Gary and Ash stood on the deck of their vacation house, blinking. Pikachu was still sleeping on Ash's shoulder, and Ash was scratching his chest.

" Wisty, take it easy, will ya?" Ash muttered. " It's two in the morning."

Gary yawned. " Wisty, go to bed. Please."

The sound of battle cries and Pokémon moves echoed through the quiet night, coming from the beach just beyond the deck. Wisty’s voice carried through the air as she shouted commands to her Pokémon.

“Charmander, dodge that and use Flamethrower! Eve, turn into Jolteon and hit ‘em with Thunderbolt!”

Gary rubbed his temples. “I can’t believe this. Two in the morning, and she’s still at it.”

Ash, still half-asleep, adjusted his hat. “Wisty, take it easy, will ya? Even Pokémon need to sleep sometimes!”

Pikachu stirred on Ash’s shoulder, opening one eye to glance at the commotion before curling back up with a yawn.

Gary leaned over the railing. “Wisty! Go to bed, please! Some of us need sleep!”

Just as Gary’s plea echoed into the night, a door creaked open behind them. Delia stepped out onto the deck, her hair disheveled, clutching a robe tightly around her. Professor Oak followed, yawning deeply and rubbing his eyes.

“What’s the ruckus out here?” Delia asked, her tone a mix of exhaustion and irritation.

“Is there an emergency?” Oak added, his glasses slightly askew.

Ash gestured toward the beach. “It’s Wisty. She’s training. Again.”

Delia squinted into the darkness, spotting her daughter surrounded by her Pokémon. “WISTY KETCHUM!” she yelled, her voice carrying over the sound of the waves.

Wisty froze mid-command, then turned toward the deck, looking sheepish but defiant. “What? I’m just making sure my Pokémon are ready!”

“At two in the morning?” Delia said, her voice sharp. “Get back in this house right now, young lady!”

Wisty crossed her arms. “But Mom—”

“No ‘buts,’ Wisty,” Oak interjected, stepping forward. “Your Pokémon need rest just as much as you do. Overtraining isn’t good for anyone.”

Gary sighed in relief. “Finally, some backup.”

Wisty grumbled under her breath but returned her Pokémon to their Poké Balls. Eve, however, refused to go back and instead hopped onto Wisty’s shoulder.

“Fine, I’m coming,” Wisty muttered, trudging back toward the house.

As she climbed the steps to the deck, Delia placed a hand on her hip. “You’re grounded from training tomorrow, Wisty. You need to learn balance.”

Wisty groaned but didn’t argue further. Ash smirked. “Guess you’re stuck actually relaxing for a change.”

“Don’t push it, Ash,” Wisty shot back, stomping inside with Eve.

Oak shook his head with a tired chuckle. “That girl has more energy than a Zapdos in a thunderstorm.”

Delia sighed as she followed Wisty inside. “And more stubbornness than her brother.”

Ash and Gary exchanged a look.

“She’s definitely your problem,” Gary said.

“Yeah, yeah,” Ash muttered, turning toward his room. “Goodnight, Gary.”

“Goodnight, Ash.”

The morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, but Ash woke up to an eerie silence. Pikachu, who usually slept on his bed or curled up on his pillow, was nowhere to be found. Stretching, Ash rubbed his eyes and yawned, glancing around the room. There was no sign of Wisty either, and when he looked over at the spot where her things had been last night, it was completely empty.

Ash jumped up from his bed. "Wisty?" he called out, but there was no answer.

Gary, who had been sleeping across the room, groggily sat up, his hair sticking up in every direction. "You think... she ran away?" he asked, squinting at Ash.

Ash blinked, still half-asleep. "That’s Wisty. She must’ve taken Altaria and went back home."

Gary’s eyes widened. “Back home? But—she didn’t even say goodbye!”

Just then, Delia’s voice came from downstairs, filled with concern. “Ash, where’s your sister? She’s not in the house and neither is her stuff!"

Ash yawned, scratching the back of his head. “Somewhere with Altaria,” he muttered.

Delia appeared in the doorway, looking even more worried than before. “Ash, you need to go after her! She’s been pushing herself too hard. She needs sleep and rest!”

Ash frowned, still trying to shake off his drowsiness. He hadn’t expected her to leave without a word, but he knew his sister well enough. “Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll handle this.”

Gary glanced at Ash skeptically. "You sure about that?"

“Of course,” Ash said with a grin. “She’s stubborn, but I know exactly where she went.”

Delia crossed her arms. "Ash, please get her back here. She can’t keep going like this."

"I’ll bring her back," Ash reassured her, already heading for the door. "Don’t worry, Mom. I know exactly what to say to get her to listen.”

Gary hesitated, then followed Ash. “You know she won’t just come back easily, right? She’s worse than you sometimes.”

Ash chuckled. “She takes after both of us. But I’ll get her to rest.”

With that, Ash and Gary left the house. Pikachu, who had been hiding in Ash’s backpack, poked his head out. "Pika pi?" Pikachu asked, clearly eager to follow.

"Yeah, buddy, we’re going after Wisty," Ash said, giving Pikachu a reassuring pat on the head as he headed out to find his sister.

Meanwhile, Wisty was indeed already halfway home, Altaria soaring through the sky as she perched on its back, looking just as energetic as ever.

“Well, Altaria, I think we’re close,” Wisty murmured, looking down at the familiar landscape below. “Back to training we go.”