Ash was mid-stack, rearranging his Pokémon plushies into a neat pyramid, when the strange distorted voice filled the room again.

"Next guest: Gwen Tennyson."

The plush Pikachu in Ash's hand nearly toppled from his grip. "Gwen Tennyson? Who's that?" he muttered to himself. He placed Pikachu back in its spot, dusted off his hands, and turned to face the shimmering door.

As it opened, a teenage girl stepped through, her fiery red hair tied back in a sleek ponytail. She wore a stylish blue jacket over a white shirt and jeans, her piercing green eyes scanning the room. She stopped short when her gaze landed on Ash.

"…Are you serious?" she blurted, crossing her arms. "You're the therapist? You look like you're twelve!"

Ash's face turned bright red as he scrambled for an explanation. "Hey! It's… a long story. Just… take a seat!"

Gwen hesitated, her skeptical eyes darting between Ash and the whimsical set. "This is some kind of joke, right? Like, you're not actually licensed or anything, are you? I mean, is this even legal?"

Ash sighed, slumping back into his chair. "I don't know! I didn't sign up for this, okay? One minute I'm the Monarch of my world, and the next, I'm hosting some weird therapy show. Just go along with it, please."

Gwen raised an eyebrow, still unconvinced, but eventually sighed and sat in the guest chair. "Fine. Whatever. But if this turns out to be some big scam, I'm calling my cousin and letting him deal with it."

Ash gulped, not entirely sure what that meant, but decided not to push his luck. "Okay, uh, what's on your mind? What's stressing you out?"

Gwen leaned back, exhaling sharply. "It's my cousin, Ben. He drives me insane. We're supposed to be saving the world, but half the time, he's goofing off or doing something reckless with the Omnitrix."

Ash tilted his head. "The… Omni-what?"

"The Omnitrix," Gwen said, holding up her wrist as if it were self-explanatory. "It's this alien watch thing he found. It lets him transform into different aliens. Super useful when he's actually focused, but most of the time, he's just an overgrown kid playing superhero."

Ash blinked, trying to process what he just heard. "Wait, wait, wait. So… your cousin has a magical alien watch that turns him into other aliens, and you're… saving the world together? How does that even work?"

Gwen groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "It's a long story. The short version? We're kind of a superhero team, along with my grandpa, Max. Ben's the one with the watch, I have magic and advanced alien tech, and Grandpa Max is, well… an ex-plumber."

Ash stared at her, his brain desperately trying to connect the dots. "An ex-plumber? Like, fixing pipes?"

"No, like… intergalactic peacekeeper," Gwen clarified, waving her hand dismissively. "Anyway, Ben constantly gets on my nerves. He's impulsive, immature, and somehow still manages to save the day, but not without making my life a hundred times harder in the process."

Ash leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. "Okay, I think I get it. He's a handful, but he's also your teammate and… family. So, what do you want to do about it?"

Gwen hesitated, her frustration flickering into something softer. "I don't know. I mean, he's my cousin, and I care about him, but I wish he'd take things more seriously sometimes. It's exhausting being the one who has to keep him in check."

Ash nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, I get that. It's tough when you're always the responsible one, and someone else gets to be the wildcard. But maybe that's why you two make a good team. You balance each other out."

Gwen blinked, caught off guard by the insight. "I guess… I never thought of it like that."

"And honestly," Ash continued, "it sounds like Ben's trying in his own way. Maybe he just needs a little push to see how important his role is to you and everyone else."

Gwen frowned, mulling over Ash's words. "So… you're saying I should talk to him? Like, actually tell him how I feel?"

"Yeah!" Ash said, smiling. "Sometimes people don't realize how their actions affect others until you tell them. And who knows? Maybe he'll surprise you."

Gwen smirked, leaning back in her chair. "You're pretty sharp for a kid, you know that?"

Ash blushed, scratching the back of his head. "U-uh, thanks, I guess."

The glowing door shimmered again, signaling the end of their session. Gwen stood, stretching and offering Ash a small smile.

"Thanks, Ash. I'll… think about what you said," she admitted, her tone softer than before.

"Anytime, Gwen," Ash replied, waving. "Good luck with Ben and the whole alien thing!"

With a final nod, Gwen stepped through the door and vanished, leaving Ash alone once more.

He leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. "Aliens and magic… What's next? A vampire with relationship issues?"

The Pikachu plush tipped over again, as if agreeing with his absurd prediction.