YELL! (piers x oc)

Epilogue

The salty breeze of Hulbury port mingled with the sounds of ships groaning against their docks. Koa stood by the railing, watching the ocean stretch out, far beyond Galar's shores. The waves reminded her of Kalos, though here the water seemed rougher, less forgiving. She gripped the metal bar harder, her knuckles pale.

Sylveon nuzzled against her leg, sensing a tremor in her hand before she did. Koa glanced down, smiling softly. "I'm okay, Sylveon. I promise." The words were more of a promise to her Pokémon than herself.

She sighed as she turned away from the ocean and looked towards Hulbury's streets. Galar was nothing like Kalos—no grand castles, no endless gardens, no crowds clamoring for the latest showcase. Here, it felt more raw, like the rough seas themselves. Koa had chosen Galar for that very reason. For its distance from the polished world of fame that once devoured her whole. Here, no one knew her. No one would expect her to be Koa, the Kalos Queen.

At least, that was the hope.

The sun lowered itself as she walked toward the Pokémon Center. Her boots clicked against the cobblestone streets, each step a little lighter the further she went from the port. A few people glanced her way, but no one seemed to recognize her. It was a relief—each passing moment where she wasn't recognized felt like a victory.

Koa's mind wandered back to her final showcase in Kalos. The lights had been too bright, the crowd too loud. She remembered the whispers, the tabloid stories about her supposed "meltdown." No one knew what really happened backstage. No one knew how hard it had been to leave.

She clenched her fists at the memory, but Sylveon lightly tugged at her sleeve with one of its ribbons, pulling her back to the present. "Thanks," Koa muttered, petting her partner's head softly. It was always Sylveon that grounded her.

The Center was quiet when she entered, save for the low hum of the healing machine filling the air. She approached the counter, recalling Sylveon and handing over her team's Pokéballs. Her eyes were drawn to the television screen behind Nurse Joy. A news broadcast was playing—Chairman Rose, of course. He was everywhere in Galar, it seemed. His pristine suit and shiny smile plastered across every major event.

"Chairman Rose continues to push for wider integration of Dynamax battles, as well as expanding Galar's stadiums to accommodate larger crowds..."

Koa scowled before she could stop herself. Another man so deeply entrenched in the system, so determined to exploit Pokémon battles for profit.

"You don' like him either, huh?"

The voice came from behind her. Koa turned to see a man leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. His shaggy hair nearly covered his eyes, and his outfit was casual, almost sloppy. A hoodie with baggy black jeans. Not the kind of person Koa expected to see at a Pokémon Center.

He stepped forward. "Rose, I mean. Man's a walkin' lie."

Koa raised an eyebrow. "Not a fan of his Dyanmax push?"

The man scoffed. "Dynamax? Nah. It's not just that. It's the whole corporate show he's runnin'. Takes the soul out of the battlin'." He shrugged and looked her up and down, his gaze almost calculating. "You're new 'round here. Don't get mixed up with Rose and his cronies."

Koa's defenses went up instantly. "I'm not planning to," she said coolly.

"Good. You don' seem like the type who's lookin' for attention."

Before she could respond, Nurse Joy returned with her team, and the man gave a casual wave. "Piers," he said, as if that explained everything. "Dark-type gym leader over in Spikemuth."

Koa blinked. Piers. The anti-Dynamax gym leader. She had heard whispers of him while passing through route 5—a man who refused to conform, refused to let the League's influence touch his town. For a moment, she wondered if he knew who she was. Did the news of her fall from grace reach Spikemuth's underground scene?

She wanted to ask, but something in his expression told her he wasn't interested in gossip. He was sizing her up, but not in the way the media always had—this was different. He was watching her, waiting to see if she would crack.

"I'm Koa," she said, her voice steady. "I'm just passing through."

Piers gave her a nod. "Well, Hulbury's quiet enough, but be careful. This place gets ugly real fast if you look too close." He jerked his head towards the TV, where Chairman Rose's image flickered. "You'll see."

With that, he pushed off the walls and headed towards the door. "Maybe I'll see you around, Kal... Koa."

Her heart stopped. The way his voice caught on her name—he knew. How much, though, she couldn't tell.

As the door closed behind him, Koa stood frozen, her pulse hammering in her ears. This was supposed to be her escape, her fresh start. No one was supposed to know her here.

But if Piers knew, how long until the rest of Galar knew, too?

...

a/n
let's ignore that i disappeared from this for months and then came back to rewrite it... i got super busy with work and kind of started an entire new career path. but i'm here for reals! i have an outline for this and i'm actually super excited to share!!