Maeve checked everything on her music player, making sure her tunes were ready. On the table in front of her she had her mixer set. She put her headphones around her neck so she could still hear the crowd along with the beats. Piers lent her his microphone as well, and with everything hooked up, she was ready to go. She signaled to Rapidash, who adjusted the lighting using her psychic powers. Maeve then slipped her lavender phone from her back pocket.

"All right, Rotom Phone, get ready to record." The phone buzzed with excitement, floating out in front of the girl. It began to record, and Maeve immediately smiled wide at the camera. "What's up, Galar?! I'm back from my tour to bring you more sweet tunes!" Piers and Marnie watched with smiles as everyone around them cheered. "I'm here in my hometown of Spikemuth, ready to bring you a brand new song inspired by a Pokemon move I discovered durin' my travels!" With that, she started the music.

(This song is called Destiny Bond and is by Trickywi and remixed by YZYX. I did give the lyrics a Galar touch though. Definitely another I recommend listening to!)

"You turned into a foe without a warnin'
You were like a breath of a fresh new mornin'
But you turned into a nightmare without tryin'
Never thought that you would hurt me
Never thought you'd use me

"An eye for an eye
I won't sacrifice
My life or my time without a price
Tonight I
Will fight

"Destiny Bond
I will be the last you see; it's irony
I'll be the one to take all your glory
You wrote the end to your own life story
Make a move on me
I'll be your last memory
Take me down
The trick's on you because you're comin' with me
Destiny Bond

"I've never really thought of what I could do
With a little touch I could crush you if I wanted to
But I'll be polite and wait just for you
Go ahead and try to hurt me
You'll learn to fear me

"An eye for an eye
I won't sacrifice
My life or my time without a price
Tonight I
Will fight

"Destiny Bond
I will be the last you see; it's irony
I'll be the one to take all your glory
You wrote the end to your own life story
Make a move on me
I'll be your last memory
Take me down
The trick's on you because you're comin' with me
Destiny Bond

"It's not what you wanted...
You're the one who's haunted

"Destiny Bond
I will be the last you see; it's irony
I'll be the one to take all your glory
You wrote the end to your own life story
Is it your destiny
To cause your own misery?
We'll see tonight
Take your move because you're comin' with me
Destiny Bond

"Destiny Bond"

The crowd erupted with applause and cheered the singer's name. With a big smile on her face, Maeve waved to her audience. She even noticed Marnie and Piers gazing up at her with admiration. Though for Piers, there were more emotions in his eyes. Joy, amazement, respect, fondness---all of that was present in those cyan orbs of his.

Looking into the camera, Maeve made a peace sign. "Never stop rockin' and rollin', Galar!"

With that, the Rotom Phone ended the recording and floated back into her grasp where it was then slid back into her pocket. After turning everything off, she exited the stage, giving high fives to some of her fans as she made her way over to her friends.

A genuine smile graced the male's lips. "You really have gotten better. That was phenomenal, Maeve."

Marnie nodded in agreement. "It was incredible. You and my bro are so inspirin'. I love the dark vibe of that song. And now, I'd like to see if any of my team can learn this move called Destiny Bond. Sounds wicked."

"Thanks!" The older girl grinned happily, giggling at Marnie's interest. "Just let me get everythin' put away and we'll all go to my place for those malasadas I promised."

With the help of her pokemon, Maeve got her equipment unplugged and stored in her house, specifically in an empty room she used exclusively for her setup. It seemed like Piers was standing amongst the crowd one minute, and the next, he's in his friend's kitchen wearing a pink apron. It didn't bother him really, as long as no one else saw him like that.

"First we make the dough, right?" he asked, already fetching the necessary utensils.

Maeve nodded, skimming the recipe she'd written down. "Yep." She wore an equally pink apron, giggling at the male. "I nearly forgot how helpful you are in the kitchen. All those years bakin' treats for Marnie really paid off."

"I suppose so." Piers glanced at where his little sister was bringing in the ingredients from their own home since Maeve's kitchen was lacking in food at the moment. "She used to be such a cry baby, now look at her...my successor---the Gym Leader Spikemuth deserves."

"You were never a bad leader, Bro," his sister added, joining the conversation.

"That's what they all say," he replied with a frown. "But just look at how dilapidated and forgotten Spikemuth became when I was leader."

Maeve rested her hand on his shoulder, earning his attention. "Even though I wasn't here, I know that wasn't your fault. I heard about it. Chairman Rose wanted to move the town to a power spot." She sighed. "You made the right choice to not let that happen, it wouldn't have been the same. Besides, who needs Dynamaxin' pokemon anyway? A Gym can be great without all that."

Marnie nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I certainly love Spikemuth the way it is. I don't need anythin' to change."

Piers cracked a smile. "Thanks, both of you." He cleared his throat. "Besides, now I have plenty of time to dedicate to my songs. Now, how 'bout we get to bakin' these malasadas?"

The trio worked together to make the dough with the basic ingredients, and after following all the necessary steps, the malasadas were soon finished baking and ready to eat. Maeve took a bite, the softness of the breading and the sweetness of the creamy center filling her mouth.

"So good! I don't think I'll ever get tired of these things!"

Marnie was in awe at the taste, giving one to Morpeko as well. "Wow...that's so sweet...and tasty..." She gobbled up the treat, clearly satisfied.

Piers nonchalantly took a bite, a faint smile on his face. "Pretty good, though a little too sweet for my taste." Nonetheless, he swiftly finished his malasada.

"You could just admit that it's yummy," Maeve teased with an amused giggle. "You wouldn't have gobbled it up like a starvin' Munchlax otherwise."

Piers chuckled, finally untying his apron to hang it up. "Okay, so it's tasty. Don't expect me to go writin' a song about it."

Maeve laughed and lightly pushed his arm. "Oh, Piers. You never change, do you?" She took off her apron as well and hung it up. "It sure is great to be home with all the people I care about most."

Marnie looked between the two, a small smile on her lips and a knowing look in her eyes. "So, since you are here, why don't you take a little time off, Maeve? I'm sure you could use some R&R, right?"

The older girl tilted her head to the side slightly, a bit puzzled. "Um, I guess so. A break from performin' might be nice."

Marnie nodded. "Exactly. My bro could take you somewhere. He's got plenty of time now that I'm the Gym Leader. And who knows, you two might even come up with a new song together."

A faint pink tinted Piers' pallid face. "I'm sure Maeve's got better things to do than hang out with someone like me."

Maeve looked at him and immediately shook her head. "No, Piers, I'd love to be able to catch up more. We can go anywhere in Galar, just as long as we get to have fun together."

The male averted his gaze. "Well, I suppose it's all right then. I could use the inspiration for some new songs anyway."

"Awesome! Then where would you like to go? I never get tired of the serene atmosphere of Ballonlea. But Wyndon has the best places to shop. Or we could go to Circhester where we can soak our feet in the Hero's Bath."

Piers shrugged. "Pick one. I don't really care where we go."

There was a devious glint in Marnie's eyes as she thought of the possibilities. "You guys have gotta go to Circhester. It's not far from here, its got a hot spring to help you relax, and Hotel Ionia is the perfect place to rest."

Maeve nodded. "Great idea, Marnie! Let me just grab a few things and we can be off!" She hurried to her bedroom to pack some necessities, leaving the siblings alone for a few moments.

"What are you up to, Sis?" the man inquired with a raised brow.

His sister giggled softly. "Givin' you a push in the right direction. You need this more than you know, and I want you to be happy, I really do. Just try to be more open with Maeve, 'kay? That's all I'm askin' of you, Bro."

Piers breathed a sigh but smiled. "I'll try."

Maeve returned to them after a few moments, a small suitcase in her hand. "Okay, I've got all I need! Do you wanna go pack some stuff, Piers? I mean, if we're stayin' overnight, you'll need clothes and whatnot."

The male nodded. "Right. I'll do that. I'll meet you outside at your taxi."

He trudged out of the house, going to his own place to grab his own things. Marnie walked the older girl out of Spikemuth and to the taxi. Maeve called out her Corviknight who perched atop the taxi to wait.

"So, I hope you have a nice trip in Circhester," Marnie spoke up. "My bro really needs a vacation, so treat him to a great time, all right?"

"You can count on it." Maeve smiled brightly. "After all, I do owe him a lot. If it weren't for him, I'd have never gotten this far with my music."

The younger girl tilted her head to the side. "You must like him a lot then. I'm right, aren't I?"

A blush tinted Maeve's cheeks. "Well, yeah. Durin' all my travels, I always thought about both of you. I constantly wondered if...he was waitin' for me to come home."

A soft giggle slipped from Marnie's lips. "Believe me, he was. He'd never admit it, but he never let himself miss your live shows. He watched every single one of your performances." She smiled at the shocked expression on her friend's face. "My bro really likes you, so look out for him, will you?"

Once the surprise wore off, Maeve smiled timidly. "I will. I-I had no idea he...really felt that way." She laughed a little. "Makes me even more excited for this trip."

"I'm here." The girls both turned their heads to see Piers shuffling toward them, a small backpack slung over his shoulder. "Ready to shove off?" Maeve enthusiastically nodded, opening the door of the taxi to set her suitcase inside. She then climbed in and sat down. Piers carelessly tossed his backpack in and looked to his sister. "Take care of everythin' while I'm gone."

"No worries. I've got it, Bro." Marnie took his arm and tugged him down to her height, lowering her voice to a whisper. "You'd better tell her while you've got this quality time together."

With a red face, Piers straightened up a little. "Yeah, yeah, you don't need to tell me twice." With a slight wave, he climbed into the taxi and sat next to Maeve, closing the door behind him.

The female leaned out the window to give instructions to Corviknight, and then they took off. The scenery passing by was lovely, especially with the sunset painting the sky with orange and pink hues. There was an awkward silence, at least until Piers cleared his throat.

"Circhester, eh?" He nonchalantly draped his arm on the seat behind her, thankful that his bangs helped to hide his blush. "It's pretty chilly there. You won't get too cold, will ya?

Maeve smiled at him. "I brought a coat, I'll be fine." She glanced out the window. "And with the sun settin', we'll be goin' straight to the hotel anyway."

The male nodded. "By the way, we could...you know...cut down on expenses by gettin' a single room...if you don't mind."

Maeve's face flushed at the thought. "That makes sense. I-I don't mind. We can sh-share." She felt like slapping herself for stuttering.

Piers went quiet for a moment, smiling when he came up with an idea. "Oi, why don't we write a song together while we're there? We'll take our time, let the inspiration flow, and make somethin' we can sing together."

Maeve looked at him with excitement. "That sounds like a wonderful idea! With the two of us workin' together, we'll create a song that'll rock all of Galar!" With a cheerful smile, she leaned back in her seat, suddenly feeling Piers' arm behind her. "This is gonna be the best vacation ever."

With a smile on his face and an enthusiastic shine in his cyan eyes, Piers nodded. "No arguments there."