird set down the taxi and landed, the girl hopped down. Her lips turned up in a smile as she lifted her sunglasses, setting them atop her head to reveal her purple eyes. "Hi, everyone. It's been a long time."

"Welcome home, Maeve!" the small crowd yelled in unison.

Marnie didn't hesitate to step forward, locking eyes with the older girl. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, Maeve had already engulfed her in a hug. "Marnie, I haven't seen you since you were a wee little thing! Look how much you've grown! And you still have Morepeko with you!"

Morpeko cried with delight as Maeve scratched its head. "We've gotten a lot stronger too," Marnie told her, wearing that calm smile of hers. "I've also stepped up and become Spikemuth's Gym Leader in my bro's place."

"Really? That's incredible! I'm so proud of you!" She then looked up at the tall male that approached as well. "Piers! Good to see ya!" She suddenly hugged him, causing him to stiffen. "You've gotten taller, and your hair's grown out." She let go to look at him. "Yet you still look like you haven't slept a wink. Been pullin' all-nighters, have you?" She giggled jokingly. "All in all, you're lookin' pretty good."

Piers couldn't keep from smiling a little. "I could say the same to you. Gettin' bored flyin' all over the place? You know Spikemuth's where it's at. This is the only town that rocks as much as we do."

Maeve grinned at him, resting a hand on her hip. "I'll have you know that I just returned from Alola, and that place was pretty rad. But I'll admit, there's no place quite like home."

Piers was the type of guy to only show his true emotions to a select few. To most, he was an uncaring loner, mainly to outsiders. But to his former Team Yell, Marnie, Maeve, and his pokemon, he was a fairly kind person. He had always looked out for his sister when she was younger, and Maeve had grown up around them both. She was practically like family, not to mention one of the only people Piers could talk music to. It was no wonder he'd developed quite the crush on her.

Maeve returned Corviknight and called out her other two pokemon. "Toxtricity, Rapidash, could you two help carry some of my things? Go ahead and get my setup in place for the performance."

"I see the Toxel I caught for you has evolved," the male pointed out. "You've trained it well."

Toxtricty happily strummed on the organs on its chest, as if in a form of greeting. "Thanks. Toxtricity's been a big help with my music, and he loves rockin' out. Then Corviknight is my transportation, and Rapidash helps with setup and clothin' and whatnot." The unicorn pokemon held her head high, her mane and tail swishing elegantly. With her psychic abilities, she moved a bunch of the supplies out of the taxi with ease.

"So, tell us about Alola," Marnie urged. "I wanna know what it's like. Was it the perfect vacation destination or what?"

With a giggle, Maeve grabbed a bag full of clothes from the taxi. "In short, yes. It was so much fun. Every day you can go swimmin' at the beautiful beaches, and everyone's always up for some fun music. There was even this group of wicked rappers I got to hang with. Oh, and I learned a recipe to make Alola's signature dish---malasadas. I'll have to whip some up so you both can try them."

"Sounds great," the younger girl replied, she and Piers walking alongside Maeve through the dark town. "I'd love to go one day, but in the meantime, I'll accept some malasadas."

Maeve suddenly pulled a small bouquet of assorted flowers from her bag. "Whoops, nearly forgot about these. Don't wanna crush them after Raihan bought them for me."

Piers narrowed his eyes into a glare, dragging along like always. "Raihan gave you flowers?"

Maeve looked at him, taken aback by his dark tone. "Yeah. He welcomed me back to Galar after I got off the plane. Why? Is somethin' wrong?"

Marnie giggled mischeviously. "My big bro's just jealous, is all." Piers averted his gaze, as if confirming his sister's words.

Maeve smiled at the male. "Aww, don't be jealous. I don't like Raihan as anythin' more than a friend." She playfully winked and nudged him. "Besides, you're the only one I can talk music with. And Raihan's got nothin' on your wicked tunes."

A slight red hue spread over the man's cheeks. "You have a point, but I'm really nothin' special."

"Don't be so modest, Piers. You're awesome as a singer, as a Gym Leader, and as a person. Why do you think I had to take a break from tourin'? Because I missed everythin' about Spikemuth, especially the two people that make this place home for me."

Piers and Marnie both stared in shock at her words. Maeve had always been quite honest, especially when complimenting others. That's how they knew she wasn't lying. With a rather kind smile, Piers straightened up enough to drape an arm around the girl's shoulders.

"You haven't changed a bit, Maeve," he said, his tone happier than usual. "Thanks. Now, let's get you settled back in, eh?" He led the two girls down the street to a particular house. "By the way, other than occasional cleanin', we haven't touched a thing in your place."

Maeve opened the door and stepped inside. Her small living room was exactly the way it was before she left. She smiled, setting her bag down on the couch along with the bouquet. The girl then went back over to her friends, wrapping them both in a big hug.

"All right, we get it, you're welcome," Marnie jokingly said, gently pushing her friend off. "Seriously, are you gonna be huggin' us every time we do anythin'?"

Maeve laughed lightly. "No. That's the last time...for today. I'll even make up for all my sappy emotions with those malasadas after the performance, 'kay?"

The two smiled and nodded. "Come on then," Piers urged. "You need to get ready, don't ya?"

Maeve nodded, leaving the house with them. "Right. I need to see if Toxtricity and Rapidash have everythin' set up yet."

Going out to the small stadium where the stage was, they could already tell everything was still being prepared, much to Maeve's disappointment. "Almost ready." She sighed but smiled at the members of Team Yell that had gathered. "Sorry for the delay everyone."

"I know," Marnie spoke up, grabbing everyone's attention. "My bro could fill in 'til your equipment is up and runnin'. He wrote this killer song back when he was Gym Leader. He sang it for every battle."

Piers looked away, a bit embarrassed. "I don't wanna steal the spotlight. I'm sure no one wants to hear me singin' right now."

"No, please do!" the female argued. "I wanna hear it! It's been so long since I last heard you rockin'! We've got plenty of time, Piers."

With a sigh of defeat, the man shambled past the girls. "All right, no need to beg." He paused, flashing them a smirk from over his shoulder. "You know I'm always ready to rock."

He drug himself onto the stage, taking hold of his microphone. Behind him, Maeve's pokemon were getting everything arranged and plugged up. Piers was officially the opening act, and his fans were already cheering for him. Music blasted from the speakers.

(This song is not mine, it's by Man on the Internet. This is exactly how I hear Piers during his battle now. I definitely recommend giving it a listen, it's so good!)

"Here's a number I had saved just for this! You lot in the stands better cheer me on!

"Pretty lights
Don't shine so bright down here
Neon fades
'Til only dark remains
Hear that sound?
The cry of the underground
In the shadows
Of your darkest day!

"To survive
You have to get mean
To keep Spikemuth alive
I step onto the scene
Piers is the king!"

Maeve was smiling, tapping her foot to the beat. The crowds started cheering his name in time with the rhythm.

"Let's have a little bit of fun, shall we? Everyone out there sayin' I'm a great Gym Leader, eh? Suppose we'll find that out once and for all.

"Dominate
Intimidate
Kick you down
Seal your fate

"Contrary to popular belief
If you look underneath
There's nothin' special about me
I'm just tryin' my best
To sort through this mess
Leave behind some kind of legacy

"Cause the fire's fadin' fast
And this season is the last
Seen the best, now try the rest
'Fore we fade to memory
See, once I had a dream
And now I've got my team
And we're here to test yours
So don't disappoint me

"Pretty lights
Don't shine so bright down here
Neon fades
'Til only dark remains
Hear that sound?
The cry of the underground
In the shadows
Of your darkest day!

"To survive
You have to get mean
To keep Spikemuth alive
I step onto the scene
Piers is the king!

"I don't do encores, get it? Not songs...not moves...not pokemon!

"For a brawl
Give your all
Proud, high roar
Scream for more!

"This world sucker punches all
Who haven't had a fall
It lets you know the pride will come before
And the culture's toxic too
Seeks conformity of you
Leaves you by the wayside
When you can't give more

"But the fire's burnin' bright
I can see some hope tonight
'Cause you stand above the rest
And you're the best in memory
See, once I had a dream
And now I've got my team
And we're here to test yours
So don't disappoint me!

"Pretty lights
Don't shine so bright down here
Neon fades
'Til only dark remains
Hear that sound?
The cry of the underground
In the shadows
Of your darkest day!

"To survive
You have to get mean
To keep Spikemuth alive
I step onto the scene
Piers is the king!"

Everyone was shouting his name by the end of the song. Marnie smiled, a look of pride in her cyan eyes. As for Maeve, she couldn't stop grinning. Her purple eyes shined with admiration, and for a moment, the former Gym Leader met her gaze. With a calm smile, he stepped aside, gesturing toward her setup. He was giving her the stage.

"Oh, how I missed this place," the girl murmured, her voice so quiet that no one could hear it above the cheering. "And how I missed you most of all...Piers."