The other game you play every time you step on the court. Nobody keeps score, everybody plays, and nobody is undefeated.
You know how it goes. Your serve sails over smoothly and lands exactly where you aimed. The rally happens. You hit an angle so insane that Mr. Fantastic couldn't have reached it, and the point is yours.
The ball gets tossed back to you, and you fumble it. As you reach down to pick it up, you kick it away. As you chase it down, three humans are watching you, one of two ways. Either they're laughing, because they know this is the game within the game, or they're thinking, what is going on over there?
It happens. To everybody.
This goes on for what feels like hours but is probably seconds. And just when you think that game has finished and you can get back to pickleball, you're finishing your pre-serve routine (you do have one, right? if not, there's mine), and on the very last step the ball doesn't do what you expect. Now you're chasing it again.
Same three humans, now wondering if they're going to need to call an ambulance.
You finally pick up the ball, and you hear it: “BALL ON!”
*sigh*
There are a lot of ways to play the game within the game. You can play it with your partner: they toss you the ball, and you fumble it back to them. You can play it with the other team. You can play it with the court next to you. The possibilities are limitless, but alas, it's part of the game.
Even the best of the best play the game within the game from time to time. Just like in their actual game, they're more efficient at not fumbling the ball.