"Ta-dah~!"

Dawn finally dared to peek between her fingertips, and with an excited gasp she pulled her hands away from her face. "Those look amazing, Serena!" she exclaimed, eyes sparkling. "See? I told you there was no need to worry!"

Serena delicately put the plate down on the counter and reached up her hands to brush her bangs out of her face, hoping to simultaneously hide the blush beginning to creep onto her face. "Thanks, Dawn, but we still have to see if they taste any good."

Was she embarrassed? Her modesty was rather charming. Dawn hopped off of her stool and walked to stand beside her blonde friend, where she could get a closer look at the plate of Poffins. "I can't believe this is honestly your first time making them," she breathed. The treats looked fluffy and soft without being undercooked, and their vibrant colors reflected the berries that went into their creation. The sprinkles and cream provided an extra artistic flair that added a touch of Kalos to the Sinnoh snack. "With your baking skills, I'm sure everyone's Pokémon are going to love them."

Serena waved her hand dismissively, clearly flustered by all of the praise. "You're only going off of Ash's word," she insisted, and added with a giggle, "We all know that boy eats everything!"

Dawn laughed as well as an image of the ravenous trainer from Pallet Town popped into her head. "Fair enough," she conceded with a grin. "Speaking of which, we'd better hurry over to the park to catch up with everyone else!"

Serena nodded in agreement and swiftly began to pack the Poffins into her signature brown basket, where she normally stored her fresh batches of Poke Puffs. Dawn carefully began to pick them up and help her, hoping to speed up the process. "I'm so glad Ash, Clemont, Bonnie, and I took this trip to Sinnoh," Serena began. "Hearthome really is an amazing city, and it's been so nice getting to know you!" At first she had been nervous about meeting Ash's old companion, but Dawn was friendly, cheerful, and an absolute pleasure to be around.

Dawn smiled warmly at her sweet, caring new friend. "You're always welcome to come back, you know!"

A different idea had already crept into the performer's mind, though. "Next time, I'm showing you Kalos!" she decided. "You would LOVE Lumiose City, with all of its boutiques and salons!"

That caught Dawn off guard. Next time? Her hand brushed against Serena's, and she could feel the other girl suddenly flinch; however, she didn't pull her hand away. "Are you inviting me to spend more time with you?" Hesitantly, she lifted her gaze from the Poffins to Serena's face. Much to her surprise, she found herself looking directly into the other girl's bright blue eyes. Apparently, Serena found herself surprised by her own words and was facing Dawn with a hint of confusion, but also joy and anticipation.

"I… I guess I am," she replied with a small laugh. "I just thought you might like it! I c-could be wrong! Let me know if I'm wrong," she stammered as her face turned the same shade of red as her vest.

"No, no!" Dawn assured her quickly, not wanting to upset her. "I would love that. Really."

The two of them spent the next few moments casting awkward glances all around the room, from the ceiling to the floor to the basket of Poffins, until they finally met each other's eyes once again. Slowly, carefully, without either of them really thinking, they moved closer to each other. First, by a step. Next, another step. Suddenly their legs stopped moving, and instead they leaned forward from the waist, then the head, until their faces were nearly touching.

Nearly touching.

Touching.

Pulling apart once more.

A fleeting moment. Over as suddenly as it had started.

However, it was a moment that neither of them would soon forget.

"I-if we miss the fireworks, Ash will be so disappointed!" Serena blurted out at last, hardly able to feel her mouth form the words as Dawn's kiss still lingered on her lips.

"We don't want those Poffins you made for everyone to go to waste!" the coordinator agreed quickly, and she helped Serena finish packing them all up. "Since you've never been there, though, I guess I should show you the way."

Fingers intertwined, they began to walk together, heading toward their next adventure.