Project: Titans -- A Pokemon Story (OC x Piers)

Chapter 54

I felt numb inside, sitting in the plush, train seats. Meowsie had curled up in my lap, napping comfortably as I mindlessly pet her back and thought about my decision to leave.

It was what we'd planned all along; sure, I was returning a couple months early, but Father agreed it was for the best since our own operatives now couldn't be trusted. I had no Wishing Stars to present to my father, though. Perhaps that was why I felt sick watching the Galarian countryside blur by?

Maybe it was Toxie. I ended up leaving her back in Spikemuth in the care of Marnie, who swore to look after her with her life. It hurt to see her go, and the bear hug Toxie wrapped me in before I handed her luxury ball away only twisted the knife in my heart. But, she was happy in Spikemuth. She and Piers' Toxtricity were close as could be, and many times I found them plucking their respective protrusions to make melodies; a sign of deep affection amongst their kind.

I looked down to my guitar, packaged in its case and sitting oh-so-innocently by my side. Quickly, I looked away. Every time my gaze settled on an instrument or a familiar melody ghosted across my ears, my heart was wrenched painfully. Anything that even remotely reminded me of Spikemuth, or Team Yell, or Marnie, made me want to weep. And I didn't even want to think about Piers.

Whenever I saw a flash of black and white, I immediately looked for the singer's classic mane; the various Galarian Zigzagoon sitting on the train with their trainers made it extremely difficult. I hated the way my heart leaped with joy whenever I heard a Galarian accent even remotely similar to the special kick Spikemuthians spoke with.

Meowsie sensed my discomfort and hopped off my lap, clambering onto my shoulders. She sighed, studying her necklace. "I miss them too, Gia," she whispered finally. I pulled her off my shoulders and pressed her against me in a bear hug. I held her there, squeezing her tight for what seemed like hours.

Suddenly, a cry of surprise came from everyone on the train. I gasped as I looked up and saw Piers' face on one of the overhead monitors. Actually, his face was everywhere; he possessed every single screen on board the train, including my Rotom Phone.

"Hey there, Galar," he said, sitting with horrific posture in front of the fountain in Wyndon. His hair was brushed back from his face for once, and Toxie, Obstagoon and Toxtricity were standing behind him. "If ya don't know me, the name's Piers. I'm usin' Raihan's livestreamin' channel or whatever t' give a message t' somebody real important to me."

Whispers and questions made a cacophony of noise around me, but it was drowned out by the thumping in my chest that was quickly growing louder. "Gia, I know yer supposed t' be leavin' for Kanto an' all, but I couldn't let ya leave without tellin' ya how I feel. An' I know I ain't great at sayin' my feelin's an' stuff outright, but...well, I can sing, an' I wrote a song for ya. Hope ya like it."

He looked at Toxie, and she grinned, plucking at her protrusions to start up a melody. The camera panned out to reveal a temporary stage setup in the middle of Wyndon square; Marnie was sitting, neat as you please, at a set of drums and waiting for her cue. Toxtricity and Toxie got into their places onstage as well, and Obstagoon pushed forward to hype up the growing crowd around the stage.

"Gia, I wrote this song for ya just after ya helped Marn an' scared off that Ford bloke," he said into his microphone stand, voice amplified even through the phone speaker. "I'm forever in yer debt. It was moments like those I realized how my life'd be in shambles if ya hadn't shown up when ya did. So...if yer out there listenin', I hope you like it."

He counted in the song by tapping his foot, and instantly Toxie launched into a guitar solo. Immediately, I noticed the change in his music style; how the guitar played chords, and didn't wail with wild solos; how he sang into the mic, compared to how he usually screamed lyrics until his lungs gave out; and the heart of the matter, where the emotion of this song stemmed from, made me feel tingly when he started to sing.