The battle with Misty started like any normal Pokémon match. I sent out Pikachu, and Misty, with her trademark confidence, sent out Starmie. It was an intense back-and-forth. Thunderbolts flashed, water jets flew, and the gym floor became soaked from Starmie’s constant Water Pulses.

But after Pikachu delivered a knockout blow with a particularly well-aimed Thunderbolt, Misty narrowed her eyes at me.

"Okay, Mia," she said, hands on her hips. "You’ve got skills, I’ll give you that. But I think we both know this battle isn’t over."

I tilted my head. "What do you mean? Pikachu just—"

Before I could finish, Misty tackled me.

"WHAT THE—MISTY?!" I shrieked as we tumbled onto the soaked gym floor.

"You think you can just barge into my gym, scream about your near-death experiences, and then beat me in a Pokémon battle without consequences?" Misty shouted, her voice both frustrated and teasing.

We rolled across the floor, arms locked, both of us trying to pin the other down. The others, who had been standing off to the side, just blinked in stunned silence.

"Uh… is this part of the gym challenge?" Gary asked, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow.

"Nope," Lance said, looking completely baffled. "I think this is just... them."

"Should we stop them?" Greta whispered to Lorelei.

Lorelei shook her head, a small smile on her face. "No, I’m kind of curious to see who wins."

Meanwhile, Misty and I were going at it like it was the final round of a championship. I managed to push her off me and get to my feet, but Misty grabbed my leg, and we both went down again.

"You’re… strong," Misty panted, trying to pin my arm. "A little too strong for someone who just ran halfway across the region!"

"I know!" I grinned, managing to flip her onto her back. "I’ve got adrenaline for days!"

"More like chaos for days," she muttered, rolling us over again.

By now, the others had gathered in a loose circle around us, watching the chaos unfold. Bruno crossed his arms, looking mildly impressed.

"She’s got some serious upper body strength for a ten-year-old," he commented.

"Maybe she’s part Machamp," Greta joked.

Gary, however, was still standing off to the side, looking equal parts horrified and amused. "I don’t know whether to cheer or call the police."

"Cheer!" I shouted mid-wrestle, managing to put Misty in a light headlock. "I’m winning!"

Misty grunted, wriggling out of my grip and pinning my arm again. "Not for long, Mia!"

We rolled again, splashing through the puddles on the gym floor, neither of us willing to back down. At one point, Psyduck waddled over, watching us with its usual vacant stare, and then turned around as if to say, Nope, not my problem.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of grappling, I managed to pin Misty down completely, both of her wrists in my hands.

"Gotcha!" I shouted, grinning victoriously.

Misty stared up at me, panting but smiling. "Fine, fine. You win. But you’re officially banned from tackling me in my own gym ever again."

I let her go, standing up and offering her a hand. "Deal. But you started it."

She took my hand and stood, shaking her head with a laugh. "You’re insane, Mia."

The others just stared at us, their faces a mix of awe and disbelief.

"So…" Lance said, breaking the silence. "Are we just gonna pretend that was normal?"

"Nope," Gary said flatly. "But it’s Mia, so what else did we expect?"

"Exactly," I said, giving him a thumbs-up. "Now, who’s ready for round two?"

The collective groan from the group was the perfect ending to our impromptu wrestling match.

The battle between Misty and me had started as a normal Pokémon match, but it quickly spiraled into something way more chaotic. We had each sent out our Pokémon—Misty with her ever-loyal Starmie and me with my trusty Eevee—but things quickly escalated when Misty made a move to dodge one of Eevee’s attacks, and I got a little... overzealous.

Eevee dodged Starmie’s Water Gun, and I, in my excitement, ended up accidentally tripping over my own feet and tumbling straight into Misty. She stumbled backward with a yelp, and for a split second, I could have sworn I saw her eyes widen with disbelief.

“Mia!” she gasped, but before she could react, I had already grabbed her by the waist—completely unaware that I was in full-on wrestling mode.

“What are you doing?!” Misty yelled, trying to wriggle free.

“Uh, wrestling!” I shouted, grinning wildly. “It's part of the battle, right?”

With no warning, I spun around, lifting Misty up with surprising strength, considering how tiny I was. But let me tell you, I had way more power than I should have for a ten-year-old. Maybe it was the adrenaline from the crazy panic earlier, or maybe it was the fact that I’d spent the last week obsessively training with Gary, but I was strong.

Misty kicked her legs in the air, trying to wriggle out of my grip, but I just giggled, swinging her around like a ragdoll. “It’s just a friendly battle, Misty!” I exclaimed, my grip only tightening.

Misty managed to squirm her arms free and shoved me off her, but it wasn’t easy. She was half-laughing, half-panicking, and definitely not prepared for the sheer chaos that was my fighting style. She tried to pin me down, but, uh, I was very strong.

Bruno, Gary, and Lorelei were all standing off to the side, blinking in confusion, with Bruno even scratching his head like he wasn’t sure whether this was an actual battle or if we were just staging a wild, no-holds-barred wrestling match.

“What the heck is happening?” Gary muttered, rubbing his temples. “Is this... part of the battle?”

“Definitely not part of the battle,” Oak said, trying his best not to laugh. "But this is... certainly an... interesting turn of events."

Bruno, looking more and more bewildered, leaned over to Lorelei. “Do you think I should step in?”

Lorelei shook her head, unable to stop a smile from tugging at her lips. “Nah, let them work it out. I’ve never seen Misty lose control like this before.”

Meanwhile, Misty and I were rolling around on the floor, wrestling like we were in some kind of Pokémon-themed wrestling ring. It was a mess of legs, arms, and laughter, all while Eevee and Starmie stared at us in confusion, unsure whether to keep battling or watch the chaos unfold.

I finally managed to pin Misty down, holding her by the arms as we both breathed heavily, grinning like idiots. "I win!" I declared dramatically, despite knowing I had completely veered off the actual battle path.

Misty’s face was flushed from both the effort and the fact that I was clearly way stronger than she expected. “You are ridiculous, Mia,” she huffed, trying to wiggle free. “This isn’t how we battle!”

“Well,” I said, standing up and offering her a hand to help her up, “sometimes battles just get a little... physical.”

Misty accepted the hand and pulled herself up with a reluctant grin. "You’re lucky I like you, Mia, or I’d be way angrier right now."

I shrugged. "I’m just here to win. And have fun. Mostly have fun, though.”

Bruno, who had been watching the entire spectacle unfold with wide eyes, finally shook his head. “Well, that was a first. Never thought I’d see Misty get out-wrestled by a ten-year-old.”

Oak just chuckled, shaking his head. “I think we need to go over some basic rules of battling with Mia... again.”

Lorelei, still grinning, crossed her arms. “I think Mia’s made her own set of rules. And at this point, it’s better to just let her do her thing.”

Gary, meanwhile, was still glaring at me, arms crossed. "You seriously just wrestled her down, huh?"

"Yep! It’s all about strategy, Gary!" I said with a wink. "Who needs normal moves when you can just... you know... tackle the opponent?"

Misty gave me a playful shove. “You’re insane, Mia. But I’ve gotta admit... that was kind of impressive.”

“Thanks!” I said cheerfully, completely oblivious to how bizarre and unorthodox my methods were. “I guess I’ve got more strength than I thought!”

Lorelei shook her head, clearly amused. “Well, we’re not going to let you do that every time you battle, okay?”

“Sure! I’m just warming up for the real battle, right, Gary?” I turned toward him, ready to take him on next.

Gary raised an eyebrow. “I’ll admit, you’re definitely... unpredictable. But I’m not that easy to take down, Mia.”

“Bring it on!” I grinned, ready for round two.

As everyone stood around, unsure whether to laugh or step in, the most chaotic—and oddly fun—battle I’d ever had came to an end. And I was already planning how to tackle the next one... literally.