The battle was escalating far beyond what anyone expected. Mew hovered above the lake, a wild, dark aura radiating from its small form as it continued launching attack after attack at Wisty. Each strike seemed stronger than the last.

"Heat Wave!" Mew shrieked, blasting a wave of searing flames.
Wisty crouched behind her shield, teeth gritted. "Okay, that’s hot—really hot!"

"Water Gun! Scald! Vine Whip!" Mew’s onslaught was relentless. A torrent of water shot forth, followed by steaming jets and a flurry of vines that lashed around Wisty’s shield, trying to pull it away.

Gary wiped his face in exasperation. "Oh dear... What’s next? A meteor strike?"

Horace, on the other hand, was pacing frantically. "She’s gonna get herself killed! She’s absolutely insane! Who charges a corrupted Mew alone?! And why is no one stopping her!?"

Quillon crossed his arms, frowning. "If she doesn’t get out of there soon, we’re going to be pulling her out of that lake piece by piece."

"She won’t back down," Goh said quietly. "That’s just... Wisty."

Chikorita stepped forward, eyes glowing with determination. "Chikaaaa!"

"Chikorita, no!" Wisty barked, glancing back at her team. "Stay put! I’ve got this!"

Chikorita growled, stomping its little feet, clearly ready to ignore orders.

Meanwhile, Gary’s phone buzzed, and he groaned. "Not now—" He glanced at the screen and sighed. "It’s my grandfather." He picked up the call.

Professor Oak’s voice crackled through the line. "Gary! What’s happening out there? I’m picking up some massive energy readings from your location—it’s completely off the charts!"

Gary pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, uh... Let’s just say Wisty’s going toe-to-toe with a corrupted Mew, and... well, it’s not pretty."

"Toe-to-toe with—what?!*" Oak’s voice was incredulous.

Before Gary could explain, another voice chimed in—Amaranth. "Wisty! What are you doing?!" Amaranth’s voice echoed from Wisty’s Pokégear. "Why am I hearing reports of a corrupted Mew and you jumping off cliffs like a lunatic?!"

"Saving the world, Amaranth!" Wisty called back over her shoulder, narrowly avoiding another vine whip that snapped inches from her face. "Kind of busy right now!"

"WHAG WAS THAT FOR?!" Wisty yelled as Mew—suddenly and very rudely—used a powerful vine whip to throw her off the cliff.

"WISTY!" Gary and Goh shouted in unison as they ran to the edge of the cliff.

From the mists below, Wisty’s furious voice echoed up. "I’M OKAY! BUT WHAT WAS THAT FOR, YOU LITTLE TWERP?!"

"She... she’s alive," Horace stammered, his face pale. "She’s alive, right?"

A few seconds later, Wisty climbed back up the cliff, mud-covered and panting, glaring daggers at Mew. "Oh, you’re in trouble now."

Gary turned to Goh, muttering under his breath, "I think she’s evolved into a Primeape."

Wisty cracked her knuckles, shaking out her limbs. "Alright, Mew. You wanna play rough? Let’s play rough." She turned to her Pokémon again. "Still stay back, but Chikorita, I appreciate the loyalty. I’ll buy you Poképuffs later."

Chikorita let out an indignant huff but stayed put... for now.

Horace’s panic hit another level as Mew began to charge up yet another powerful Hyper Beam. "She’s going to get vaporized! Someone stop her!"

"Relax," Gary muttered, though he didn’t look very confident himself. "This is Wisty we’re talking about. She’s got... something up her sleeve. I think."

Mew unleashed the Hyper Beam, and Wisty braced herself behind the shield once more. "Okay, think, Wisty... Gotta bring Mew back to its senses somehow."

The Chasers, Horace, and Gary all watched, some with dread, others with disbelief, as Wisty planted her feet firmly, prepared to withstand everything Mew threw at her.

Gary sighed deeply. "Why do I feel like this is just getting started...?"

Before anyone could process what was happening, Wisty dashed straight at Mew with the kind of reckless determination that left everyone slack-jawed.

“Wisty, what are you doing?!” Gary yelled.

She ignored him. “Mew, if you won’t snap out of it—THEN I’LL MAKE YOU!” Wisty lunged, arms outstretched, and grabbed the small pink Pokémon midair. Before Mew could retaliate, she literally yeeted it into the cave wall with surprising force.

WHAM.

The echo of impact bounced off the walls, and Mew slid down with a dazed look. Everyone stared.

Danika blinked in pure disbelief. “...And you guys thought I was violent?”

Goh, who was wide-eyed, stammered, “No, no... you are. Just... not this violent.”

Horace gawked, his voice high-pitched. “Did she just—did she throw Mew?! Like it was a Pokéball?!”

Gary rubbed his face with both hands. “I—uh... I think she just evolved into a monster.”

Wisty dusted her hands off, cracking her knuckles. “See? I told you this was my fight.” She turned back to Mew, who was shakily levitating again, dark energy still swirling around it.

“Stay down, Mew!” Wisty scolded, wagging a finger like a disappointed parent. “I’m trying to help you!”

Mew growled in response, summoning a barrage of Shadow Balls.

“Oh no you don’t—” Wisty darted and dodged, leaping over rocks like an action hero. “You’re not the only one with tricks!”

Danika leaned toward Goh, whispering, “She’s actually terrifying. I don’t think she’s human.”

Goh nodded slowly. “At this point, I think she’s super effective against logic.”

Quillon, meanwhile, just groaned, “This is spiraling out of control. She’s gonna bring the whole cave down!”

And honestly? Nobody was about to argue with him.