" Heh. You would have been. But there's one more person you need to battle."

I blinked at Lance, confused." Oh? Who?"

The person stepped into the room, and I turned.

" PROFESSOR OAK?!" I shrieked.

" Hello, my gi-"

I turned to Lance. " I HAVE TO BEAT HIM?!"

" Well, actu-"

I didn't let him finish.

Because at that moment I screamed.

" AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHYYYH!" I screamed, running around Lance's dojo.

My screaming was so loud Oak and Lance and Lance's Dragonite had to cover their ears.

It was also so loud it summoned Greta, Bruce and Lorelei from their rooms.

" What happened?!" Bruno asked.

I grabbed Greta's shoulders. " YOU TOLD ME PROFESSOR OAK DIDN'T BATTLE ANYMORE!"

" he doesn't." Greta replied, confused.

" THEN WHY DO I HAVE TO BATTLE HIM?!"

Lorelei covered her mouth. " Dear, Professor Oak isn't the one you have to battle."

" BUT SIR LANCE SAID SO!"

Lance cleared his throat." you didn't let m-*

I didn't hear him

Because I had went back to screaming while flailing my arms and running in a circle.

The adults just stared.

Lorelei pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to stifle a giggle. "Mia, calm down! You're misunderstanding the situation."

Greta and Bruno exchanged looks, clearly baffled but amused by my chaotic energy.

"Why is she like this?" Bruno muttered under his breath.

"Because she’s Mia," Greta replied matter-of-factly.

Professor Oak, who had been standing calmly through the chaos, finally raised a hand. "Mia, my dear girl, if you would listen for a moment..."

I skidded to a halt, panting but still flailing my arms for dramatic effect. "WHAT?! WHAT COULD YOU POSSIBLY SAY TO MAKE THIS LESS HORRIFYING?!"

Lance stepped in, arms crossed but smirking. "If you had let me finish earlier, I was going to say that I was joking. Professor Oak is not the final opponent you have to battle."

I blinked at him, confused. "Wait, then who is?"

Oak smiled, adjusting his lab coat. "Not me, my dear. You’ll be battling… him."

Before I could process his words, a figure stepped into the room. My jaw dropped as I recognized the familiar face of… Gary.

"You’ve got to be kidding me," I whispered, frozen in place.

Gary grinned. " What, you scared of me?"

"YES," I said without hesitation. "YES, I AM."

Bruno burst out laughing. "She’s honest, I’ll give her that."

Gary raised an eyebrow. "Well, if you’re going to run around screaming like a banshee, this will be over faster than I thought."

I opened my mouth to reply, but then I felt weak.

" SIR LANCE?!" I screamed. " WHERE'S THE WINDOW?!"

Lance blinked. " Uh... Why-"

" JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION!!"

Lance pointed to it, and I didn't waste any time throwing the door open, tumbling out and....

Well, getting sick in the bushes.

" Is.. is she okay?" Lance asked

" Oh yeah she's fine." Oak replied, though even he looked unconvinced.

" Pika."

Everyone turned to see Pikachu holding a bottle.

Professor Oak took it from Pikachu and gasped.

" Mia?!"

I peeked from the window. " Yes?"

" Have you been eating sleeping pills?!"

I froze. " Uh.... Nooooo....."

Gary shot me a look. " Mia."

I sighed. " Fine. I couldn't sleep for two weeks so I... Well I ate pills. And see? I'm awake."

" But why were you eating pills?" Lorelei asked gently.

" The elite four. Why else?"

Greta blinked. " Dear,.you're gonna need to go into more detail than that."

I groaned. " Okay. Sir Lance, Lady Lorelei, Mrs. Witch and Mr. Workout, I'll go into detail."

Greta blinked. " Mrs. Witch?!"

Bruno looked equally confused. " Mr. Workout?!"

I yawned and kneeled to the ground, taking my bag off and opening it. I took a green bottle and opened it

But before I could spill the pills inside, Sir Lance saw the label and grabbed the bottle.

" How long have you been having this for?!" He exclaimed, really concerned.

I blinked. " Uh..... Two weeks. Why?"

" Why? Why?! Mia, this is Modafinil!"

I blinked. " What's that? And why is everyone looking at me like that?"

Lance, Oak, and Lorelei exchanged looks of disbelief, and even Pikachu gave me a worried stare.

"Modafinil," Lance began slowly, "is a powerful drug that's used to treat sleep disorders like narcolepsy. It keeps you awake, but it’s meant to be prescribed and monitored by a doctor. Not to be taken casually, especially for someone your age!"

I blinked. "So... I shouldn't have eaten it?"

"NO!" Lorelei exclaimed, rushing over to grab the bottle from Lance’s hand. "You can't just take medication like that, Mia. It’s dangerous."

I rubbed my eyes, starting to feel the weight of the situation. "But I couldn’t sleep, okay? And you know... the Elite Four... I just... I thought it would help."

Bruno stepped forward, his usual serious expression softening a little. "Mia, we get it. But you need to be careful. There’s always another way to solve your problems without resorting to... pills."

Greta nodded in agreement. "Sleep is important, but so is your health. If you’re having trouble sleeping, there are safer ways to handle it."

I let out a long, dramatic sigh. "I know, I know. I messed up. But honestly, I’m awake now, right?"

Gary crossed his arms, smirking. "You’re awake, alright. I can hear you from here. I think we’ve all heard you."

I shot him a glare. "Thanks, Gary."

Lance shook his head but managed a small smile. "I think we need to get you some proper rest and talk to someone who can actually help you. How about we leave the Modafinil out of it for now?"

I reluctantly nodded. "Okay, okay. No more pills. But I’m still fighting Gary, right?"

Everyone stared at me, and Gary raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you're up for it now, Mia? After all that screaming and running away?"

I stood up, dusting myself off. "I’ve got this. You’re not getting out of this one, Gary. Let’s do this."

Gary grinned. "I like your spirit. Alright, let’s make this battle happen."

Lance, Lorelei, and Bruno watched as we walked outside, ready for the battle. Pikachu jumped onto my shoulder, her tiny face determined. "Pika pi!"

"Don’t worry," I said, feeling more confident, "I’ll make sure to beat Gary, just like I did Giovanni."

And with that I followed Gary into the next room