" 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."

Professor Oak’s voice crackled through the phone, sounding a bit surprised. "Wisty, I really need to speak with Professor Rowan. It’s important."

Wisty slowed her pace and glanced over her shoulder at the group, making sure no one was following too closely. She cupped her hand over the phone and whispered sharply, "You know as well as I do I don’t trust that guy!"

Ash’s ears perked up at her words, and he blinked in surprise. What was that about? he wondered.

Oak hesitated. "Wisty, that’s not exactly fair. Professor Rowan is one of the most respected researchers in Sinnoh."

"Yeah, yeah," Wisty muttered, leaning against a tree as she kept her voice low. "Respected doesn’t mean trustworthy, old man. There’s a difference."

Ash, unable to resist, crept closer, trying to catch more of the conversation.

"Wisty," Oak said, his tone more serious now, "whatever issues you have, you need to work them out. This isn’t about trust; it’s about collaboration."

Wisty sighed dramatically, dragging a hand through her hair. "Fine, fine. But if he so much as looks at me funny, I’m hanging up."

"Wisty..."

"Okay, okay!" she relented, begrudgingly walking back toward the group.

Ash quickly scampered back to his spot and pretended to admire a tree, though his eyes kept darting toward Wisty. She caught his glance and narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Something on your mind, brother?" she asked, raising a brow.

Ash scratched the back of his head nervously. "Uh, no! Nope! Nothing at all!"

Wisty’s eyes narrowed further, but she let it slide, holding the phone out to Rowan. "Here. Professor Oak wants to talk to you."

Rowan frowned, adjusting his glasses. "Finally," he muttered, taking the phone. "Samuel, what is it?"

Wisty crossed her arms and took a step back, watching the professor carefully. Ash, meanwhile, leaned over to Brock.

"Why doesn’t Wisty trust Professor Rowan?" he whispered.

Brock shrugged. "Beats me, but it seems serious. Maybe they had a disagreement over research or something?"

Gary, who had been quietly observing, smirked. "Knowing Wisty, it was probably something way bigger than that."

As Rowan spoke to Oak, Wisty muttered under her breath, "I bet he’s just going to make everything about his rules again."

Ash furrowed his brows. "Rules? What rules?"

"Don’t worry about it," Wisty replied curtly, avoiding his gaze.

The group fell into an awkward silence as Rowan continued his conversation, but Ash couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever happened between Wisty and Rowan was more complicated than she was letting on.

As soon as Professor Oak said, “I’ll talk to you later,” Wisty pounced. She snatched the phone from Professor Rowan’s hand with the precision of a Zubat in the dark.

“Okay, Professor Oak, bye! Tell my mom I love her! Talk to you later! Byyyyyyeeee!” she chirped in one breath before ending the call.

Rowan blinked, stunned. "What in the world—"

Before anyone could process what had just happened, Wisty turned to her Pokémon, her tone suddenly energetic.

"Alright, guys!" she called, clapping her hands. " Eevee, Chikorita, Pi—not you, Pikachu; my brother needs you—Charmander, Clefairy, Jigglypuff, Rockruff! Let’s go! We’ve got a new mission!"

Her Pokémon perked up, their ears twitching as they awaited instructions.

Ash crossed his arms, raising a brow. "What mission? You didn’t mention anything about a mission."

Wisty ignored him completely, raising her hand dramatically toward the horizon. “This mission includes running away! Now, let’s move, team! Byyyyyyyyeeeee!”

With that, she dashed off into the bushes, her Pokémon trailing behind in a flurry of excited cries and hurried steps.

“WISTY!” Ash yelled, running after her. “You can’t just run off like that!”

Gary shook his head, sighing. "Classic Wisty."

Brock groaned. “What is it with you Ketchum kids and chaos?”

Rowan, still processing, adjusted his glasses with an irritated grunt. “That child... is an enigma.”

Meanwhile, Dawn clutched Piplup nervously. "Do you think she’s actually running away?”

Gary smirked. “Oh, she’ll be back. Wisty never gets too far without some big dramatic thing happening.”

As if on cue, there was a loud crash from the direction Wisty had run, followed by her shouting, “WHY IS THERE A HERD OF TAUROS HERE?!”

Ash groaned and sprinted toward the sound. “Wisty, wait! You can’t outrun Tauros!”

Gary laughed and started walking after them. “Told you. Drama magnet.”

As the loud rumbling of Tauros hooves drew closer, Wisty whipped out a Pokéball and yelled, “Pokéball, goooo!” She hurled it with all her might, and the ball soared through the air before hitting the ground and opening with a flash.

Out came a startled Onix, who blinked in confusion at the chaotic scene.

“Onix, block their path! Hurry, hurry, hurry!” Wisty shouted, pointing at the incoming herd.

Onix roared and slammed its massive body down, creating a makeshift wall. The Tauros skidded to a halt, snorting in frustration as they tried to figure out how to get past the rocky blockade.

Wisty turned to her Pokémon team, waving her arms frantically. “Move it, guys! We can’t let Mister ‘I betrayed you once and now I want you to act as if nothing happened’ catch up! Even if Ash and Gary are his friends!”

Ash, who was still chasing her, shouted, “Wisty, who are you even talking about?!”

Gary sighed as he jogged after them. “It’s Rowan, isn’t it?”

Wisty didn’t answer. Instead, her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she pulled it out to see Professor Oak calling again.

“Busy, call you later!” she yelled into the phone before slamming it shut.

“Wisty!” Ash yelled, exasperated. “You can’t keep doing this!”

“I just did,” Wisty retorted smugly, throwing her backpack over her shoulder. “Let’s go, team!”

She ran and turned. " Onix, return!"

The Pokémon cheered and started running again, leaving a very annoyed Ash and Gary scrambling to keep up.

Meanwhile, Professor Rowan, still standing back with Dawn and Brock, sighed heavily as he stared at the trail of destruction. “Does she always behave this way?”

Gary arrived, brushing dust off his jacket. “Oh, absolutely. She’s been like this since the day she could walk.”

Dawn turned to Ash, who was puffing from the chase. “Do you ever have a normal day?”

“Not when Wisty’s around,” Ash muttered, hands on his knees.

Suddenly, there was another crash, followed by Wisty’s voice: “WHY IS THERE A RHYDON HERE?!”

Gary rolled his eyes. “And there it is.”

The dust settled as Wisty grinned triumphantly, clutching the Pokéball containing the newly caught Rhydon. She spun on her heel, waving her team forward.

“Come on, guys! We’ve got no time to lose!”

As the group started running again, Wisty’s phone buzzed. She groaned, snatched it from her pocket, and glared at the screen. “Professor Oak, again?” she muttered before answering.

“Wisty…” Oak’s voice sounded both exasperated and suspicious.

“Oh, Professor Oak!” Wisty chirped, feigning cheerfulness. “You’ll never believe it, but Rowan was caught in a terrible rockslide. So tragic. He, uh… tragically died. Talk to you later, bye!”

She hung up before Oak could respond.

Back at the base, Professor Rowan blinked in disbelief as Oak relayed the news over the phone.

“I died?” Rowan asked, his voice flat.

Oak sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Apparently, according to your own rockslide…”

“Why does she act like this?” Rowan demanded, throwing his hands up. “She’s a menace!”

“She's creative,” Oak corrected wearily. “Resourceful, even. And stubborn as a Tauros.”

“That’s putting it lightly!” Rowan huffed.

Meanwhile, Ash and Gary, still chasing after Wisty, overheard the tail end of her conversation.

“Wisty!” Ash yelled. “You can’t just say Rowan died! He’s not dead!”

“Well, he might as well be after how he’s chasing me!” Wisty shot back without stopping.

Gary sighed, rubbing his temples. “Do you even hear yourself? He’s probably listening to this right now!”

“Good!” Wisty yelled over her shoulder. “Maybe he’ll take a hint!”

Back at the base, Rowan shook his head. “Does she even understand the implications of what she just said?”

Oak chuckled, albeit tiredly. “She’s... Wisty.”

“Why did no one warn me?” Rowan muttered. “I thought Ash was reckless, but his sister is in a league of her own.”

Up ahead, Wisty came to a screeching halt as she noticed a steep incline. “Whoa! This is perfect!” She turned to her Pokémon team. “We’re gonna climb this hill and get out of here for good!”

Ash finally caught up, panting. “Wisty, for the love of Arceus, can we talk about this?”

“There’s nothing to talk about!” Wisty retorted, recalling her Pokémon into their Pokéballs. “Rowan’s out for my Eevee, and I’m not sticking around for that.”

“You told Oak he was dead!” Ash pointed out.

“Yeah, well, creative solutions call for dramatic measures!” Wisty said, smirking as she began the climb.

Gary groaned as he arrived, out of breath. “I hate to admit it, but she’s a tactical genius. Chaotic, but genius.”

Ash threw his arms in the air. “She’s eight! And she’s already better at causing problems than half the villains we’ve faced!”

From somewhere behind them, they heard a loud boom followed by Rowan’s voice: “I’M NOT DEAD!”

Wisty froze mid-step, then turned slowly, eyes wide. “…He’s persistent, I’ll give him that.”

Gary snickered. “And you thought you could outsmart him.”

Wisty grinned mischievously. “Oh, I still can.” She released Rhydon from its Pokéball. “Time for another rockslide.”

Ash and Gary simultaneously groaned.

" YOUR SISTER IS A MENACE!" Rowan yelled as he ran down, trying to run from the Rockslide.

Professor Rowan sprinted down the incline, his usually composed demeanor shattered as rocks tumbled dangerously close behind him. His voice echoed across the landscape, laced with equal parts frustration and terror.

"YOUR SISTER IS A MENACE!" he bellowed, his coat flapping wildly as he narrowly dodged a falling boulder.

Ash stood frozen in place, watching the scene unfold with a mix of embarrassment and disbelief. “Wisty, what did you do?!”

Wisty, standing confidently at the top of the hill, shrugged nonchalantly. “I simply… encouraged the environment to cooperate with me. Is that a crime?”

“YES, IT IS!” Rowan shouted, barely avoiding another cascade of debris. “WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND CALLS THIS COOPERATION?”

Gary, arms crossed and shaking his head, muttered, “She’s gonna give him a heart attack.”

Ash grabbed Wisty by the shoulders. “Wisty, you need to stop! You’re going to get in serious trouble!”

Wisty raised an eyebrow. “Trouble with who? The professor who’s currently running for his life? I think I’ve got the upper hand here.”

“STOP TALKING AND STOP THE ROCKSLIDE!” Rowan yelled, his voice hoarse as he clung to a tree to avoid being swept away by the rubble.

“Okay, okay,” Wisty sighed dramatically, pulling out Rhydon’s Pokéball. “Rhydon, return!”

The massive Pokémon disappeared in a flash of light, and the rockslide gradually came to a halt. Rowan staggered forward, covered in dust and glaring daggers at Wisty.

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” he wheezed, trying to catch his breath.

Wisty tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Hmm. Made a memorable impression? Demonstrated effective problem-solving skills? Protected my Eevee from a perceived threat?”

“PERCEIVED THREAT?!” Rowan roared. “I was trying to HELP YOU!”

Wisty tilted her head innocently. “Help me how? By chasing me down with your grumpy face and long lectures? I’m eight. I don’t do lectures.”

Gary coughed to stifle a laugh. “She’s not wrong about that.”

Ash groaned, burying his face in his hands. “Professor, I’m so sorry. She’s… going through a phase.”

Rowan pointed a shaking finger at Wisty. “This isn’t a phase! This is outright rebellion!”

Wisty smirked. “Rebellion is such a strong word. I prefer ‘independent initiative.’”

Rowan threw his hands up. “Oak! Do you hear this?! This is your fault for letting her run wild!”

Oak’s voice buzzed faintly from Wisty’s phone in her pocket. “To be fair, Rowan, I did warn you about her creative methods.”

Wisty pulled out her phone with a cheeky grin. “See? Even Oak knows I’m a genius.”

Rowan grabbed his forehead as though a headache had just struck him. “I swear, if I survive this day, I’m never dealing with children again!”

“Good,” Wisty said brightly, turning to her Pokémon. “Alright, team! New mission: Find snacks! Let’s go!”

And just like that, she marched off into the distance, Eevee, Rhydon, and Chikorita following close behind.

Ash and Gary stared after her, dumbfounded.

“She’s gonna rule the world someday, isn’t she?” Gary muttered.

Ash sighed. “Or destroy it. Maybe both.”

Behind them, Rowan groaned. “She’s a menace. An absolute menace.”