Professor Amaranth paled. "A knife?!"

Gary groaned, already running after Wisty. "Not again! Someone stop her before she does something crazy!"

Goh and Horace exchanged glances before sprinting after Gary. Danika and Quillon stayed behind, watching the chaotic scene unfold, their expressions a mixture of amusement and exasperation. 

"Should we... help?" Danika asked. 

Quillon shrugged. "She’s eight. How bad could it get?" 

"Very bad," Gary yelled from down the hallway. 

---

Wisty stormed into the kitchen, her Togepi chirping innocently from its harness on her back. Eevee trotted nervously behind her, shifting its shape briefly into a Flareon before returning to its base form. Wisty pulled open a drawer and began rummaging. 

"Where are the steak knives?" she muttered. "If you think you’re putting my Eevee in a cage again, Amaranth, you’ve got another thing coming!" 

Gary slid into the kitchen, nearly knocking over a stool in his hurry. "Wisty, *stop*! You’re not going to hurt anyone!" 

She whipped around, a butter knife in hand, her eyes blazing. "This is a rescue mission, Gary! That man put Eevee in a cage and tried to call her Mew. *Mew*! Eevee doesn’t deserve that kind of slander!" 

Gary sighed, rubbing his temples. "Okay, look. I get it. But you can’t just threaten a professor with cutlery!" 

Goh and Horace arrived, panting, as Togepi peeked over Wisty’s shoulder and chirped, "Toge?" 

"Wisty," Goh said cautiously, "what’s the plan here? You’ve got Eevee, right? Why don’t we just... leave?" 

Wisty huffed, slamming the drawer shut. "Because this isn’t just about *my* Eevee. It’s about all the Pokémon that might end up in cages because someone like him thinks they’re something they’re not. I won’t stand for it!" 

"Okay, valid point," Horace said, inching toward her. "But maybe put down the knife? Butter knives aren’t exactly... intimidating." 

"Not the point!" Wisty snapped, setting the knife on the counter. She scooped up Eevee, cradling it protectively. "This is my family. Nobody gets to hurt them." 

Gary approached her slowly, hands up in surrender. "Wisty, we’re all on your side here. Let’s just go talk to Amaranth. No knives, no yelling, just... talking. Okay?" 

Wisty narrowed her eyes at him, but after a moment, she sighed. "Fine. But if he tries to touch Eevee again, he’s getting Water Gunned." 

Gary exhaled in relief. "Fair enough. Let’s go." 

---

Back in the lab, Professor Amaranth was pacing nervously as Danika and Quillon watched the door. When Wisty entered, flanked by Gary, Goh, and Horace, she shot the professor a glare that could freeze a Gyarados mid-Rage. 

"You owe my Eevee an apology," she said firmly, setting the Pokémon down. 

Amaranth nodded quickly. "I-I’m sorry! I was mistaken. It’s just... Eevee’s unique abilities made me think—" 

"No excuses," Wisty interrupted, crossing her arms. "Eevee’s special, but she’s not Mew. And next time you find a Pokémon, maybe don’t throw it in a cage, huh?" 

"Right," Amaranth stammered. "Of course. You’re absolutely right." 

Eevee let out a soft cry, nuzzling Wisty’s leg. Wisty scooped her up again, turning on her heel. "Good. Now we’re leaving. Come on, Eevee. Togepi. Everyone." 

As she marched out, Goh muttered to Gary, "She might actually be scarier than Mewtwo." 

Gary sighed. "Tell me about it." 

Quillon smirked, watching Wisty’s retreating form. "She’s got spirit, I’ll give her that." 

Danika laughed softly. "Let’s just hope she doesn’t come back with a steak knife next time." 

Or

*****

The room erupted into chaos as Wisty stormed off, her steps echoing against the walls. Gary rubbed his temples, already feeling a headache coming on. "Why does it always have to be her?" he muttered under his breath.

Goh ran to block the doorway to the kitchen. "We can’t let her get a knife! Someone stop her!"

Danika raised a hand hesitantly. "I mean, she did say she was going to handle it, but… handle what? And why does she have a gun? Who gives an eight-year-old a gun?"

Horace looked genuinely panicked. "More importantly, who’s going to take it away from her without getting themselves killed?"

Gary sighed. "Nobody is taking anything from her unless you want your Pokémon to get roasted alive." He glanced at Amaranth, who was still frozen in shock. "Do you have any idea what you’ve just unleashed?"

Amaranth gulped. "I-I just thought the Eevee might be Mew! It displayed some unusual abilities!"

Gary threw his hands in the air. "Of course it did! It’s her shape-shifting Eevee! It’s been trained to confuse people, Amaranth!"

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Wisty was rummaging through drawers. Togepi, strapped to her back, tilted her head. "Toge?" she chirped, seemingly unbothered by the unfolding drama.

"Don’t worry, baby," Wisty muttered, yanking out a ladle and inspecting it before tossing it aside. "Mama’s just teaching someone a lesson about stealing Eevee."

Back in the main room, Goh and Horace were still strategizing. "Okay," Goh said, "if we all go together, maybe we can reason with her. Togepi’s still clueless, so maybe it hasn’t escalated yet."

"Yeah, because having her raid the kitchen for weapons isn’t escalating," Gary shot back sarcastically.

Before anyone could respond, Wisty marched back into the room holding a frying pan in one hand and a bag of flour in the other. "I couldn’t find a knife," she announced flatly. "But this’ll do."

Quillon blinked. "Wait, what are you planning to do with… flour?"

Wisty didn’t answer. Instead, she turned her gaze back to Amaranth, who flinched. "You tried to kidnap my Eevee," she said, her voice low but threatening. "I don’t care what you thought it was. Nobody cages my Pokémon. NOBODY."

Amaranth stumbled backward. "I-I didn’t know it was yours! Please, I was just trying to—"

"To what?" Wisty interrupted, advancing on him with the frying pan. "To profit off my Pokémon? To experiment on it? You better start talking, Professor."

Gary quickly stepped between them, holding his hands up. "Wisty, let’s calm down, okay? Nobody’s getting hit with a frying pan or… floured."

Wisty glared at him but hesitated. Togepi let out a cheerful "Togepiii!" from her perch, clearly enjoying the excitement.

Danika, sensing an opportunity, stepped forward. "Wisty, if this is really your Eevee, we’ll make sure nothing happens to it, okay? But you don’t need to bash Amaranth with a frying pan to prove your point."

Wisty’s eyes narrowed, but she eventually lowered the pan. "Fine," she grumbled. "But if he even looks at Eevee wrong, I’m coming back. And this time, I won’t miss."

Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief as Wisty stomped back to Eevee, scooping the trembling Pokémon into her arms. "You’re safe now, Eevee," she whispered, stroking its fur. "Mama’s got you."

Gary shook his head, watching her go. "She’s going to give me a heart attack before she hits double digits," he muttered.

Horace nodded. "At least she didn’t use the gun."

Amaranth stared at the group in disbelief. "Is she always like this?"

Gary let out a dry laugh. "This? Oh, no, Professor. This was one of her calmer days."

The room went dead silent as Wisty stormed out, her footsteps echoing down the hallway. The moment the door swung shut behind her, chaos erupted.

"Did she just—?" Goh stammered, his wide eyes darting to Gary.

"She’s gonna grab a knife!" Horace blurted, standing up so fast he knocked his chair over.

Gary groaned, running a hand down his face. "Why am I not surprised? That girl is trouble wrapped in an eight-year-old package."

Quillon sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. "She’s not just going for a knife. She’s probably packing her gun, too. Fantastic."

Danika gasped. "She has a gun?! Who lets an eight-year-old have a gun?!"

"Apparently, no one can stop her," Gary muttered. "She’s like a force of nature."

Amaranth paled. "Force of nature or not, she’s not killing me in my own lab! Someone stop her!"

Gary nodded, steeling himself. "I’ll go. You guys just… stay here and make sure no one else dies."
---

The sound of cabinets slamming echoed through the hallway as Gary crept toward the kitchen. He cautiously peeked around the corner, finding Wisty rifling through drawers, muttering furiously under her breath. Togepi, blissfully unaware of the brewing storm, waddled around the counter, occasionally pointing at shiny objects and chirping, "Toge?"

Wisty yanked open another drawer, letting out an exasperated growl when she found it empty. "Where does this guy keep his sharp stuff?!" she hissed.

Gary cleared his throat. "Wisty, maybe we should—"

"Don’t," she snapped, whipping around to glare at him, her brown eyes blazing. "Don’t try to stop me, Gary. That idiot locked up my Eevee. My Eevee! And he dared to say it was Mew?! Who even does that?!"

Gary held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Okay, I get it. I’d be mad too. But maybe we don’t need a knife—or, you know, a gun—to solve this."

Wisty crossed her arms, her anger momentarily subsiding into suspicion. "You got a better idea?"

"Yeah," Gary said slowly. "Let’s talk to Amaranth. He clearly made a mistake, but threatening his life isn’t going to fix anything."

Wisty’s glare softened slightly, but she wasn’t convinced. "You’re saying I should just let it go?"

"No," Gary said firmly. "I’m saying we handle this smart. Show him you’re better than him. You’re a trainer, Wisty. A good one. And good trainers don’t need weapons to win."

Wisty stared at him for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Finally, she sighed, reaching for Togepi and scooping her up. "Fine. But if he tries to pull any funny business, I’m not holding back."

Gary smiled. "Fair enough."

Back in the lab, Amaranth flinched as Wisty marched back in, her expression a mix of irritation and reluctant restraint. She set Togepi on the counter and crossed her arms, glaring daggers at the professor.

"You’re lucky Gary talked me down," she said coldly. "But you owe me an apology."

Amaranth swallowed hard. "You’re… absolutely right. I was out of line. I shouldn’t have taken Eevee without your permission, and I certainly shouldn’t have claimed it was Mew. I… I’m sorry."

Wisty huffed but nodded. "Good. Now, next time, ask before you lock someone’s Pokémon in a cage, okay?"

Amaranth nodded quickly, relieved to still be alive. "Understood."

Gary leaned against the wall, arms crossed and a smirk on his face. "See? No knives or guns required."

Wisty shot him a look. "Don’t push your luck, Oak."

Danika whispered to Goh, "Is it bad I’m still terrified of her?"

Goh shook his head. "No. It’s totally justified."

Professor Amaranth stepped back as Wisty stormed out of the closet, her Pokémon surrounding her like an outraged little army. The Eevee in question cowered behind her, its fur puffed up in terror. Wisty’s sharp brown eyes locked on Amaranth, and she pointed a trembling finger at him.

"You locked my Eevee in a cage?!" she growled. Her voice was low, but her fury could have melted ice.

"W-Wisty," Gary stammered, stepping between her and the professor, "let’s not escalate this. We can talk about—"

"Talk?" Wisty cut him off, her voice rising. "Oh, I’ll talk all right. I’ll talk while I handle this my way!" She looked over her shoulder at her Pokémon. "Return, everyone. I’ll take it from here." Her team hesitated but obeyed, vanishing into their Poké Balls, leaving only Togepi strapped to her back, looking confused but cheerful.

Amaranth tried to interject. "Wisty, I didn’t know it was your Eevee—"

"Too late for apologies, buddy," she snapped, scooping up Eevee and cradling it protectively. She shot Gary a sharp glance. "Kitchen?"

Gary blinked, unsure where this was going. "It’s... uh... down the hall and to the left."

"Thanks." Wisty vanished like a shadow, her footsteps echoing faintly.

Goh frowned, realization dawning. "Wait... isn’t there... knives in the kitchen?"

Horace paled. "Knives? She’s got a gun on her already, and now she’s going for knives?!"

Danika crossed her arms, trying to sound calm but clearly shaken. "Quillon, you’ve dealt with her before. Can’t you... talk her down?"

Quillon hesitated, his usual stoicism cracking slightly. "I’ll try," he muttered, heading after her.

The group watched anxiously as Quillon disappeared into the kitchen. Minutes ticked by in tense silence until he reappeared, his face pale, his eyes wide, and his usual composure utterly shattered.

"What happened?" Danika asked, stepping forward.

Quillon opened his mouth, closed it, and shook his head. "I can’t... I can’t talk about it. She... she told me things. Things no one should know." He sat down heavily, staring into the distance like he’d seen a ghost.

Before anyone could question him further, Wisty reemerged, holding... a flipper in one hand and a frying pan in the other. Togepi sat on her back, giggling as though this were a normal day.

"Okay, Professor," Wisty said, her tone eerily calm now, "since you apparently don’t understand boundaries, let me spell it out for you. This Eevee is mine. If I ever catch you caging another Pokémon like that again..." She held up the pan and flipper menacingly. "I’ll show you exactly what I learned from my mom’s cooking lessons."

Amaranth gulped, nodding quickly. "Understood. No more cages."

"Good." Wisty turned to Gary, her expression softening just a fraction. "Thanks for the directions. Now, let’s go. I’m done here."

As Wisty strode out of the room, Togepi waved cheerfully at the group. "Toge toge!"

The others stood in stunned silence. Finally, Horace peeked out from behind Danika. "Does she always...?"

"Yes," Gary said firmly, rubbing his temples. "Yes, she does."

The room was dead silent as the implications of Wisty’s sudden disappearance sank in. Gary pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering under his breath. "Why is it always her? Why can’t we have a normal day?"

Professor Amaranth, visibly pale, glanced nervously toward the door Wisty had disappeared through. "She wouldn’t actually—"

"She would," Gary interrupted flatly. "Trust me, she would."

Danika looked at the group, her face paling. "Do we stop her? Or…?"

"We have to stop her," Goh said, bolting to his feet. "She has a knife—and a gun?! Who even lets an eight-year-old carry those things?"

"Apparently someone does," Quillon muttered, crossing his arms.

Meanwhile, Horace was pacing frantically. "Do you think she’s going to actually use them? I mean, she’s eight, right? Kids don’t actually know how to—"

"Have you met Wisty?" Gary interrupted, his tone dripping with exasperation. "She’s got a Togepi strapped to her back and commands an army of Pokémon like a war general. You think she doesn’t know how to use a knife?"

Amaranth held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, let’s calm down. Maybe she just went to make a sandwich or—"

At that moment, the door slammed open, and Wisty reappeared with Eevee perched on her shoulder, Togepi still strapped to her back. In her hand was indeed a kitchen knife, glinting ominously under the fluorescent light.

"Amaranth," Wisty said in a dangerously calm voice. "You and I need to talk about what happens when you mess with my Pokémon."

Amaranth took a cautious step back, hands raised. "W-Wisty, I wasn’t trying to—"

"Don’t you dare," she hissed. "You locked my Eevee in a cage and called it Mew. Mew. Do you even know how ridiculous that is?"

"To be fair," Goh began nervously, "Eevee does have some unusual abilities—"

Wisty’s glare could have cut through steel. "Goh, I like you, but if you try to justify this nonsense, you’re next."

Goh took an immediate step back, hands raised in surrender. "Noted."

Eevee whimpered from Wisty’s shoulder, its body trembling. She softened instantly, reaching up to scratch its head. "It’s okay, buddy. You’re safe now."

Gary sighed, stepping between Wisty and the trembling professor. "Wisty, put the knife down. Please. No one’s going to hurt Eevee anymore, I promise."

Wisty stared at him for a long moment before slowly lowering the knife. "Fine," she said, handing it to him. "But only because you said so."

Amaranth let out a breath of relief, but Wisty wasn’t finished. She stepped closer, pointing a finger at his chest. "If you ever try to mess with my Pokémon again, I’ll make sure you regret it. Understand?"

Amaranth nodded rapidly. "Crystal clear."

Satisfied, Wisty turned on her heel, heading for the door. "Come on, Eevee. Let’s get out of this madhouse. But first, let's use the restroom."

As the door slammed shut behind her, Goh exhaled loudly. "That was… intense."

"That," Gary said grimly, "was just Wisty being Wisty."

Horace shook his head, looking at Togepi, who had remained blissfully unaware throughout the entire ordeal. "How does she keep her Pokémon so calm through all of this?"

Danika shrugged. "Probably because they know she’d fight the world for them."

Gary nodded. "And that’s what makes her terrifying."