Giving up was not an option. Serena had resolved long ago not to quit at the first sign of difficulty and to persevere through hardships. She remembered very vividly the moment in which she allowed her hesitations and sorrow to take to the winds, the moment when she lifted that weight from her shoulders.
Unfortunately, the one who inspired her to adopt her "never give up until the end" attitude was currently her opponent, and she knew he was treating this situation with the exact same mindset. They were both pushing their skills to the limits, and neither of them was willing to yield.
Speed and strength had taken her this far, but they apparently weren't enough to bring her to victory. His battle-trained eyes caught every detail and could easily follow her sneakiest tricks. What other tactics could she use? As she gazed over the scene in front of her, an idea suddenly flickered into her mind. This method would be risky, but her training had prepared her for it… right?'It's now or never, Serena!' she thought. 'Time to use your trump card!'
Her eyes glittering with determination, she slid her hand forward and smacked the incoming puck towards Ash's goal. Immediately, she gracefully flicked her wrist and thrust her paddle away from her with as much strength as she could muster. The paddle slammed into the puck from behind, giving it the extra push necessary to swiftly shove it into the goal before he could react. Game over.
"Wow! That was awesome, Serena!" Ash stepped forward to fist-bump the blonde, who obliged with a smile.
"Thanks! To be honest, I was worried I would miss," she confessed. "I guess all of that dance practice made me pretty nimble!"
"You nailed it! I guess we're using our tickets for that big Espurr plush, huh?" He held up the big bag of tickets they had accumulated from their day at the arcade.
Serena had almost forgotten about their bet after getting so swept up in their competition. "Are you sure you don't mind? You really seemed to want that water gun."
Ash nodded. "You won fair and square. Go for it!"
Serena pushed the outstretched bag away from her. "That's okay. I'll just cuddle with Pikachu tonight instead of the plush~ How does that sound, Pikachu?" She ruffled the fur atop the electric mouse's head, and his cheeks sparked in delight as he snuggled up against her hand. He then leapt off of Ash's shoulder and moved to stand beside the performer instead; he sent a mischievous glance at Ash as he snuggled up against her ankles.
The boy from Pallet Town gasped in indignation. "I've been betrayed by my two closest friends!" he cried out despairingly. "That's it! We're definitely getting you that plush now!" he declared, hurrying off to the ticket counter.
Serena chuckled and winked at the Pokémon pressing up against her leg. Teaming up with Pikachu had been the best strategy after all.
