What If Ash was in Pokemon Horizons?

The Bittersweet Truth

The Rising Volt Tacklers have finally arrived in the Galar region, ready to begin their search of Liko's grandmother. Not wanting to risk the Brave Asagi nor Ash attracting too much attention and luring the Explorers  or Team Rocket to them, Friede parks the airship outside the city of Motostoke, from which they can take a train to Hammerlocke to begin their search. However, Friede learns after landing that the trains won't be running until the next day due to maintenance.

While Orla heads out to buy some ship parts, Dot requests Ash, Liko and Roy to visit the Battle Café at Motostoke to get her some Slurpuff cotton candy for her next Nidothing video. Accompanied by Murdock, the three young Trainers enter the city.

While Liko helps Murdock with his shopping,

Person: No, I havent seen a Black Rayquaza in my life!

Ash: Another no, Roy?

Roy: Yeah, another round of fans?

Ash: Yeah, at least i'm getting used carrying a pen around.

Pikachu: Pika Pi

Roy: I think I'll ask the gym leader Kabu, he's from Hoenn so he's gotta know something.

Ash: A gym leader? Cool! Maybe I can battle him!

Roy: I'd like to see that

Ash: Hey, Roy? I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise, i didn't excalty have a disguise on me, and I didn't know everyone would plaster my face over the entire region.

Roy: It's okay, you are World Monarch.

The group arrive at the battle cafe

Murdock: That's odd, the Slurpuff cotton candy isn't on the menu

Ash sees the café pastry chef be defeated by a customer

Ash: Maybe because it's an award for beating the head chef!

Roy: But I'm sure he doesn't welcome an endless hoard of trainers, we can proably only fight him once a day.

Ash: I'll battle him!

Murdock, however, recognizes the chef as a man named Mitchell, who likewise recognizes him and refuses to battle him.

Mitchell: You think you're better now that you're budd buddy with the World Monarch?!

Murdock's Alcremie tries to offer Mitchell some of her cream, but is left heartbroken when he refuses.

Murdock: Mitchell and I used to be friends, but that was a long time ago.

Liko: Can't you tell us more?

Roy: Please Murdock

Ash: yeah, Please

Murdock: okay, we used to run a pastry together while having a friendly rivalry between my ruby cream cakes and his matcha cakes. That changed when the our mascot Pokémon, Milcery, evolved into a Ruby Swirl Alcremie, which benefitted my pastries more than Mitchell's. This led to an argument between us, and I left the pastry with Alcremie. I understand now that Mitchell would've wanted Milcery to evolve into a Matcha Cream Alcremie,  but I'm not sure what to say to him to make up for what happened.

Liko notices Mitchell listening in on their conversation and Alcremie still looking sad.

Liko: Why don't me and you battle him.

While hesitant, Murdock eventually agrees to this, and he and Liko issue a Double Battle challenge to Mitchell. Mitchell agrees to accept the challenge issued by the young lady, but warns them that, unlike with his customers, he won't go easy on them.

The battle begins, with Liko's Sprigatito and Murdock's Alcremie facing Mitchell's Slurpuff and Appletun. The battle is off to a less than optimal start, as Sprigatito gets immobilized by Slurpuff's Cotton Spore and hit by Appletun's Apple Acid. Alcremie, though, manages to protect herself from Appletun's attack with Acid Armor, before proceeding to free Sprigatito from the cotton by absorbing it into herself. Beginning their counterattack, Murdock has Alcremie use Decorate on Sprigatito, powering it up and allowing its Scratch to deal more damage on its opponents. Though they get back on their feet, instead of attacking back, Slurpuff and Appletun instead start pouring out ingredients for Mitchell, much to Liko's confusion. In response, Murdock also starts whisking some of Alcremie's cream, leaving Ash, Liko and Roy baffled at how the battle suddenly transformed into a bake-off. However, seeing the chefs and their Pokémon looking happy is enough to make Liko happy too. At Murdock's request, she has Sprigatito add the finishing touch on their pastries by sprinkling Leafage leaves on them.

Calming down, even Murdock and Mitchell begin to notice how out-of-nowhere their sudden bake-off came. Liko points out to them how happy Alcremie is, as it had just wanted to make pastries with both of them again, just like they used to. Murdock finally finds himself able to apologize to Mitchell, who silently goes inside and comes back out with a slice of matcha cake, requesting that Alcremie pour some of her cream on it, which she happily does. Mitchell admits that his inability to blend Alcremie's cream with his pastries was simply due to his own inexperience at the time and also apologizes to Murdock. The two men share a tearful hug to celebrate their rekindled friendship, before Mitchell suddenly notices that one of the customers present at the patio is none other than Gym Leader Kabu, much to Roy and Ash's excitement.