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Ash, Max and Brock all regarded the building with utterly dumbfounded looks, wondering just where they had found themselves. Unlike them, May was looking at it with a rapturous expression. Stars were shining in her eyes and she had her hands clasped in front of her chest. They wondered if it just might have something to do with the building looking somewhat like cake.
"I don't get it." Max said finally, spreading his arms. "Is this a famous cake shop or something?"
"No!" May exclaimed, turning around to face him. "This is the location of the world famous Cake League where Pokémon trainers gather and they battle until there is only one trainer remaining. The winner gets the best cake in the world!"
"Eh?!" Ash, Brock and Max reacted accordingly, looking stunned. What she had just said sounded completely nuts and for a moment, each of them wondered if they were dreaming.
"Today is the day that people can sign up and enter the league," May said in a dreamy voice, looking up to the sky with a big smile. "Then they can battle for that delicious cake. Only one person will be able to get that cake."
"It sounds like there might be a lot of people entering this league," Brock spoke up, raising an eyebrow. "You really think you are up for this, May? I bet I could make an even better cake than what they have."
"Heh." May lowered her head, smiling wider. "Don't be silly. My forte is Pokémon contests after all so when it comes to serious battles, I might find myself at a loss. Winning this could be really difficult." She whirled around all of a sudden and seized Ash by the front of his jacket. "Which is why I need you to do it!"
"Huh?" Ash blinked, his jaw dropping. "M-me?"
"I want that cake, Ash." May smiled sweetly. "I just know a future Pokémon Master like you could do it. You're much better than all those trainers entering that league today and you know it."
"I don't have a choice, do I?" Ash sighed as she released him. "Are we really going to have to go through all this trouble just for cake?"
"Pikachu." Pikachu shook his head.
"You'll do it?" May grinned. "Thanks a lot!"
It turned out there weren't a lot of Pokémon trainers entering in the Cake League after all. May probably could have taken them all on herself for that matter. Ash breezed through the rounds with little trouble, beating up countless weak Pokémon all so that May could get her cake. Of course, in the later rounds, things started to get a little more difficult but he persevered and was able to make it all the way to the final round.
Ash and his opponent were both down to their last Pokémon. The opponent's Flareon looked just as tired as Ash's Pikachu was. It was surely down to the last move, which would decide who would be the winner of this match.
"Flareon, Fire Blast!"
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
A massive explosion ensured and the smoke cleared to reveal Pikachu standing and sweating, while breathing heavily. Flareon, on the other hand, had collapsed. Ash was declared the winner.
"Ash Ketchum is the winner of the Cake League!" said the announcer, while May, Brock and Max rushed down onto the field and cheered along with Ash. "Now will the winner and his friends please proceed to that mysterious tall building over there to get their delicious cake."
Ash, May, Max and Brock hurried to the building. The sliding metal doors opened, and slid shut behind them. They looked around the empty room, seeing a speaker above another door.
"Welcome, human beings," said an electronic voice that emitted from the speaker. "Sorry to tell you, but the cake is a lie."
"WHAT?!" May screamed the loudest of all four.
"Now you are trapped in this building unless you can solve all our puzzles and make it to the end. It will be a dangerous journey full of peril and only the smartest and the strongest will be able to make it. Can you survive it and reach the prize, the world's best cake?"
"But I thought the cake was a lie?" Ash muttered. "Something's not right here."
"Who cares? We just got to get that cake!" May exclaimed. Ash, Brock and Max all quietly sighed behind her back.