Ash was sweeping up the last of the debris from the mess Dr. Eggman had left behind, muttering to himself. "First a mad scientist, now who knows what's next. Can't I just have one normal guest?" As if on cue, the shimmering door appeared again, and Ash groaned. "Here we go..."

The door opened, and in stepped a tall woman clad in red, a katana at her side, and a sharp, no-nonsense expression on her face. Her piercing red eyes scanned the room, landing on Ash with immediate disapproval.

"You're kidding me," she said flatly, crossing her arms.

Ash, slightly intimidated but trying to hold his ground, straightened up. "Uh… hi. Welcome to the show. You must be… Raven Branwen?"

She nodded curtly but didn't move further into the room. "I was told I'd be meeting someone who could actually help. Not… this." She gestured toward Ash dismissively.

Ash's eyebrow twitched. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Raven sighed. "You're just a child. How are you supposed to handle someone like me?"

"Hey, I'm not just a child!" Ash shot back, placing his hands on his hips. "I've been through more adventures than you could imagine. And besides, I don't even want to do this. But I'm here, and you're here, so let's just… make it work, okay?"

Raven raised an eyebrow but eventually stepped forward, sitting down in the guest chair with an audible sigh. "Fine. But don't expect me to open up easily."

Ash sat down across from her, resting his chin on his hands. "Noted. So… what's on your mind?"

Raven looked away, her fingers drumming against the hilt of her katana. "This is a waste of time."

Ash leaned back, arms crossed. "Look, you don't have to be here. But since you are, why not give it a shot? Worst case, you leave and go back to… whatever it is you do."

Raven narrowed her eyes at him. "You don't even know who I am, do you?"

Ash shrugged. "Not really. Something about being a swordswoman and a bandit leader?"

Her lips curled into a smirk. "You've done your homework. Barely. I'm also the Spring Maiden."

Ash tilted his head. "Spring Maiden? What's that?"

Raven groaned, muttering under her breath. "This is pointless."

"Hey! You're the one who came here," Ash retorted. "If you didn't want help, why bother showing up?"

She hesitated, her smirk fading. For a moment, her confident façade cracked, and she looked… conflicted.

"I didn't ask to come here," she admitted. "But… if you must know, my issue is… my family."

Ash blinked. "Family? Okay, now we're getting somewhere. What about your family?"

Raven's gaze darkened. "They're weak. They don't understand the way the world works. I left them behind to protect them, but they'll never see it that way. My daughter—" She stopped abruptly, shaking her head. "Forget it."

Ash leaned forward. "No, don't stop. You were talking about your daughter. What's her name?"

Raven's grip on her katana tightened. "Yang. Her name is Yang Xiao Long. She's… strong, but she doesn't understand the choices I had to make. She hates me for leaving, but I did it for her own good."

Ash frowned, trying to process her words. "So, you left her to protect her, but now she resents you for it?"

Raven nodded silently.

"Have you… tried talking to her? Explaining why you made those choices?" Ash asked.

Raven scoffed. "She wouldn't listen. She's too much like her father. Stubborn, reckless, always charging into danger without thinking."

Ash scratched his head. "Sounds like someone else I know."

Raven shot him a glare. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Ash shrugged. "Just saying, maybe she gets that stubbornness from you. Ever think about that?"

Raven was silent, her expression unreadable.

"Look," Ash continued, "I don't know your full story, but if you care about her, you owe it to her to try. Even if she doesn't understand right away, at least she'll know you're trying to be there for her now."

Raven looked away, her lips pressed into a thin line. "You make it sound so simple."

"It's not," Ash admitted. "But if you don't at least try, you'll never know. And trust me, not trying is way worse."

Raven stared at him for a long moment before standing up. "You're more insightful than I expected… for a child."

Ash smirked. "I'll take that as a compliment."

The shimmering door reappeared, signaling the end of their session. Raven glanced at it, then back at Ash.

"I doubt this will fix anything," she said. "But… I'll think about it."

"That's all I'm asking," Ash replied with a grin.

With a nod, Raven stepped through the door, leaving Ash alone once more.

He sighed, collapsing into his chair. "Man, being a therapist is exhausting." He was about to grab a drink when the door suddenly slammed open.

In stumbled a disheveled man with dark hair, piercing red eyes, and a long red cloak. His gait was unsteady, and the unmistakable stench of alcohol filled the room.

"Where is she?" the man slurred, his words blending into each other.

Ash blinked, setting down his water bottle. "Uh… excuse me? Who are you?"

The man straightened—or tried to—and pointed a finger at Ash. "I'm Crow… no, wait, Qrow Branwen. Heard my sister was here. Where is she?"

Ash groaned, rubbing his temples. "You're Raven's brother?"

Qrow nodded dramatically, nearly losing his balance. "That's right. And she owes me a lot of answers."

"She just left," Ash said, gesturing toward the still-repairing hole in the wall Eggman had made earlier. "Probably through some magical portal or whatever. I don't know where she went."

Qrow slumped into the nearest chair, rubbing his face. "Figures. She always does this. Shows up, stirs the pot, and vanishes."

Ash sighed, muttering under his breath, "Grown-ups are just little kids in disguise."

"What was that, kid?" Qrow asked, squinting at him.

"Nothing," Ash replied quickly. "So… why are you chasing after her? Family reunion?"

Qrow let out a bitter laugh. "Reunion? Yeah, right. More like I'm trying to clean up the mess she always leaves behind. She's so wrapped up in her own 'noble' crap, she doesn't see the damage she does to everyone else."

Ash leaned forward, resting his chin on his hands. "Sounds like you've got a lot on your mind, too."

Qrow raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you're supposed to be some kind of therapist."

Ash crossed his arms. "I am, actually. Well… sort of."

"Figures," Qrow muttered, slumping further into the chair. "Alright, kid. Lay it on me. What wisdom do you have for a washed-up drunk like me?"

Ash hesitated. "Uh… okay. Well, for starters, maybe cut back on the drinking? It's not exactly helping your situation."

Qrow smirked, swirling the flask he'd pulled from his cloak. "Bold advice from someone who looks like they just graduated middle school."

Ash frowned. "Hey, I may be young, but I've helped a lot of people! And honestly, it sounds like you're carrying a lot of weight trying to fix things for your family. Maybe… you need to focus on yourself for a change."

Qrow blinked, his smirk fading slightly. "Focus on myself? Huh. Never thought about that."

"Yeah," Ash continued. "You can't take care of anyone else if you're falling apart. Maybe instead of chasing Raven, take some time to figure out what you need."

Qrow stared at him for a long moment before chuckling. "You're not bad, kid. A little green, but you've got some sense."

The shimmering door reappeared, catching Qrow's attention.

"Guess that's my cue," he said, standing up. He gave Ash a lopsided grin. "Thanks for the chat, squirt. I'll… think about what you said."

As Qrow staggered through the door, Ash slumped back in his chair, exhausted.

"I swear," he muttered, "if the next guest is related to Raven too, I'm locking the door." Ash had just leaned back in his chair, finally feeling a moment of peace after dealing with Qrow. He had closed his eyes, savoring the silence, when suddenly—

SLAM!

The door burst open with dramatic flair, revealing a tall, blonde woman with a confident grin plastered on her face.

"Yo! So, this is where the famous Ash-Sensei hangs out, huh?" she announced, striding in like she owned the place.

Ash froze mid-sip of his water. His eyes slowly drifted toward the door, locking onto the newcomer.

Her grin widened when she caught his gaze. "Aww, you're even cuter than I imagined!"

Ash turned bright red, almost choking on his drink. His survival instincts kicked in immediately. Without a word, he bolted from his chair and darted behind the nearest pile of Pokémon plushies, crouching low like he'd just spotted a wild Ursaring.

Yang blinked, tilting her head. "Uh… is this a bad time or something?"

From behind the plushies, Ash called out, "Nope! Sorry, nobody's here! Come back later!"

Yang's grin returned as she crossed her arms. "Oh, come on! Don't be shy! I heard from Uncle Qrow you're pretty good at this whole 'helping people' thing. Figured I'd give it a shot."

Peeking over a Pikachu plushie, Ash muttered, "What, did he send you here just to mess with me?"

"Nah, I sent myself here," Yang said with a laugh, taking a seat in the guest chair. "He mentioned a 'kid therapist,' and I just had to see what that was about. Gotta say, you're adorable when you're flustered."

Ash groaned. "Why does everyone keep saying that?"