The icy cavern was silent except for the faint howling wind outside and the occasional flutter of Articuno's wings. Professor Amaranth's stern voice broke the uneasy stillness. 

"You're interfering in official Project Mew business," he said, glaring at Wisty. "Please leave if you know what's best for you."

Wisty tilted her head, her expression unreadable. Slowly, she reached into her bag and pulled out a sleek walkie-talkie. Her fingers danced across the buttons as she brought it to her lips. 

“Houndour?” she said calmly. 

For ten agonizing seconds, there was nothing but static. Then, distant screams erupted from the device, echoing faintly through the cavern. They were sharp, pained, and desperate. 

Horace turned pale, gripping Goh’s arm tightly. Goh, no better off, whispered, “What’s happening?” 

Gary raised an eyebrow, though he crossed his arms and maintained his composure. Ash, however, broke into a nervous sweat. 

Wisty smirked, her lips curling into a wicked grin. She clicked the walkie-talkie off and looked at the professor. “Ah, don’t you just love the fresh screams of pain and terror in the morning?” 

“Yeah… fresh pain,” Ash muttered, barely audible. He tugged at the edge of his cap nervously and avoided looking directly at her. “Look, uh, me and the boys are gonna go back there, okay?” 

Wisty raised an eyebrow at her brother but shrugged nonchalantly. “Suit yourself,” she replied, turning her attention back to Articuno. 

As Ash motioned for the others to follow him, Goh whispered, “She’s insane.” 

Horace nodded, his voice trembling. “Did you hear that? Screams. Actual screams. She’s a menace.” 

Gary, walking slightly ahead, smirked faintly but didn’t turn around. “Believe it or not, she can be worse.” 

“Worse?” Goh and Horace said in unison, their voices high-pitched with fear. 

Ash glanced over his shoulder at Wisty, who was now speaking softly to Articuno, her Eevee perched on her shoulder. “She’s not all bad,” he mumbled. 

“Not all bad?” Goh hissed. “She just casually said she enjoys the sound of people screaming!” 

Gary chuckled, his tone dry. “Yeah, but when she’s on your side, you’d be grateful. Trust me. Just... hope you don’t end up on her bad side.” 

Horace shuddered. “I think I already am just for existing.” 

Ash sighed, rubbing his temple. “She’s my sister, okay? She’s protective. And, yeah, she’s... intense, but she gets results.” 

“She’s like a walking horror story,” Goh whispered. 

“Exactly,” Gary said with a smirk. “But she’s our walking horror story.” 

The boys exchanged uneasy glances as they retreated further into the cavern, leaving Wisty alone with Articuno and her chillingly calm demeanor. 

As the group moved further back into the icy cavern, Gary’s Pokégear began buzzing. He sighed, pulling it out and answering the call. The holographic image of Professor Amaranth appeared, his face flustered and pale. 

“Gary!” the professor exclaimed. “That girl is a menace! Who is she?!” 

Gary glanced over his shoulder at Wisty, who was still calmly talking to Articuno. She looked completely unfazed, her Eevee perched on her shoulder and her posture relaxed, yet every movement carried an air of authority. 

Gary sighed. “Professor, you’re not wrong,” he admitted, lowering his voice. “She’s a menace, all right. Believe me, even we’re still scared of her sometimes.” 

Ash, hearing this, gave Gary a sharp look. “Hey!” he hissed, but Gary ignored him. 

The professor’s face darkened further. “She’s interfering with an active mission! She electrocuted our drone and—was that she liked to hear people screaming I heard earlier?” 

Horace, standing close enough to overhear, gave a panicked whisper. “It definitely was. I’ll never forget it.” 

“Relax, Professor,” Gary said with a smirk. “That’s just Wisty being Wisty Ketchum. You don’t want to get on her bad side, though.” 

“Wisty?” Professor Amaranth repeated, his tone incredulous. “What kind of name is—wait. Wait. Are you telling me this menace is related to Ash Ketchum?”

Ash groaned, rubbing his face. “Why does everyone assume it’s my fault?” 

“Because it is your fault,” Goh muttered. 

Gary leaned casually against the ice wall, crossing his arms. “Look, Professor. Wisty may be intense, but she’s not your typical trainer. She knows what she’s doing.” 

“Intense?” the professor repeated, his voice rising. “She’s practically unhinged! And what about those screams?!” 

Gary’s smirk widened. “Let’s just say she has… her methods.” 

“Methods?” Horace whispered to Goh. “That’s what we’re calling it now?” 

The professor’s voice grew stern. “Gary, I’m not sure I can let this slide. Project Mew is an official initiative, and this girl—this Wisty—is causing chaos!” 

“Professor,” Gary interrupted, his tone more serious, “if Wisty wanted to cause chaos, you’d know it. She’s not here to mess things up for you. She’s here for Articuno, and trust me, she’ll get what she wants. It’s better to work with her than against her.” 

Professor Amaranth hesitated, clearly unsettled. “And how do you know her so well?” 

Gary sighed, shooting Ash a glance. “Because, believe it or not, she’s Ash’s sister. And, yeah, I’ve known her since we were kids. She’s always been like this—terrifying but loyal.” 

The professor froze, his hologram flickering slightly. “She’s Ash Ketchum’s sister?” 

“Unfortunately,” Ash muttered. 

“And you’re just... okay with this?” 

Gary shrugged. “Like I said, you don’t have to like her, but you’d better respect her. Because once Wisty sets her mind on something, there’s no stopping her.” 

The professor looked utterly baffled as the call ended. Goh and Horace exchanged horrified glances, while Ash groaned again, pulling his hat lower over his face. 

“Why does my life keep getting weirder?” he mumbled. 

Gary’s Pokégear buzzed again just as the call with Professor Amaranth ended. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before answering. The screen flickered to life, revealing Quillon and Danika. Both of them looked like they had been through a war zone—Quillon’s normally pristine uniform was torn, and Danika’s hair was disheveled, with a visible bruise on her cheek. 

“Gary,” Quillon said, his voice tight with exhaustion. “What in the name of Arceus is going on over there?” 

“Yeah, we’d like to know too,” Danika added, wincing as she adjusted her position. “Who is that girl? She’s insane!” 

Gary couldn’t help but smirk. “Looks like you’ve already met Wisty, huh?” 

“Met her?” Quillon snapped, his tone uncharacteristically sharp. “She sicced a Houndour on us! Do you know what it’s like to dodge Flamethrowers in sub-zero temperatures?!” 

“Not my idea of fun,” Danika muttered, rubbing her arm. 

Goh and Horace peeked over Gary’s shoulder, their eyes widening. “What happened to you two?” Horace whispered, clearly horrified. 

Danika shot him a glare through the screen. “What happened? We made the mistake of crossing paths with that maniac!” 

Ash groaned. “She’s not a maniac. She’s just… passionate.” 

Quillon raised an eyebrow. “Passionate? She electrocuted the drone, sent her Pokémon to ambush us, and basically declared war on Project Mew!” 

“Sounds like Wisty,” Gary said nonchalantly. 

Danika threw up her hands. “How are you all so calm about this? She’s dangerous!” 

“You’re not wrong,” Gary admitted, leaning against the ice wall. “But that’s just Wisty. She’s scary, sure, but she’s got a good heart. She wouldn’t hurt you—much.” 

“Much?” Quillon repeated incredulously. 

“She can be nice when she wants to be,” Ash added, though his tone was less convincing. 

Danika looked ready to explode. “When she wants to be?! That’s not reassuring!” 

Quillon crossed his arms, his face dark. “Gary, if you know her so well, maybe you can talk some sense into her. We can’t have her interfering with the mission.” 

Gary shrugged. “Good luck with that. Once Wisty sets her sights on something, there’s no stopping her. Trust me, even Ash and I are still scared of her.” 

Danika blinked. “You’re scared of her? You’re Gary Oak!” 

“Yeah,” Gary said with a wry smile. “And she still makes me nervous. Believe it or not, she’s even scarier when she’s in a good mood.” 

Quillon shook his head, clearly exasperated. “This is a disaster.” 

“Welcome to life with Wisty,” Gary said. 

Danika groaned, burying her face in her hands. “We’re doomed.” 

“Probably,” Horace whispered, his voice barely audible. 

The call ended abruptly, leaving the group in silence. Goh turned to Ash. “Your sister is terrifying.” 

“You’re telling me,” Ash muttered. 

Just as the group was processing the chaos of the call with Quillon and Danika, a low, menacing growl echoed through the cold air. The tension in the room rose, and before anyone could react, the unmistakable sound of paws hitting ice made them freeze. Houndour entered the room, its fiery eyes glowing in the dim light.

Wisty grinned, her icy gaze following the Pokémon's every move. “Good boy, Houndour!” she said, her voice dripping with satisfaction. Houndour barked in response, tail wagging, before it stood beside her, its stance proud and dangerous. 

“Alright,” Wisty continued, her voice carrying a cold amusement. “Chikorita, Sprigatito, I’m subbing you two in, okay? Let’s make them feel the pain... how glorious.” 

Her words sent a chill down everyone’s spine. Even Ash, who knew her better than anyone, couldn’t suppress a shiver. The way she spoke about battle, about pain—it was unsettling.

Horace’s face turned pale, his eyes darting between Wisty and the two Pokémon she had called out. He opened his mouth, ready to protest, but before he could make a sound, Gary acted fast. He grabbed Horace’s arm and clamped a hand firmly over his mouth, preventing the outburst. 

Horace’s eyes widened in shock, but Gary’s grip was strong, and the warning in his eyes was clear. *Don’t provoke her.* 

Wisty watched the interaction with a small, amused smirk. “Calm down, Horace. You’ll be fine,” she said with a teasing tone. But there was no denying the menace in her eyes. 

Chikorita and Sprigatito emerged from their Poké Balls, stepping forward confidently. Wisty’s Pokémon were like her in some ways—loving, yes, but with a hint of mischief and loyalty that could easily turn to something fiercer. 

“Chikorita!” the Grass-type chirped, trotting over to Ash and nuzzling his leg affectionately, her big, doe-like eyes full of warmth. Despite the threat in the air, she seemed completely at ease. 

Sprigatito followed suit, rubbing up against Horace’s side, her leaf-like tail flicking playfully. “Sprigatito!” she cooed softly, giving him a gentle nudge. 

“They’re sweet,” Horace muttered, still in disbelief. “How can they be so... nice?” 

Gary gave a small chuckle, his eyes still wary. “It’s one of Wisty’s quirks. She’s got this way with her Pokémon—no matter how intimidating she is, they still love her.” 

Ash nodded, looking down at Chikorita who was still pressing against his leg. “She cares about them, and they care about her. It’s just… different with Wisty.” 

“I don’t know how you do it,” Goh said, clearly still unnerved by the situation. “How do you stand being around her?” 

Ash smiled weakly, rubbing the back of his neck. “It takes some getting used to. But trust me, when Wisty’s in a good mood, she’s not so bad. You just have to keep your distance when she’s not.” 

Horace, still standing a little too close to Sprigatito, looked over at Gary and Ash. “What do we do now? She’s literally letting her Pokémon get *close* to us, but she’s threatening to take us down.” 

Gary’s face was serious now. “You don’t do anything. You stay calm, and you don’t provoke her. If she wants a battle, we’ll deal with it, but getting upset won’t help.” 

Just then, Chikorita let out a soft cry and gave a little hop, her playful energy infectious. Sprigatito trotted over to join her, both Pokémon seemingly oblivious to the tension as they continued to nuzzle and playfully bump against their trainers. 

Despite the chaos of the situation, the sweet, innocent nature of Wisty’s Pokémon was like a strange contrast to the girl herself. The room filled with a quiet, almost surreal calm as the Pokémon interacted with their trainers—totally unaware of the impending storm that Wisty had so casually set in motion. 

But one thing was certain: Wisty’s love for her Pokémon was as genuine as it could get. And for the moment, that seemed like the only thing standing between them and utter chaos.

Wisty stood there, her expression shifting from cold and calculating to unexpectedly sweet. She tilted her head slightly, her lips curving into a mischievous grin as she gazed at the group.

“Well, now that that’s done,” she said in a light, almost singsong tone, “I can be nice again.”

Ash blinked in confusion, unsure whether to believe her sudden shift in demeanor. His hand instinctively went to his head, as though trying to feel the change in the air. For a moment, the atmosphere felt a little warmer, a little softer. It was strange how quickly she could go from icy menace to... well, nice.

“Oh thank goodness,” Ash muttered, half-relieved, half-exasperated.

Wisty’s smile widened at the sound of Ash’s voice, and she bounced a little on the balls of her feet, clearly pleased with herself. Her eyes sparkled with a teasing glint.

“Nice Wisty is the most sweetest eight-year-old girl ever!” she declared with a dramatic flair, putting her hands on her hips. “Like, I’m so sweet and loving! Just look at me!”

Ash and Gary exchanged a glance. Ash raised an eyebrow, and Gary chuckled, though it was tinged with a hint of wariness. They both knew how sweet Wisty could be, but that didn’t make her any less unpredictable.

Wisty’s playful energy seemed to fill the room as she bounced over to them. “Oh, you know, I just love to tease you guys. You two are like... my favorite people to mess with! You never see it coming, but it’s so fun!”

Ash groaned, but he couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corners of his lips. “Yeah, we’ve noticed, Wisty.”

Gary nodded, rolling his eyes good-naturedly. “If you ever stopped teasing us, I think I’d actually be more worried.”

Wisty grinned wider, clearly proud of her ability to keep them on edge. But just as quickly, her expression softened again, and she gave Ash a gentle, affectionate pat on the shoulder.

“I do love you, Ash,” she said in a tone that was almost saccharine. “You’re my big brother! Even though you’re a little... well, you sometimes.”

Ash’s eyes widened at the sudden wave of sweetness, though he couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed. “Uh, thanks, Wisty,” he mumbled, scratching his head.

Wisty wasn’t finished, though. Her energy seemed boundless, and she dove right into another one of her characteristic long-winded speeches. “You know, I’ve been thinking a lot lately. Like, a lot of thinking. I mean, can you really blame me? I’m always thinking! I’ve got so many thoughts, and sometimes they just come all at once, and it’s like, how can one person hold so many thoughts in their head at once? It’s impossible, right? But then I think, well, maybe it’s not impossible! Maybe I’m just that good at thinking! And then my thoughts get all jumbled up, and then I can’t stop thinking about everything—like, the colors of the sky and why Pokémon do that thing where they all line up in a perfect row for no reason at all, or how flowers bloom in the spring, but they don’t do it in the winter, even though winter should technically be perfect for blooming because it’s so calm and peaceful, but no, flowers wait, and I think that’s such an interesting concept, don’t you think?”

Horace and Goh exchanged bewildered glances as Wisty continued her rapid-fire stream of consciousness, barely pausing for breath. Gary and Ash, however, were both used to this by now. They could almost hear the gears turning in her head as she spouted off her thoughts, each one more random than the last.

“And then there’s the whole concept of time!” Wisty went on, her voice picking up speed. “Why does time feel so different when you’re waiting for something? Like, when you’re waiting for your next birthday or for your next big adventure, time just drags on and on, and it’s like you’re stuck in the moment and you can’t do anything to speed it up. But then when you’re having fun, time just flies by like whoosh, and you’re left thinking, ‘Wow, did that really just happen? It felt like it was only a minute!’ Isn’t that weird? And I’m just so fascinated by it all! Time is like a big mystery, right? And I love mysteries! Don’t you?”

Ash stood there, eyes glazed over, his mind struggling to keep up with her whirlwind of thoughts. He was about to say something when Wisty suddenly stopped talking and gave him a mischievous wink.

“Oh, and by the way, Ash…”

Ash blinked, now fully alert. “Uh, yeah?”

Wisty pulled something out of her bag and held it up, her grin turning slightly more sly. “Mom wanted me to give you this.”

She unfurled a neatly folded piece of cloth, and Ash’s eyes went wide.

“No way,” he said, voice full of disbelief. “No, no, no!”

Wisty’s grin only grew wider. “Yup. New underwear, courtesy of Mom! You know, just in case you need to, uh, refresh your wardrobe.”

Before Ash could protest, Wisty tossed the bundle of clothes right at him. He barely managed to catch it before it hit him in the face, and in an instant, his legs gave way. With an anime-style flop, Ash collapsed to the ground, his face flushed bright red.

“Noooo!” Ash moaned dramatically, burying his face in his hands. “Why does she always do this to me?!”

The others couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Gary leaned against a nearby pillar, laughing so hard his shoulders shook. “Man, I thought you’d learned to expect this by now.”

Horace looked completely mortified, his face pale as he stood there awkwardly, not sure what to do. “Why... why is she doing this?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Gary shrugged, wiping tears from his eyes. “You get used to it. Sort of. Just, uh, don’t ever bring it up around her.”

Wisty, now standing with her hands on her hips, looked down at Ash with amusement. “Oh, Ash, you’re such a drama queen. I’m just trying to help, you know? Gotta keep you looking sharp!”

Ash just groaned louder, his face still hidden behind his hands as he lay on the floor in embarrassment. It was clear that Wisty’s teasing—and her ability to keep the situation light-hearted, no matter how awkward—was one of her signature qualities.

But despite everything, deep down, Ash knew she meant well. Even if her “help” could be a little... well, embarrassing.