X

Ash was never one for drama, let alone drama when girls were involved. He preferred to settle things straight, with a good battle and only the occasional fist fight. Unfortunately, he suspected that suggestion wasn't going to fly today.

The gang had taken a stop at a small town along the way to Shalour City, in order to recover, resupply, and enjoy some sweets— Serena's home-made Poképuffs to name one. That last task only seemed to invite trouble, however. Serena was now locked head-to-head with some other girl over, of all things, the pastries. Ash wasn't even sure what the fuss was about, they both made good sweets!

Serena's were better, of course, but they were both good.

"Do you even know how to pick nature-neutral berries for your Poképuffs?" The girl named Miette pressed, sneering at Serena in the way teenage girls do.

"Oh please, of course I know that." Serena huffed, crossing her arms as she butted heads with the smug stranger.

Sighing, Ash watched along with a look somewhere between amusement and bemusement. He was unsure if he should intervene, unsure if he could intervene. Clemont had tried already, to less than stellar results.

"Well, at least we'll be out of here pretty soon, eh buddy?" Ash said under his breath, leaning over to Pikachu. He was watching the sparks fly with a similarly befuddled expression.

"Pikachu-pi…"

Unfortunately for the both of them, it seemed they weren't getting out of anywhere anytime soon. A few paces away from the ongoing catfight, Bonnie's attention had been captured by an advertisement, one she was soon intent on sharing with the rest of the party.

"Why don't you guys do this to figure out who makes better Poképuffs!" she called, breaking the two out from their clashing for a moment. There on the bulletin board was an advertisement for a Poképuff contest, one that brought a sparkle to Serena's eye and a smug grin to Miette's face.

"Yeah, that sounds like a great idea!" Serena said immediately, putting on a firm smile and glaring Miette down. Miette, meanwhile, was cool as a cucumber.

"I've been training for this competition for a long time," she began, catching a moment of eye contact from Ash before looking at Serena. "I'd be happy to show you how it's really done."

Just like that, the vicious spark flying between the two became an exchange of competitive jabs. Any hope of getting on to the next town soon was dashed.

Ash blinked.

"...Wait, what?"

X

When it became clear that Serena was serious about taking part in the Poképuff contest, Ash's mood took a fast turn. The journey was just as much for the others as it was for him, so he wouldn't complain about a short delay, even if the point of all this was lost on him.

Serena had made the best Poképuffs— The contest just felt like a formality.

Still, as Ash saw Serena up there on the stage, readying herself for the upcoming competition with a grin on her face, he couldn't help but smile. He understood that look, he knew that look. It was a fire he had shown in his own eyes a dozen times by now— the fire of a good battle! So, when it came time for the contest to begin, he'd be right there, cheering her on.

Until then though…

Perching his chin on his hand, Ash looked on at the growing number of contestants up on the stage by Serena. They were all sorting out supplies with their partner Pokémon, a detail that interested him for a moment before his attention began to drift. This was going to be a long and painful wait, he could just feel it.

"Pikapi?" Climbing up onto his shoulder, Pikachu roused Ash's attention with a question.

"Heh, I'm fine bud," he answered, sitting up and looking over at an approaching crowd. Even more contestants were arriving, surely ballooning this into an all-day event. Groaning, Ash continued. "Just trying to think of something to pass the time is all."

"Pika Pika." Muttering alongside his partner, Pikachu slumped against Ash's head, his attention turning to the arriving crowd as well. After a moment, though, something caught his eye. With a sudden hop, Pikachu grabbed at Ash's focus. "Pikapi! Pipi-Kachu!"

"Huh? What's up, Pikachu?" Looking to where Pikachu was pointing, Ash paused. He spotted what had captured his partner's curiosity.

"Something the matter?" Clemont spoke up from the row of stands behind Ash, noticing his change of demeanor.

"Nah, nah." With a shake of his head, Ash assured Clemont he was fine, his attention not parting from the arriving contestants as he stood up. "I'm just gonna go, uh, pass the time."

X

Ash approached the crowd of remaining contestants, keeping his head low as he followed close behind. He had seen it. Pikachu had seen it. It had to be there. In the crowd, a familiar sight had sparked both of their interests—

A Meowth, walking on two legs.

"I see him!" Ash shouted, before Pikachu shushed him with a swat of his tail. Grumbling, he continued forward after their person-of-interest. "Team Rocket hasn't bothered us in forever, but I guess they can't just let a good thing stay that way, right buddy?"

"Pipi-Kachu, Pika." Grabbing onto Ash's head, Pikachu pulled him to the side, out of the line of contestants and towards a clearer path straight to their target. Without missing a beat, Ash sped up, getting a closer look at Meowth.

He definitely looked like the Meowth they knew, what with the way he strolled casually through the crowd without a trainer. They just needed to confirm before they made a scene.

Just as Meowth parted from the others and approached the backstage area, an idea came to Ash.

"Watch this, Pikachu," he whispered, whilst speeding up once more. Coming from behind, Ash got precariously close to Meowth, before looking away and bumping into him with an overplayed flourish. Ash's acting wasn't the best, but it was good enough for what came next. "Oh, hey, a Meowth?"

Stumbling over, the Meowth looked back and stared at Ash.

"A twerp?" With that utterance, Meowth instantly realized his mistake. "D'oh!"

"I knew it! What're you up to, Team Rocket!" Ash and Pikachu took on a defensive stance, facing Meowth down with intense glares.

"None of ya's business, twe—!" Meowth turned to sprint away, only to be stopped in the very next moment.

"Oh no you don't!" Before Meowth could hightail it, Ash had jumped forward and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, forcing him to a stop. "You're not going anywhere!"

"Hey!" Trying his best, Meowth kicked his legs in the air, attempting to escape to no avail. "Lemme go! Lemme— Wait a second."

Freezing in midair, Meowth went slack, surprising Ash and Pikachu when he swung around to look at them.

"What am I runnin' for? I didn't do anythin'!" he shouted, making Ash blink.

"I— Uh. Huh." Ash looked into the distance for a moment in thought, before Meowth began twisting in his grip again.

"Team Rocket's left youse twerps alone for ovah two weeks! We ain't harmin' a soul!" he claimed, grabbing onto Ash's wrist and trying to wrench himself free, to little effect. "Why are youse still on my case!"

"I dunno," Ash confessed, dropping Meowth without much defense for himself. "Force of habit, I guess."

Patting himself off, Meowth huffed.

"Oil admit, I did get da sudden urge to nab ya Pikachu just den as well," he admitted, rubbing his chin in thought. His annoyed expression became humorous. "Guess old habits die hard, don't dey twerp!"

Ash couldn't even dignify that joke with a response, instead merely facepalming with a groan. Pikachu concurred with a similarly frustrated 'Pipi-Kachu.'

"Well, it's been a nice lil' meetup, twerp, but I gots a Poképuff contest to go win! Sayonara!" Waving the two off, Meowth began on his way again, leaving Ash and Pikachu to watch for a moment before they blinked.

"Wait, what?"

X

"You guys are just, taking part in the contest?"

After following Meowth to the backstage area of the amphitheater, Ash and Pikachu found it wasn't just him, but actually the entirety of the trouble-making trio in attendance. Jessie and James had already arrived, the latter helping the former get into character for the contest.

"Why do you look so incredulous!" James shouted, separating from Jessie before he could finish zipping up her dress.

Ash frowned while James huffed.

"Because why should I believe you aren't up to no good?" he pressed, crossing his arms as Pikachu concurred. "I never took you guys for the healthy competition types."

"A part of a young lady's charm is her baking!" Jessie asserted, pulling away from James now, whilst he was doing up her hair. "Just you watch, twerp. Jessilee is going to prove it!"

"Didn't realize you still counted as young," Ash muttered, looking away for a moment. Turning back, he found the trio having returned to their preparation, not even paying him and Pikachu mind. "So, what's up? Why aren't you guys going after Pikachu anymore?"

"What's it look like, twerp?" Meowth answered first, facing Ash with a clipboard in his paws. "We givin' the Team Rocket shtick a rest for a while."

"Huh?!" To say Ash was shocked was an understatement, Pikachu even more so— he actually fell off Ash's shoulder, he was just that surprised.

"After our enlightening discussion back at the museum, we three decided we wanted to give being regular old joes a try," James explained, his focus squarely on tailoring Jessie's dress to fit her form better. "And so far, we love it!"

"The freedom of not having to think about stealing your crummy old Pikachu—" Nearly squealing, Jessie threw her hands into the air, messing up James's work in the process. "It's like nothing else!"

"Pika?!" Pikachu was incensed at the not-so-subtle jab, growling with sparks at his cheeks for a few moments. It took a steady hand from Ash to get him to huff and let it go.

"Well…" Lost in thought for a moment, Ash glanced past Team Rocket, to a thin slice of the stage that could be seen from their spot backstage. There, he saw a comforting sight: Serena and Fennekin, happily wrapping up the last of their prep. Ash smiled. "If you guys aren't gonna come after me and my friends anymore, then I won't complain."

Ash surprised Team Rocket as he turned, spotting his path back to the stands.

"Heads up though, you guys are facing Serena, and her Pokepuffs are the best," he claimed, his smile becoming a grin as he faced his old nemeses one last time.

"Is that a challenge I hear?!" Jessie called back, her voice matching Ash's competitive tone tit-for-tat. The two stared each other down for a moment before Ash broke it off with a laugh.

"You bet it is, good luck!" he said, waving them off before he left. "And congrats!"

Once he was out of earshot, he muttered.

"...on finally getting a life."

Y

The first round of the contest had gone off without a hitch, with Serena, Miette, and "Jessilee" putting on a good show making their Poképuffs. Serena especially had done well, thematically decorating her Pokepuffs with a shaving of chocolate to represent Fennekin. Now, however, it was time to hear the results of the round, with all of the contestants waiting in the stands.

"You've all done wonderfully here today, but I can only allow three of you to pass." Despite seemingly being a small town event, the contest had gotten an authentic pâtissière to judge, which only added to the anxiousness hanging over the results.

Serena shuffled in her seat, squeezing her fingers to relieve her nerves. She felt she had done well enough, and Ash and the others didn't hesitate to say she and Fennekin had killed it up there. Yet still, she was nervous. Something was nipping at her the whole time, and she wasn't sure what.

Her heartbeat was racing.

"First off, we have Miette!" At the pâtissière's call, the stands were taken by a round of polite applause, which did nothing to help Serena's nerves. All she could do was huff as Miette stepped forward, pausing to smirk back at her and Ash. After a moment, the judge continued. "From there, we have the Berrybaker siblings!"

That wasn't unexpected, Serena thought. They had put in good work, and their Poképuffs were really beautiful! Still, that just left one spot. Serena's nerves soared, as she began to tap her feet in wait.

It all came to a stop, when Ash put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't sweat it, Serena," he said with a confident grin. "No matter what, I know your Poképuffs were the best!"

Serena smiled, as for a moment, all her nerves disappeared, washed away with that look he gave her. Nodding, she gave her thanks, before facing the stage once more.

"And now—!" Perhaps the pâtissière was a performer in another life, because she seemed intent on making this as dramatic as she could. With a flourish of her arms, she called out. "For our last finalist—!"

The whole stage went quiet.

"Jessilee and Jamesio!"

Applause erupted, full force this time, drowning out any immediate thoughts in Serena's mind. All around her, onlookers and contestants alike stood and cheered for the final two bakers, as they stumbled their way to the stage. For a moment, they looked familiar, but then that thought too was soon drowned out.

At first, Serena was surprised, almost shocked. Whether it was Ash's words of assurance, or her own last-minute boost of confidence, for a second there, she honestly thought she'd qualified. Soon, however, her shock faded. Only a few moments after the applause had begun, she joined along with it, celebrating her fellow Poképuff makers' victory. It was the least they deserved after all.

Soon after that, the amphitheater began to clear, leaving just the group idling by. Serena stood at the foot of the stage, her back to them as they shuffled around her. A quiet moment passed.

"Serena… I'm sorry about how things ended up," Clemont began, breaking through the silence first. "Your Poképuffs really were splendid!"

"Yeah, and they were so pretty and everything!" Bonnie chirped, Dedenne squeaking in agreement from his spot in her satchel.

Ash stepped forward then, a worried look to his eyes as he spoke.

"I'm really sorry, Serena," he began, surprisingly morose. "I really thought you had it in the bag."

"Pipi-ka…"

A moment passed as Serena didn't respond, her shoulders tensed as she looked up at the stage. She'd stood on that stage, just a little while ago. Then, she relaxed. Her shoulder slumped, and she turned.

When she faced the group, she was smiling.

"It's okay. It's not worth getting hung up over this anyways," she explained, giving the stage one last passing glance. "Come on, why don't we get out of here?"

"That's a very mature response! I'm glad you're not too disheartened," Clemont said with a grin, pulling up his backpack and taking a few steps towards the exit. Bonnie eagerly went ahead, prompting Clemont to follow lest he have a few marriage proposals to turn down. "We'll meet you two up front, I've gotta— Bonnie!"

Serena giggled as Clemont ran off, leaving a moment of quiet before Ash approached her.

"Hey Serena, great work up there!" he led with, pumping his fist to really sell his excitement. After that, though, his fiery passion tempered itself. "But I gotta ask— You didn't seem that torn up about it. You sure you're doing okay?"

Serena's smile weakened, but didn't fall. It just felt more earnest now.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay," she answered, stepping away from the stage and leaving it behind. "I realized I only ever did this to prove a point, one that didn't need proving."

"Oh?" Ash's curiosity was piqued now, as he followed along.

"I make Poképuffs just because I like doing it, not because I want to be the very best or something," Serena explained, reaching into her bag. After a moment, she pulled out something that made Ash's mouth water: One of her newly baked Poképuffs. "If me and you guys like what I make, isn't that enough?"

"Sure is!" With a voracious grin, Ash accepted the pastry, splitting a portion out to Pikachu before absolutely inhaling the rest in one bite. His lack of manners chewing his food was so egregious, it made Serena break out with a laugh.

"Come on, let's go find Bonnie and Clemont, before she starts making wedding plans," she suggested, wiping a tear from her eye.

With that, the two were off—!

"Hey, Serena! Wait!"

—For a few steps.

Serena turned with a jump, finding the shout surprising and the person it came from even more so. It was Miette, standing up on the stage once more. With a jump, the girl hopped off and ran after them.

"What do you want, Miette?" Serena huffed, crossing her arms and stepping forward as the girl paused to catch her breath.

Grinning with a snide look, Miette glanced at Ash before back at Serena.

"Clever trick, throwing the first round of the contest, knowing I had to stay, just so you could run off with Mr. Handsome," she said, keeping it quiet and erupting Serena into a blushing mess.

"H-handsome? I d-didn't—"

"You're a lot sharper than I took you for," Miette continued, waving off Serena's denials. Then, she dropped her voice lower. "Consider your claim respected."

"Claim!?" Serena screamed, Miette's hushes doing nothing.

"Huh? Is something wrong?" Tuning back in, Ash reentered the conversation, much to the embarrassment of Serena and chagrin of Miette.

"N-No!" Serena pressed, as Miette rolled her eyes. Getting closer, she grabbed Serena's shoulder and pulled her away from Ash.

"Careful though~" she whispered. "If you don't make a move, someone will."

With that, Miette walked off, leaving Serena bright red and stunned for words.

"What just happened?" Ash asked, scratching his head as Serena slowly turned around.

"L-let's just, get out of here."