“Annais…?”

She tensed and carefully raised her head.  She thought she had hidden well enough where she wouldn’t be spotted. No one should’ve known she had snuck back here to sob.  Was she being watched?  Followed on top of everything else?

“Piers?” she managed to squeak upon catching eyes with the dark-type leader. “How did you-?”

Piers frowned and kneeled by her side.  “Sorry to intrude,” he mumbled.  He felt her forehead, then stroked away the tears that streaked her cheeks.  “I saw y’ rushin’ back here an’ got worried.”

Her skin felt hot under his hand that continued to caress her.  He was so unnecessarily gentle.  Annais didn’t know how to take it.

“Ann…  Who did this to you?” he asked in a voice so calm.  “Who upset you so badly?”

Annais shook her head, rubbing her eyes with the back of her wrist.  “No one!” she insisted.  “I’m just a little exhausted, I guess.  I’ve hardly been able to sleep since the challenge began. A-And I get really moody when I’m tired.”

Piers studied her face.  He knew she was lying, or rather, covering something up.  He couldn’t help but note she smelled familiar, yet unlike the sweet scent he associated with her after their first meeting.  He smelled cologne.  Expensive cologne.  Piers quickly recognized the source, validating his suspicions.  His face soured.  His nostrils flared.  It was more emotion than Annais had ever seen him express.  He looked around the alley before grabbing her wrist.

“Annais,” Piers said gravely.  “Up, up. Let’s get you somethin’ to eat.”

“What?” she asked, jerking her hand back.  “No, I’m fine.  I’m not hungry.”

“I am,” he said and gently tugged her again.  “Come with me.  Outta here.”

She stared at him, confused and unwilling to budge.

“Annais,” he lowered his voice to a whisper.  “We need to talk.  Alone.”

Annais shook her head, but Piers was stronger than he appeared.  She wanted to choke up again.  Why couldn’t Galarians, even the ones with better intentions, leave her alone?

“… What if I wasn’t the only one watchin’ you?”

Those words struck more fear in her.  She quickly got to her feet.

“Where… Where are you taking me?” she asked.

“Some place safe,” he said and drew her near.  “Some place where we can talk.”

Piers dragged her through the back alley.  He kept her as close as possible while carefully navigating the least populated path.  After some time, they reached the derelict side of Wyndon.  They ducked into one of the many abandoned buildings.  He pulled her into his arms, once again surveying the area before heaving a sigh of relief, letting her go, and holding her shoulders.

“I’ll ask again, love,” he whispered.  “Who hurt you?”

Annais shook her head.  Tears leaked out the corner of her eyes.  She hardly knew Piers.  She didn’t know if she could trust him.  As his eyes stared into hers, so full of concern, she desperately wanted to trust him. But she didn’t know who she could trust at all anymore.  She didn’t want to get herself in a bigger mess than what she was already in.

“Ann, y’know, I got a li’l sister,” Piers said, taking her chin and tilting it up.  “A li’l sister who’s doin’ the same challenge you’re doin’.  Lot younger’n both of us, but you still probably know ‘er.  Gotta entourage everywhere she goes.  Can’t really miss ‘em.”

Annais nodded slowly.  He must have been talking about… Marnie, was it?  She was familiar with her; they had crossed paths and battled a few times. That “entourage” of hers was a thorn in her side, up until she reached the Spikemuth gym.  They seemed to focus their attentions elsewhere after that.

“I’d do anythin’ for ‘er.  She means everythin’ to me,” he said.  “But y’see, I can’t really follow ‘er around myself.  She’s a growin’ girl.  She doesn’t want ‘er brother taggin’ along; I get that.”  He paused, still looking directly into Annais’s eyes.  “But I know what kinda world is out there, Ann…  The kinda world that you know firsthand.  I don’ want that for ‘er.  An’ if anyone even thought about touchin’ a hair on ‘er head, I’d make ‘em wish I woulda just killed ‘em.  Everyone in Spikemuth knows that.”

Annais looked on in horror.  She didn’t think he had it in him, but the somber manner in which he spoke said otherwise. Piers only sighed.

“Ann, y’remind me a lot of my sister,” he confessed.  “Shy.  Independent. A bloody ace trainer.  Since the day we met, I knew I hafta keep you safe, too. That’s why I’ve been keepin’ an eye on you myself…  An’ I don’ like what I’ve been seein’.”

Her blood turned to ice within her veins.  This was so much to process.  They met, what, a week ago?  How closely had he been watching her?  Had he seen everything she’d been through?  Did he see every interaction, and every breakdown that followed?

“I know it was that goddamn bloody cunt of a chairman, Annais,” he said. His grip tightened on her shoulders as he said this.  The flash of panic in Annais’s eyes at his declaration proved to him what he already knew. “Y’ don’ ‘ave to cover for him with me. Everyone in this bloody region covers for ‘im.  I’m gonna fix this for you.  How long ‘as he been up to this?”

Bowing her head, Annais began to tear up again.  Piers already knew too much.  There was no use in trying to pretend otherwise any longer.

“Since giving me my endorsement.  It was the only way.”  Annais was so full of shame and regret, having to admit it out loud.  “It was a mistake.  I’ve been having to make it up to him since.  After every gym, he finds something to hold over me.  He’d tell me of rumors about me, or my Pokémon, and promise he’d sweep it under the rug if I played along.  I-I just wanted a shot at proving myself.  I just wanted an endorsement.  I didn’t want any of the rest of this.  It’s my fault for not putting my foot down.”

Suddenly, Piers’s fist connected with the wall behind her.  Her hand darted up to her chest as tears fell harder. He’d startled her so much.

“It’s not your fault.  It never was.  Get that thought outta your head,” he said through gritted teeth.  “Had I known you, I woulda gave you an endorsement.  No strings attached.  I gave Marnie ‘ers so she wouldn’t be in this position.  You don’ need to do that kinda thing to have a chance.  You’re more than enough on your own.  I can’t undo what he’s done.  But I’ll make sure he doesn’t do it anymore.  It makes me sick thinkin’ that someone’s touched you an’ made you cry.”

“Piers,” she whimpered, grabbing hold of his jacket.  “Don’t do anything.  Please.  He’ll boot me from the championship if you do anything!”  She shook him with every frantic word.  “That little boy- Bede?  He set him up and stripped him of his endorsement.  I’m so close, Piers.  The semi-finals are a couple of nights away!  I-I didn’t let him put me through all this just to lose.  It’d all be for nothing!”

He grabbed her wrists and guided her hands away from his jacket before pulling her into an embrace.

“Don’ you fret, Ann,” he whispered into her ear, cradling her head to his chest. “You won’t ‘ave to worry about ‘im kickin’ you out…”

Piers kissed the top of her head before letting her go.

“…Cos I’m gonna take care of ‘im.”

Annais wanted to protest, or speak up, or say something.  Yet she was rendered speechless.  How?  What was he planning on doing?

“Piers, what are you-?”

Piers put a finger in front of her lips.

“Don’ get in my way, Ann,” he warned.  “I’d hate for you to get hurt.  You’ve already hurt so much.”

“Piers…”

“Listen.  Go outside an' call a flyin' taxi.  Tell ‘em to take you to Spikemuth,” he said.  He reached inside his jacket, pulling something out of the small pocket within.  He placed it in her palm and closed her fist.  

“Tell the bloke at the booth near the Pokémon Center to take you backstage.  Show ‘im that,” he continued.  “He’ll understand, an’ take you to safety.  You stay there ‘til I come for you.  Understand?”

Annais opened her hand and saw a guitar pick, donning the same symbol that he wore on his neck.  With a nod, she left his presence.

She did as she was told. She didn’t know why she blindly obeyed, but she did.  Perhaps it was a safer bet that disobeying, or maybe she did trust him.  She took a flying taxi to Spikemuth.  She spoke to the gym trainer at the booth. He personally left his post and guided her through the city, into a run-down little pub.  The few patrons inside didn’t look her way as she was led upstairs to a tiny apartment-looking area.

“Can I getcha anythin' from downstairs, love?” the trainer asked once she was inside.  She shook her head.  She almost asked for alcohol, but didn’t want to push her luck.  He responded with a curt nod, then left her all alone.

Annais looked around, trying to understand where exactly she had ended up.  If it was someone's actual quarters, they must not have spent much time here.  It didn’t look like it had been lived in recently.  She did her best to make herself comfortable as she waited it out.

As she told Piers earlier, she was exhausted.  She didn’t exaggerate that.  Even as suspicious as she should have been, the moment she laid on the little futon her eyes grew uncontrollably heavy.

When she woke, the sun had long since set.  The room was pitch black, save for one little sliver of moonlight that landed on the futon. Even if she had no service, she did have her phone on her for the exact time.  It was late.  Many hours had passed and she was still alone.  Her stomach growled, and she was beginning to consider that it would be wiser to slip out.  Her internal debate was settled when she heard heavy footsteps coming up the stairs. She tensed, preparing herself for the worst.

The door opened, and an unmistakable thin silhouette appeared in the doorway.  From what Annais could see, Piers looked like hell. His typically crisp white leather jacket was smattered with specks of red.  Annais grew queasy at the sight of it, paired with the smell of copper permeating through the room after he shut the door.  There was no mistaking what covered him.

He trudged over to her, collapsing on the futon at her side with a deep exhale.  Initially, he didn’t acknowledge her.  She wondered if he knew she was awake.  She lay motionless beside him, unsure of whether or not to speak.

“You’re safe now, Ann,” he whispered between heavy breaths.  “I took care of it…”

She sat up, leaning over him.  His alabaster skin was smudged with crimson.  Cautiously, her thumb attempted to dab it away.

“Piers… What did you do?” Annais asked.

“Don' worry about it,” he said.  “You don' wanna know.”

“Oh, my God…”

“I didn’t kill ‘im,” Piers promised.  A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.  “Though, he probably wishes I did.  You don' gotta worry about him askin’ you for not another goddamn thing.”

Silence fell between the pair again.  Annais didn’t know if she should feel grateful, or if he even expected her to thank him.  What he may have considered a favor far from her definition of one.  Consumed in the worst train of thought, she felt something brush her hand.  Despite the darkness, she knew he was holding his out for her.  She accepted it.  His cold fingers threaded through hers.

“You're gonna be champion, Ann,” he said, giving her hand a squeeze.  “An' no one’s gonna stand in your way…  I’ll make sure of it.”

She couldn’t help herself; tears began to fall.  She didn’t understand him, or why he’d do such a thing in her name.  But she couldn’t make herself hate him for it, though rationality told her it’d be smart.

They remained like that, perfectly quiet in the dark, holding each other’s hand as she cried. The statement that broke the silence also broke Annais’s heart.

“Are you scared of me?”

She paused to consider it. She didn’t know.  She wasn’t afraid of him, but feared the things he did.

“…Should I be?”

“I don' want you to be,” Piers said.  He released her hand.  “Others can be… They should be.  But I don’ want you fearin’ me.  I only want you to be happy.  If anyone comes between that, it’ll be the last thing they do.”

Her heart was thumping almost painfully, yet she realized she wasn’t frightened.  In fact, this was the most peace she’d had since starting the challenge.  Relief washed over her.  She didn’t know what he did.  Like he said, she didn’t want to know, but she trusted that he took care of it.

“Y'know, you can leave now, if you want.  I’m not gonna force anythin' on ya.  I’ll make sure we get you home, if that’s where y’wanna go.”

Lowering her lips to his, she offered him a kiss of gratitude.  His lips tasted of blood- whether it was his or someone else’s was anyone’s guess. She grabbed his wrist, encouraging him to touch her, letting him know she permitted it. 

“You make it so hard,” he said in a strained whisper against her lips.  He kissed her again, his hand finally settling like she allowed.   With her consent, Piers relented.  He clung to her desperately.  The grip he had on her could’ve squeezed the life out of her.  “I might just kill the next man who touches you. It won’t be enough to beat him unconscious.  I’ll have to send them to hell for you.”