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

" Yeah!"

Suddenly, the tree Sheildon ran to the bushes. Dawn gasped.

" Where are you going?" She called. " Wait!"

A raven haired girl jumped out of the bushes as the three Sheildon jumped on her.

" Woah woah woah, guys!" The girl giggled. " Stop it! Stooooop!"

Ash blinked. " That voice....."

An Eevee and Chikerita jumped from the bushes and she gasped. " Wisty?!"

The girl sat up and laughed. " Who else did you expect, Professor Oak?" She teased.

" Eveve!"

Wisty stood up and the three Sheildon lept on her. " These three are my good friends. Hope, Rose, Bob, say hello."

" Sheildon!" The three choursed.

Wisty frowned and turned. " Wait, where's Chuchu?"

Pikachu's ears perked up. " Pika?"

" No, not you, Pik. I mean the fourth Sheildon. You know, old, clumsy, gets tired easily...."

" Oh him?" Gary asked. " Oh he's resting."

" Oh. Good."

" Chika!"

Hope and Rose hopped out of Wisty's arms and started to play tag with the grass Pokemon. Eevee, Charmander Clefairy Jigglypuff and Rockruff joined, and soon the Pokemon were running around the group.

Professor Rowan raised a brow. " What are you doing here?"

Wisty harumohed. " Why would you care?"

Then she took her phone out. " Hey, Professor Oak?"

Professor Oak's voice came through. " Yes, Wisty?"

" Sorry I missed your calls earlier. I was busy finding the Sheildon. What happened?"

" Wisty, I need you to go and find your Articuno."

Wisty let out a low whistle as she looked at the sun. " Professor that's.... Not possible. It's summer."

" So?"

" This time of year it's breeding season."

" Oh. So...."

" That's impossible."

" Oh." Oak remained silent. " Have you found Rowan by any chance."

" Yes."

" Is he there?"

" No. But let's talk about something else...." She said panicked as she walked quickly into the bushes.

Gary blinked. " But.... Professor Rowan is right here."

Ash let out a nervous chuckle. " Yeah. The professor and my sister didn't really get off on the.... Right foot."

" Really? Why?" Brock asked.

" Wisty May have done something that made the professor have an outburst and...... Well let's just keep it as that."

Rowan nodded. " Yes. We should."

Professor Oak's voice came through the phone again, sounding concerned. "Wisty, can you put Professor Rowan on the line? I need to discuss something with him."

Wisty froze, her grip tightening on the phone. She glanced over her shoulder, where Professor Rowan was observing her with a raised brow. Turning her back to the group, she lowered her voice and whispered into the phone, "You know as well as I do, I don't trust that guy!"

Ash's ears perked up at her words. "Wait, what did you just say?" he asked, stepping closer to his sister.

Wisty's eyes widened slightly, and she quickly ended the call. "Nothing!" she snapped, shoving the phone into her pocket.

Ash crossed his arms. "You literally just said you don't trust Professor Rowan. Why?"

Wisty sighed and ran a hand through her raven hair. "It's complicated, Ash."

"Complicated how?" Gary chimed in, clearly intrigued.

Wisty hesitated, glancing at Rowan. The older man was still standing stoically, watching her every move. She crossed her arms defensively. "Let's just say... our first meeting didn't go well. And some people aren't as trustworthy as they seem."

Rowan frowned. "If you have an issue, young lady, I suggest you address it directly instead of whispering behind backs."

Wisty rolled her eyes. "Oh, believe me, I would, but I'm not about to start a scene in front of all these Pokémon."

The tension between them was palpable, and the group exchanged uneasy glances.

Brock, ever the peacekeeper, stepped forward with a nervous chuckle. "Uh, maybe we should all take a deep breath. No need to argue-especially with so many Pokémon around to hear it."

Dawn nodded, her Piplup hopping at her side. "Yeah, let's not upset the Pokémon, right?"

Wisty sighed, muttering something under her breath. She then knelt down, picking up her Eevee, who was tugging at her sleeve. "Fine, whatever. I'll keep my opinions to myself for now."

Ash frowned, still unconvinced. "Wisty, if there's something you know-"

"Drop it, Ash!" Wisty snapped, her tone unusually sharp.

Eevee growled softly in warning, sensing her frustration. The other Pokémon stopped playing, looking between the humans nervously.

Gary raised a hand. "Okay, we're clearly not getting anywhere here. How about we focus on why we're all here: helping these Sheildon get back to safety."

Rowan nodded curtly. "For once, I agree with the boy."

Wisty shot him a glare but didn't argue further. She turned and started walking toward the trees, muttering, "Come on, guys. Let's just get this over with."

Ash looked at Gary, who shrugged, then at Brock, who sighed. "Your sister sure knows how to keep things... interesting."

Ash groaned. "Don't remind me."

" Bye guys!" Wisty called as she waved to the four Sheildon. " Be safe, you hear me?"

" Sheildon!"

Wisty smiled and waved.

Then, her phone rang.

The professor.

She groaned.

" Hello this is Wisty Ketchum Younger sister of Ash Ketchum. How many I be of service?"

" Wisty, please. I need to talk to Rowan."

" Call him on his phone."

" Wisty!"

" Professor Samuel Oak, you know as well as I do we do not talk about him!" She snapped. " I don't care how urgent it is. Call him on his phone!"

And with that she ended the call and shoved her phone into her pocket. " Come on, guys. Let's go."

Her Pokemon followed happily, and Togepi said, " toge toge Priii!"

Professor Rowan sighed as he answered his phone. "Samuel, what is wrong with that girl of yours?"

Professor Oak's voice came through, exasperated but also tinged with amusement. "Oh, Wisty is just... well, Wisty. She has her reasons, Rowan. She's stubborn but protective. Trust me, it's nothing personal."

"Nothing personal?" Rowan repeated, his tone sharp. "She refuses to even acknowledge me properly, let alone cooperate. And now, she's parading around the forest like she owns the place."

Oak chuckled lightly. "Sounds like she's making an impression."

Rowan groaned. "Samuel, this isn't funny. She blatantly told me she doesn't trust me."

"She told me the same thing," Oak admitted. "But like I said, she has her reasons. She's a bright girl, but she's fiercely independent. If she feels slighted or sees something she doesn't agree with, she won't hesitate to stand her ground-even if it's against someone like you."

Rowan huffed. "And what, pray tell, have I done to earn such mistrust?"

"That's the tricky part," Oak replied thoughtfully. "With Wisty, sometimes it's not about what you've done but what she perceives. My guess? It has something to do with how you handled her the last time you met."

Rowan frowned, thinking back. "I may have been... stern. But that's no excuse for her behavior."

"You don't know Wisty very well, then," Oak said, his tone more serious now. "She doesn't respond to authority the way most kids do. She needs to feel respected, not ordered around. She's always been that way, and considering how much she's been through, I can't blame her."

Rowan paused, the weight of Oak's words sinking in. "What do you suggest I do, Samuel?"

"Simple," Oak said. "Give her a chance to trust you. Let her see that you're on her side. And, Rowan..."

"Yes?"

"Be patient. Wisty is a force of nature, and trying to control her is like trying to stop a storm. Work with her, not against her."

Rowan sighed heavily. "Very well. I'll try, but I make no promises."

"That's all I can ask," Oak said warmly.

Rowan hung up, his expression still a mix of frustration and contemplation. "That girl..." he muttered to himself.

Meanwhile, Wisty was strolling ahead with her Pokémon, humming a cheerful tune. Ash jogged to catch up with her.

"Hey, Wisty, who was on the phone?"

"Nobody important," she said breezily, though the tight grip on her phone suggested otherwise.

Ash raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh. Sure. So, where are we headed now?"

"To find more adventures, obviously!" Wisty said with a grin.

"Adventures or trouble?" Ash muttered under his breath.

Wisty smirked. "With me, they're the same thing."

She turned. " Wellz this is where I go. Bye, Ash. See you at home.'

" I hope we meet sooner." Ash said.

Wisty smiled, And they both hugged. " Bye, Dimples." Ash said.

Wisty smiled brighter. " Bye bye, Pikachu and Ashy."

With that, she turned and walked away, waving.

Ash nodded and walked down to where Brock, Gary and Dawn were.

" Where is she going?" Gary asked.

Ash Shrugged. " Anywhere, I guess."

Then Rowan came up to Ash. " Can I ask you something?"

Ash nodded. " Sure."

" How is it she trusts you and only you?"

Ash blinked. " Whag do you mean?"

Professor Rowan adjusted his glasses, his gaze searching Ash's face as if trying to piece together some puzzle. "I mean, Wisty doesn't trust anyone easily. She's... guarded, especially around adults, but she trusts you. And not just that-she listens to you. I've seen how she acts with you, Ash. She's different."

Ash scratched the back of his head, looking a bit confused. "I honestly don't know, Professor. We've always had a weird, complicated relationship. She's my little sister, and I guess... I just try to be there for her. Even when she's being, well... Wisty."

Rowan frowned slightly, his brow furrowing. "She's very independent. I've never seen a child quite like her, with so much conviction, even at her age. Yet she holds this trust in you. It's not just sibling bond, is it?"

Ash shrugged. "I don't know if I could explain it. She's tough, but I guess... I try to give her the space she needs. I don't treat her like a kid, and maybe that's why she listens to me."

Gary, who had been listening in quietly, nodded. "That sounds about right. I've seen it too. You know, when Wisty was younger, she wouldn't talk to anyone much. It wasn't until Ash started taking her seriously that she started opening up."

Rowan was silent for a moment, contemplating the words. He looked down at Ash, then back to where Wisty had disappeared into the distance. "So, you're saying it's not just that she's comfortable around you, it's that you've somehow earned her respect?"

Ash's expression softened a little as he thought about it. "Yeah, maybe. I mean, sometimes she's a handful, but I know she wants to be understood. I don't try to force things with her. I just try to show her that no matter what, I've got her back."

Professor Rowan nodded, his gaze distant as if he was piecing something together. "Fascinating. I can't say I fully understand her yet, but perhaps you've unlocked a key to her behavior that I can learn from." He smiled faintly, then turned to Ash with a more serious expression. "But be careful, Ash. Wisty's a powerful force, and the world she's walking into is far from safe."

Ash gave him a reassuring grin. "Don't worry, Professor. I'll look out for her. I always do."

Rowan seemed to appreciate the sentiment, though there was still a hint of concern in his eyes. "I trust you, Ash. Just... be sure she's ready for everything that lies ahead. She may not show it, but there's more to her than meets the eye."

As they turned to walk back toward the others, Ash couldn't help but feel a pang of worry. Rowan's words echoed in his mind, but he also knew that Wisty was tough, and maybe, just maybe, she had more than enough strength to face whatever came her way.

And with that thought, Ash began to walk forward, eager to see what the next adventure-hopefully not too dangerous-had in store.