" Bye, Ash. Best of friends till the end."

" Yeah!"

Suddenly, the bushes rustled. Ash and Gary turned.

" Who is that?" Dawn asked.

" Team Rocket, I presume." Gary replied.

" Get ready for anything." Ash warned.

They all stood there, Poke Balls in hand.

But then the Sheildon jumped from behind them and ran to the bushes.

" Sheildon!" Gary yelled. " What are you doing?!"

The person came out of the bushes, and all the Sheildon tackled them.

Gary, Ash, Brock, Dawn, Professor Rowen and his assistants braced themselves.... But then they heard laughing.

" Hey, no fair!" The girlish voice laughed. " I thought we promised every OTHER week!"

" Sheildon!"

They got off her, and Ash, Brock and Gary gasped.

" Wisty?!"

Wisty grinned. " Hiya boys."

Then she looked at Dawn and waved. " You too Dawn."

She took her bag off her back and unzipped it.

" Okay, Frank." She said as she poured some liquid in a bowl. " You need your vitamin C. Drink this."

Then she turned and gave two small Sheildon biscuits. " And eat these."

She threw a biscuit to the fourth and rummaged through her bag. " Ash for you, Margie, you need-"

She halted when she realized something. She stood up.

" Hold on..."

Everyone looked at her.

" One two three four.... But that can't be... One two three four?!"

She looked around.

Then she let out a blood curling scream. Everyone put their hands on their ears.

Wisty grabbed a Poke Ball and held it up. " M-"

A vine grabbed it. " Leafeon!"

Wisty looked at it. " I have to! It's out only hope!"

" Leafeon!"

" Bu-"

" Leafy!"

Wisty looked at her Eevee and sighed. " Fine."

Leafeon backflipped and was turned back into an Eevee.

Wisty sighed. " Sorry, guys."

Ash raised a brow. " It's fine but.... What are you doing here?"

Wisty sighed. " Are you serious?"

" See, Wisty?" A voice from her pocket piped up. " Stupid as ever."

Wisty blinked. " DEXTER?!"

Ash, Gary, Dawn, and the others blinked in surprise as  Dexter chimed in from her pocket.

Ash stepped closer, scratching his head. "Wait... Dexter? That old thing is still around?"

Wisty nodded, pulling out the Pokédex, which had a slightly worn but well-maintained look. "Yeah, of course! Dexter's been with me since the beginning. He’s got some... attitude, but he’s useful."

Dexter’s robotic voice spoke up again. "Correction: I am more than just 'useful,' Wisty. I'm indispensable."

Ash grinned, crossing his arms. "Guess you haven't changed much, Dexter."

Dexter’s voice returned, sounding unimpressed. "And you’re still the same... let's call it 'energetic,' Ash."

Gary chuckled. "Good to know Dexter still keeps you in check, Wisty."

Wisty put her hands on her hips. "I can handle myself just fine, thank you."

Dawn, who had been quietly observing the reunion, finally spoke up. "Wait, so... what’s going on? Why did you scream?"

Wisty snapped her fingers. "Right! I’m missing one of the Sheildon!" She looked around frantically. "Frank, Candy Cane, Todd, and Lucy are all here, but where's my last one?"

Gary looked serious. "Are you sure it didn’t wander off?"

Wisty nodded. "Positive. They never leave my side. Something’s up."

Professor Rowan, who had been observing quietly, stepped forward. "Perhaps we should all look together. These forests can be tricky, especially for Pokémon unfamiliar with the terrain."

Wisty sighed, grateful for the help. "Thanks, Professor."

Ash grinned, clenching his fist. "Alright, team! Let’s split up and find that missing Sheildon!"

Everyone nodded and began moving out in pairs. Ash and Dawn teamed up, Gary went with Brock, while Wisty, determined to find her Sheildon, started combing the area on her own with Eevee close by her side.

"Don’t worry," she whispered to her team. "We’ll find you."

As they ventured deeper into the forest, a shadow loomed above the trees. Wisty paused, narrowing her eyes.

"Something doesn’t feel right..."

Suddenly, she remembered something.

Wisty's eyes widened as realization hit her. "Oh no... If I know Margie, she's—"

Her gaze snapped to the towering mountain in the distance. "Of course!"

Without wasting a second, she turned to the remaining four Sheildon and crouched down. "Okay, listen up, guys. You need to stay with Gary and Ash. Do not tell them where I'm going, got it?"

The Sheildon all gave a collective nod, though a few of them seemed a bit confused by her sudden urgency.

"Good. Byeeeee!" Wisty waved and took off running toward the mountain at full speed, her board in hand, determination written all over her face.

As she dashed away, Ash, Gary, and the others were still searching the nearby areas, unaware of Wisty’s sudden departure.

Gary turned around, noticing the Sheildon gathered near the trees. "Hey, where's Wisty?"

The Sheildon looked at each other but kept their mouths shut, following Wisty's orders perfectly.

Ash looked around and scratched his head. "You don’t think she... ran off to find the missing Sheildon on her own, do you?"

Gary sighed, already knowing the answer. "That sounds exactly like something she would do."

Meanwhile, Wisty was already halfway to the mountain, her eyes scanning the rocky terrain. "Come on, Margie, where are you?!" she muttered to herself as she sped up. Eevee ran alongside her, ready for whatever came next.

As she neared the base of the mountain, a small, familiar figure caught her eye. Standing precariously on a ledge halfway up the cliffside was none other than Margie, her missing Sheildon.

"Of course!" Wisty groaned. "I should’ve known you'd try to climb the mountain, you little daredevil!"

Margie bleated in response, seemingly pleased with herself.

Wisty grinned, tightening her grip on her board. "Alright, hang tight, Margie! I'm coming to get you!"

And with that, she prepared for a daring climb, knowing she had to act fast before anyone else caught on to what she was up to.

Meanwhile, back where the group was, Ash had his binoculars up to his eyes, scanning the area Wisty had just bolted toward. As he adjusted the focus, a familiar sight came into view, and he let out a sigh.

"Well, whatdya know..." Ash muttered, lowering the binoculars with a half-amused, half-exasperated expression.

Gary turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "What? What did you see?"

Ash passed the binoculars over to Gary. "Take a look for yourself. Our fearless friend is already halfway up the mountain, going after that Sheildon."

Gary took the binoculars and peered through them, immediately spotting Wisty climbing toward the ledge where Margie was. He shook his head with a smirk. "Of course she is. She couldn't wait five minutes to come up with a plan."

Dawn, standing nearby, crossed her arms and smiled. "That's Wisty for you—always jumping in headfirst."

Brock chuckled. "You know, it's funny how we keep getting surprised by her, even though this is exactly what we should expect."

Professor Rowan, watching with a more serious expression, nodded. "It's her determination. Let's just hope she doesn't get herself into trouble up there."

Suddenly, all eyes were on Wisty as they saw her slip and tumble from the side of the mountain. But just before hitting the ground, she caught herself on a rock ledge. A collective sigh of relief passed through the group, only for her to slip again, barely managing to grab onto another rock. This cycle repeated—fall, catch, fall, catch—like a dizzying show.

Ash watched the whole thing with wide eyes, then shook his head and grinned. "It's a circus!" he declared, folding his arms.

Gary rolled his eyes but smirked. "Yeah, and she's the star performer."

Dawn let out a laugh. "She’s definitely got flair."

Brock chuckled. "I just hope her luck doesn’t run out before she reaches the top."

Meanwhile, Wisty clung to a rock, clearly determined, as she looked up toward Margie. "I’m almost there!" she yelled, more to herself than anyone else. With one final push, she hoisted herself up, balancing precariously before giving the group a thumbs up from the ledge.

Ash sighed, still amused. "Well, at least she’s keeping us entertained."

Wisty reached the top of the rocky ledge, panting from the strain of climbing, but there was a look of sheer determination in her eyes. She could see Margie, the missing Shieldon, nervously pacing near the cliff’s edge. Margie let out a small cry, unsure of what to do next.

“Margie!” Wisty called, her voice breathless but urgent. “Come here, girl! It’s okay!”

The Shieldon hesitated for a moment, eyeing the drop below, but then slowly trotted over toward Wisty. The moment Margie was close enough, Wisty scooped her up into her arms with a grunt. "You’re heavier than I remember," she muttered, adjusting the Pokémon’s weight.

Looking down the steep mountain, Wisty gave a quick glance to the group below. Gary, Ash, Brock, and Dawn all watched her intently through binoculars, their eyes wide with anticipation. She waved down at them with a strained smile.

“Okay, Margie, time to go back,” Wisty said, holding the Shieldon tightly in her arms.

Without much warning, she leaned back slightly and hurled the Shieldon into the air with all her strength. Gary, eyes wide, rushed forward just in time to catch Margie in his arms.

"Got it!" Gary shouted, though the force of the catch knocked him back a step.

"Great catch, Gary!" Ash cheered, lowering his binoculars. "Nice work, Wisty!"

Wisty didn’t answer. Instead, she turned back toward the edge of the cliff, took a deep breath, and without any hesitation… jumped.

"WHAT IS SHE DOING?!" Ash shouted in disbelief, his eyes widening as he watched Wisty plummet.

Wisty’s form tumbled through the air, but just before hitting the rocky slope, she flipped herself mid-air and managed to land, cross-legged in a perfect criss-cross applesauce position. It was so unexpected, so oddly deliberate, that it left everyone completely stunned.

"Wisty!" Gary yelled from below, standing up with Margie still in his arms. "What was that for?!"

Wisty, sitting comfortably on the ledge like it was just another day, raised a hand in a casual wave, grinning like she had just performed a simple trick. "I figured I might as well make it look cool!" she called back, her voice light, as if she hadn’t just risked life and limb.

Ash blinked, utterly baffled. He turned to Brock. "Did… did she just jump off a mountain and land like she was at a picnic?"

Brock gave a long sigh. "She definitely has her own style. But, man, that was risky."

Dawn was shaking her head, trying to suppress a giggle. "I thought I had seen everything with contests, but Wisty... she takes things to a whole new level."

Wisty stood up from her seated position, brushed herself off like nothing had happened, and gave them all a thumbs-up. "No big deal!" she called down, flashing them a confident grin.

Gary, still holding the Shieldon, shook his head in disbelief. "You’re crazy, you know that?"

Wisty tilted her head with a playful smirk. "Crazy or a genius? Hard to tell, right?"

Ash, who still hadn’t quite recovered from the shock, gestured wildly toward her. "Wisty, you could’ve been seriously hurt! What if you didn’t land right?! What if—"

"Oh, please," Wisty interrupted, placing her hands on her hips. "I knew what I was doing. It’s all about balance and timing, Ash. I’m not reckless, just... creative!"

Gary snorted. "You call that creative? I call it reckless."

"Tomato, tomahto," Wisty replied, sticking her tongue out at him. "Besides, I saved Margie, didn’t I?"

Ash threw his hands up in the air. "You could’ve just climbed down like a normal person!"

Wisty grinned wider, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Where’s the fun in that?"

Brock, watching the whole interaction with a bemused expression, finally chuckled. "Well, she did pull it off, Ash. Gotta give her credit for that."

Ash, still flabbergasted, sighed heavily. "It’s like watching a circus act, I swear."

"Well," Dawn added, laughing, "she certainly knows how to put on a show."

Wisty hopped down the rest of the way, making her descent look like a casual stroll. As she reached the bottom, she crossed her arms and leaned against a rock. "You guys are too uptight. You worry too much!"

"Uptight?" Ash echoed, his voice filled with disbelief. "You literally jumped off a mountain! Twice!"

Wisty shrugged, nonchalant. "What’s life without a little excitement?"

Gary walked over, still holding Margie, and raised an eyebrow. "A little excitement? You’re a walking disaster waiting to happen."

Wisty laughed. "Hey, you’re just jealous you didn’t think of it first!"

Gary rolled his eyes but smiled despite himself. "Yeah, that must be it."

As the group gathered around, Ash shook his head one more time and laughed. "I swear, Wisty, you’re going to give me a heart attack one of these days."

Wisty winked at him, her playful nature never fading. "Well, Ash, you better keep up. We’ve got a long journey ahead, and I’m just getting started!"

"Great," Ash muttered, though his smile showed he was mostly joking. "I guess I’ll have to get used to your… style."

"That’s the spirit!" Wisty replied, throwing her arm around Ash’s shoulder. "Now let’s go, before Margie tries to pull another disappearing act."