"Red and I were totally fine coming here by ourselves, but I seem to recall someone just begging us to let him in on this, no?" Leaf teased, glancing at a flustered Blue, who had his arms crossed defensively.

"I did not beg!" Blue shot back, his face flushing.

Rosa giggled, and Lillie hid a smile behind her hand.

Me? I was trying not to pass out.

"W-wait... we..." I stammered, pointing between myself, Lillie, and Rosa, "have to beat you three?! Three teenagers who are four years older than me?!"

Blue gave a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh... surprise?"

I blinked. Then I looked at Red. His expression, as usual, was calm and unreadable.

Then I turned to Blue. Then Leaf. Then Pikachu, who tilted her head at me curiously.

Then I screamed.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

Everyone winced, slapping their hands over their ears.

"YOU CAN STOP SCREAMING NOW!" Rosa yelled, her voice barely cutting through my loud wail.

"NO, I CAN'T!" I yelled back, my voice echoing through the entire area. Even the Pokémon nearby looked alarmed.

Red groaned quietly, shaking his head, his Charizard mirroring his exasperation with a low rumble. Blue slapped his forehead. Leaf looked like she was trying hard not to laugh.

After five minutes of non-stop screaming, my voice gave out. My throat was sore, my head was spinning, and I finally stopped to catch my breath. I turned on my heel and stormed off without a word, hoping they'd notice I left. Spoiler alert: they didn't.

It wasn't until a solid thirty minutes later, when everyone's hearing had finally recovered, that anyone realized I was missing.

"Your sister is... loud," Lillie said with a nervous laugh, glancing at Red.

Red sighed and nodded, his eyes scanning the area. He always knew where I went, though. It was like he had some kind of sibling radar.

"Wait," Blue interrupted, looking around suddenly. "Where's Mia?"

Rosa blinked, her hands flying to her cheeks. "She's gone?!"

Leaf sighed. "Oh, great. Good job, everyone. You just had to let her work herself up into a meltdown."

"She's probably not far," Red muttered, finally speaking. His voice was quiet but firm, and it always startled people when he did talk. He adjusted his cap and started walking, heading toward the forest edge where I had run off. The others exchanged glances and hurried after him.

Meanwhile, I was sitting at the base of a tree, hugging my knees. Pikachu was in my lap, trying to cheer me up by nuzzling my cheek, but I couldn't stop feeling overwhelmed. How was I supposed to face them? Red, Leaf, and Blue were leagues above me in strength and skill. The thought of battling them made my chest tighten with anxiety.

"I can't do it, Pikachu," I whispered hoarsely, my voice raw from all the screaming. "They're too strong... I'm not like Red. I'll never be like Red."

Pikachu tilted her head, letting out a sympathetic, "Pika pi..." She pawed at my knee gently.

Before I could wallow in my doubts any longer, I heard familiar footsteps approaching. I looked up to see Red standing there, his expression soft but concerned. Behind him, Blue, Leaf, Rosa, and Lillie were trailing slightly behind, watching from a distance.

"Why'd you run off?" Red asked, crouching down to meet my gaze. His voice was calm and steady, but his eyes held a flicker of worry.

I looked away, hugging Pikachu tighter. "I... I don't want to battle you. I'm going to lose, and... and you'll think I'm pathetic."

Red's brow furrowed, and without a word, he sat down next to me. He pulled off his cap and set it on the ground beside him, something he rarely did. For a moment, there was only silence, the kind that Red was so good at. It wasn't uncomfortable, though-it felt... safe.

"You're not pathetic," he finally said, his voice low but firm.

I blinked, startled, and turned to look at him. "But-"

"No," he interrupted, his tone unwavering. "You're not. And you're not supposed to be me, Mia. You're supposed to be you."

Tears welled up in my eyes before I could stop them. "But I'm not good enough. I'll never be as strong as you-"

Red cut me off by scooping me up and settling me on his lap, just like he used to when I was little. His arms wrapped around me securely, and I buried my face in his jacket, overwhelmed by the warmth and familiarity.

"You don't have to be me," he murmured, his voice soft now. "You're strong in your own way. And I'm proud of you. Always."

I clung to him, my tears soaking into his jacket. "You're... proud of me?"

"Yeah," he said simply, resting his chin on top of my head. "You just don't see it yet."

Behind us, Blue whispered to Leaf, "Wow, he actually talks more when it comes to her, huh?"

Leaf smiled. "Told you he loves his little sister more than he admits."

As Red carried me back to the others, holding me as if I were still that little two-year-old he used to comfort all those years ago, I couldn't help but feel a spark of hope. Maybe... just maybe, I could face this challenge after all.