" Professor Oak, meet Kenny." Dawn said brightly as she pulled the Auburn haired boy into the lab.

Kenny waved shyly. " Hello sir. How do you do."

Oak smiled warmly. " Hello, Kenny. Dawn has told me all about you. "

Kenny gulped. " What did Dee Dee say now?"

" Hey!" Dawn exclaimed angrily. " It's Dawn!"

Kenny grinned. " I know."

Dawn groaned as Ash, Misty, Tracey and Gary entered the observatory.

" Grandpa, all the Pokemon are fed." Gary reported as Umbreon ran to him.

" Pika pi!"

Ash grinned. " Hi Dawn! Hi Kenny! What brings you guys here?"

Dawn grinned. " Well, it's something only girls will understand!"

Misty's eyes widened. " Really?"

Dawn nodded and grabbed Misty's hand and they ran off, giggling.

Ash stared after them with a raised brow and crossed arms. " I will never understand girls."

Kenny nodded. " Agreed. You know what happened the other day?"

Ash looked interested. " What?*

" She got angry at me because I forgot to-"

Gary cleared his throat, and the two boys laughed sheepishly.

" Sorry."

Gary sighed. " Anywa-"

Suddenly Misty ran to Ash, panicked, Dawn following close behind, confused.

Misty grabbed Ash's shoulders and shook them. " Wisty's not in the living room!"

" WHAT?!" he shrieked, turning to Oak. " You said she was talking it easy!"

" She was..... until this morning."

Ash blinked. " Okay.... where's she now?"

" Last we saw she was on an Arkinine's back, humping hurdles." Dawn said innocently.

" And before that she was riding a tractor." Kenny added.

Ash blinked. " You mean to tell me....."

Then he turned and bolted out the back door. Dawn and Kenny watched.

" What did we say?" Kenny asked.

Gary sighed as he followed Misty and Ash. " It's not what you said. It's what you DIDN'T say earlier."

" This is where we last saw her." Dawn said, pointing to a tree.

" But why's it so important?" Kenny asked.

" Because she's supposed to be resting!" Misty sighed.

" Why did she break a bone or something?" Dawn asked.

" No. She's been working so hard these past few days we made her take a break for a few days." Gary informed them as Misty and Ash scouted the area.

Suddenly, Ash's phone rang.

"  Hello?"

" Ash," Professor Oak said through the phone. " I just saw her head to the garden."

" On our way!" Ash said into the phone.

Then he looked up. " Garden. Let's go!"

When they got to the garden, she wasn't there.

" Pond." Oak said.

They went there.

" Training area."

" Garden again."

" Swimming."

" The wild woods."

Dawn's eyes widened and she grabbed Kenny's arm. " Y.... you m... mean that?!" Dawn pointed nervously to the dreary woods which stretched out in front of them.

Ash sighed. " Yep. She likes to catch Pokemon in there."

" What type of Pokemon?" Kenny's ears perked up.

Ash shrugged. " Furret, Piggy, Pigeotto, Pigeot, and......" He looked at Misty. " G- U- B."

Kenny's eyes widened. " Oh."

Then Ash sighed. " But for some reason, the past few weeks, there are no Pokemon in that forest."

Gary nodded. " Ever since Wisty's been getting dizzy everytime she does a backflip in the air."

Dawn furrowed her brows. " What do yo-"

" Wait, is that why all the birds on Professor Oak's land are in cages?"

Ash blinked. " Cages?"

Dawn nodded, holding Kenny's arm tighter. " Yeah, but they didn't seem to mind. Almost as if they wanted to be in there."

Gary sighed, rubbing his temple. " It's sure mysterious, that's for sure."

Ash sighed. " We're going in."

Dawn's eyes widened. " In... there?"

Kenny looked at his trembling girlfriend. " Don't worry, Dee Dee. You can stay out here."

Dawn gulped. " I.... it's fine. Let's.... go."

" Wiiiiiiisty?" Ash called, cupping his hands.

" Pika piiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!" Pikachu called.

" Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisty?" Misty yelled. 

" Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiistyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?" Gary said. " Wiiiiiiiiiiiisty? Where aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaare youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu?"

" Wisty?" Kenny called, cupping his mouth with one hand. 

The other was.... occupied.

There was a rustle in the bushes, and Dawn squeeled and went closer to Kenny. " K.... kenny?"

Kenny looked at Dawn. " Yes?"

" D.... do y...ou th... think there's..... m..m...monstors in th..ese for...ests..... waiting for.... f... f... food?"

Kenny gave Dawn a reassuring smile, though he tightened his hold on her hand. "Monsters? Nah, Dee Dee, there's no such thing as monsters waiting to pounce on people. It's probably just a—"

A loud rustling sound came from the bushes nearby, cutting him off. Dawn jumped and clung to Kenny, her eyes wide. "Probably just a what, Kenny?!"

"Probably just the wind," Kenny said quickly, though his voice cracked slightly. He gulped and glanced nervously at the swaying foliage.

Ash stepped forward, Pikachu perched on his shoulder, both looking determined. "Wisty, if you're in there, stop messing around! This isn't funny!"

Misty crossed her arms, her tone half-annoyed, half-worried. "She better not be pulling another one of her stunts."

Gary knelt by the bush and peeked through the leaves. "If it's Wisty, she's going to owe all of us an explanation. If it's not..." He trailed off, his Umbreon growling softly by his side.

The rustling grew louder. Everyone froze as a shadow emerged from the bushes. Dawn gripped Kenny tighter, her voice barely a whisper. "I-It's moving..."

Suddenly, the figure sprang out, and everyone gasped—only to see a very disgruntled Furret staring back at them.

"Furret!" it chirped indignantly, flicking its tail as if to scold them for disturbing its nap.

Gary sighed in relief, running a hand through his hair. "It's just a Furret. See? Nothing to worry about."

Dawn blinked and relaxed slightly. "Oh... oh! Right. Just a Furret. Haha..." She laughed nervously and loosened her grip on Kenny, though she still stayed close.

Ash wasn't so quick to relax. "Furret, have you seen Wisty?" he asked.

The Furret tilted its head, then nodded, pointing further into the woods with its tail before scurrying off.

"Great," Ash muttered. "She went deeper in."

Gary groaned. "Of course, she did. Why wouldn't she? This day just keeps getting better."

Misty looked at Ash, her hands on her hips. "We can't just leave her in there, but maybe splitting up would be faster."

Ash nodded. "Good idea. Gary, Misty, and I will take the left path. Kenny, you and Dawn take the right path."

Kenny raised an eyebrow. "The right path? You're trusting me to keep her safe?"

"She's your girlfriend, isn't she?" Ash teased with a smirk.

Kenny turned red but straightened up. "Fine. We'll find Wisty first and bring her back. Let's go, Dee Dee."

"It's Dawn!" Dawn retorted, though her voice lacked its usual fire. She followed Kenny reluctantly, glancing nervously at the trees.

The two groups split up, the forest eerily quiet except for the occasional rustling leaves and snapping twigs.

"Kenny," Dawn whispered as they walked, "do you think Wisty's okay? She was acting weird earlier..."

"I'm sure she's fine," Kenny said, though his voice lacked conviction. "I mean, this is Wisty we're talking about. She's tough."

A loud crack sounded behind them, and they spun around. Dawn yelped and clutched Kenny's arm. "W-what was that?!"

Kenny stared into the shadows, trying to keep his composure. "Probably just a... squirrel or something."

But then they heard a low, faint whistle echoing through the woods. It sounded almost like someone calling out, but the tone was off—too melodic, too eerie.

Dawn's grip tightened again. "That... that doesn't sound like a squirrel."

Kenny hesitated, swallowing hard. "No... it doesn't."

Before they could decide whether to run or investigate, the bushes ahead of them rustled violently, and the two froze.

"W-Wisty?" Kenny called tentatively, his voice cracking slightly.

The rustling stopped. Then, as if in response, a high-pitched laugh echoed through the woods. It wasn't loud, but it sent shivers down their spines.

Dawn's eyes widened, and she tugged at Kenny's arm. "K-Kenny, I don't think that's Wisty! Let's go back!"

"Wait," Kenny said, his voice shaky but firm. "What if it is her? We can't leave her here."

Dawn hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. "O-okay. But if it's not, we're running, got it?"

"Got it," Kenny said, though he wasn't sure if his legs would work when the time came.

They stepped cautiously toward the bushes, their hearts pounding in unison. Whatever—or whoever—was waiting on the other side, they were about to find out.

It was a witch.

A creepy green witch with ache all over.

" Ah, hello, children." She said in her eerie voice. " You're just in time for lunch- kid livers!"

" RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!" Kenny yelled, grabbing Dawn's hand and pulling a screaming Dawn behind him.

Kenny bolted like a lightning bolt, dragging a panicked and shrieking Dawn behind him.

"Kid livers?! What does that even mean?!" Dawn screamed as she stumbled to keep up.

"I don't know, and I don't want to find out!" Kenny shouted over his shoulder, his eyes darting around for the path they had come from.

Behind them, the witch let out a cackling laugh that sent chills down their spines. "Run all you want, my little snacks! You can't escape meee!"

"I AM TOO YOUNG TO BE A SNACK!" Dawn hollered, clutching Kenny's arm so tightly he wondered if it might bruise later.

"Hang on, Dee Dee!" Kenny huffed, his lungs burning as he pushed through the underbrush. "We're almost—"

CRASH!

Kenny tripped over a protruding root, sending both of them sprawling onto the ground. Dawn yelped as she hit the dirt, and they scrambled to untangle themselves.

The witch's voice grew louder, her footsteps crunching through the leaves. "Oh, don't stop now! The fun's just beginning!"

Dawn grabbed a stick and thrust it into Kenny's hands. "Do something!"

"Like what?!" Kenny gasped, waving the stick half-heartedly. "Play fetch with her?!"

"Anything but that!" Dawn shrieked.

The witch emerged from the shadows, her green skin glowing faintly in the dim light. Her crooked smile revealed yellow teeth as she raised her hands, muttering an incantation. "Come closer, little ones. You'll make a lovely stew!"

Just as Kenny felt his legs locking up in terror, a familiar voice rang out behind them. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt! Now!"

Electricity crackled through the air as Pikachu leapt into view, releasing a powerful blast of energy. The witch shrieked, clutching her broomstick as the electricity sent her sprawling back into the bushes.

Ash, Misty, and Gary came running, their faces a mix of determination and concern. "Are you guys okay?!" Misty asked, helping Dawn to her feet.

Kenny nodded shakily, still gripping the stick. "Yeah... but what was that?!"

"Looks like you ran into one of the forest's legends," Gary said grimly, helping Kenny up. "The witch of the wild woods. She's been here for centuries, scaring off Pokémon and people alike."

"Scaring off?! She said she wanted to eat our livers!" Dawn exclaimed, clinging to Misty.

Ash patted Pikachu's head. "Good thing Pikachu and I got here in time. But we need to find Wisty and get out of here before she comes back."

Dawn groaned, burying her face in her hands. "This day just keeps getting worse."

"Tell me about it," Kenny muttered. "I almost got turned into a snack."

"Let's move," Gary said, glancing nervously at the bushes. "If Wisty's in here, we need to find her fast."

With the witch temporarily dealt with, the group pressed on, their nerves on edge as they called out for Wisty, hoping she was safe—and hoping the witch wouldn't return.

As they cautiously navigated the eerie forest, Ash's phone buzzed in his pocket. He quickly pulled it out, squinting at the screen.

"Professor Oak?" he said, answering. "Please tell me you have good news!"

Oak's voice came through, sounding amused and exasperated at the same time. "Well, Ash, I do. Wisty just sent me a picture of herself."

"She did?!" Misty exclaimed, leaning in to hear. "Where is she?"

Oak cleared his throat. "She's... in Paris."

The group collectively froze.

"Paris?" Ash echoed in disbelief. "Like, France Paris?"

"The very same," Oak confirmed. "She's standing in front of the Eiffel Tower, grinning from ear to ear. She even captioned it, 'Taking a much-needed break!'"

Misty threw her hands in the air. "How on earth did she get to Paris?! She was here an hour ago!"

"She must've found a portal or something," Gary said, rubbing his temple. "Or maybe she booked a last-minute flight?"

Dawn groaned. "We've been running around this creepy forest for nothing while she's off sightseeing?"

"That tracks for Wisty," Kenny muttered, shaking his head.

Ash sighed, slumping against a tree. "Why didn't she tell us? We were worried sick!"

"Apparently, she thought it would be funny," Oak added. "She included a note: 'Tell them not to wait up.'"

Misty clenched her fists. "When she gets back, she's getting an earful!"

"I'll save you a spot in line," Ash grumbled, looking at Pikachu. "Well, buddy, looks like our search is over."

"Pika..." Pikachu said with an exhausted nod, hopping onto Ash's shoulder.

"Great," Gary said, glancing at the forest behind them. "Now let's get out of here before that witch decides to come back."

The group began making their way back to the lab, each one silently plotting what they would say to Wisty the next time they saw her. Meanwhile, in Paris, Wisty was happily munching on a croissant, completely oblivious to the chaos she'd left behind.

Just as the group thought they were in the clear, a chilling voice echoed behind them.

"Ahhhh, kids," the witch cackled, stepping out from the shadows of the forest, her crooked smile revealing far too many teeth.

Ash froze, his heart jumping into his throat. His eyes darted toward Misty, who was equally frozen in place. Without thinking twice, he grabbed her hand tightly.

"Kenny!" he yelled.

Kenny was already one step ahead, clutching Dawn's hand like his life depended on it.

Then, in perfect unison, Ash and Kenny bellowed, "RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!"

The forest erupted into chaos.

Ash pulled Misty along, dodging low-hanging branches and hopping over roots. Behind him, Kenny was practically dragging a shrieking Dawn, who kept yelling, "Why does this always happen to us?!"

Gary, caught in the middle of the stampede, muttered, "Oh, for Arceus' sake!" before breaking into a sprint himself.

"Come back, little ones!" the witch called after them, her voice dripping with sinister glee. "I haven't even seasoned the stew yet!"

"STEW?!" Misty screeched. "ASH, RUN FASTER!"

"I'M TRYING!" Ash shot back, nearly tripping over a rock.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu shouted, clinging to Ash's shoulder for dear life.

Kenny glanced back and immediately regretted it. The witch was gaining on them, her tattered cloak billowing behind her. "Why is she so fast?! She's ancient!"

"I don't know, Kenny, but KEEP RUNNING!" Dawn yelled, clutching his arm like a lifeline.

The group burst out of the forest, gasping for air. Spotting Professor Oak's lab in the distance, Ash pointed and yelled, "THAT WAY!"

They barreled toward the lab, stumbling inside and slamming the door shut behind them. Everyone collapsed in a heap on the floor, panting heavily.

Gary finally caught his breath, glaring at Ash and Kenny. "I am never coming into the forest with you two again."

Misty, still clutching Ash's hand, muttered, "Next time, let's just send Wisty a postcard."

"Agreed," Dawn and Kenny said in unison.

Outside, the witch's eerie laughter faded into the distance, leaving the group to wonder if she'd truly given up—or if she was just biding her time.