Lance looked at the green bottle in his hand, then at me. His face was a mixture of frustration and genuine concern. "Mia, Modafinil is a prescription drug used to treat sleep disorders. It’s not something you can just take to stay awake for battles!"

I blinked innocently. "But… I wasn’t feeling sleepy! So it worked, right?"

Gary, meanwhile, had his hands buried in his hair as he paced in the next room. "SHE’S BEEN TAKING SLEEP MEDS LIKE THEY’RE CANDY!" he yelled. "DOES NO ONE ELSE SEE A PROBLEM WITH THIS?!"

"Gary, calm down," Lorelei said, though her voice was shaky.

"Calm down?! Calm down?! She could’ve seriously hurt herself!"

"Gary, stop shouting!" I snapped, finally losing my patience. "You’re acting like I ate poison or something."

Oak sighed deeply, wiping his brow with a handkerchief. "Mia, my dear, you have no idea how dangerous this is. Taking medications without a doctor’s supervision is incredibly risky."

I crossed my arms defensively. "Well, how was I supposed to survive the stress of battling the Elite Four, huh? It’s not like any of you gave me advice or anything!"

Greta raised an eyebrow. "Dear, I’m pretty sure we told whoever watched the news multiple times to rest and pace yourself."

Lance stopped pacing and knelt beside me, looking me directly in the eye. "Mia, listen to me. Mixing medications—especially ones you don’t understand—can lead to serious side effects. Headaches, heart problems, even worse. Did you feel anything strange these past two weeks?"

I hesitated. "Um… I might’ve felt a little jittery. And, okay, I couldn’t really sit still. Oh, and there was that one time my vision got kinda blurry, but it went away!"

Bruno groaned, rubbing his temples. "Mia, those are side effects. And what else are you taking?"

I shrugged, opening my bag. "I don’t know, a few things? I just wanted to be prepared for anything."

As I started pulling out bottles, everyone’s faces grew more and more horrified. There was a mix of energy supplements, over-the-counter painkillers, some weird herbal remedies, and… a bottle that wasn’t even labeled.

Lorelei picked up the unlabeled bottle, squinting at it. "Mia, what is this?"

I shrugged. "I don’t know. I found it in Celadon City. The guy said it was for ‘mental clarity.’"

Gary practically exploded. "YOU BOUGHT DRUGS FROM SOME RANDOM GUY?!"

"Well, yeah," I said defensively. "He seemed nice!"

At that, Lance, Lorelei, Greta, and Bruno all started whispering in hushed tones. Oak, meanwhile, was fanning himself furiously as if the situation was too much for him.

I sat cross-legged on the floor, staring at them. "Why is everyone freaking out? I’m fine! I won all my battles, didn’t I?"

Gary stomped back into the room, pointing a finger at me. "Mia, this isn’t about winning! It’s about your health! You could’ve gotten seriously hurt—or worse!"

I rolled my eyes. "You’re so dramatic, Gary."

"Dramatic?!" he shouted, throwing his hands in the air. "You’re sitting there like this isn’t a big deal while we’re trying to keep you from ending up in a hospital!"

Greta knelt beside me, her usual calm demeanor shaken. "Mia, you’re young. Your body can’t handle this kind of strain. We’re not just worried about the battles—you’re putting your life at risk."

Bruno nodded, crossing his arms. "And for what? To prove something? You’ve already shown you’re strong, Mia. You don’t need to push yourself this hard."

For the first time, their concern started to sink in. I glanced around at their worried faces—Lance pacing, Lorelei clutching the unlabeled bottle, Oak looking like he might faint, and Gary glaring at me like I’d broken his heart.

I bit my lip, suddenly feeling guilty. "I… I just wanted to do my best," I muttered. "I didn’t want to let anyone down."

Lance stopped pacing and crouched in front of me, placing a firm hand on my shoulder. "Mia, no one here expects perfection. We care about you. And that means your health comes first—always."

Lorelei nodded. "And if you’re ever feeling overwhelmed, you can talk to us. We’re here to help, not judge."

I blinked at her, surprised. "You mean… you’re not mad?"

"Mad? No," Lance said softly. "Worried? Absolutely."

Gary, however, crossed his arms, still fuming. "I’m mad," he grumbled.

"Gary," Lorelei scolded gently, but he just huffed.

I managed a small smile. "Okay, okay. I promise I’ll stop taking random pills. Happy now?"

"Not until we get you checked out," Oak said firmly, motioning to Pikachu. "And we’ll be disposing of all these medications immediately."

"Fine," I said with a dramatic sigh. "But seriously, you guys worry too much."

As they continued fussing over me, I couldn’t help but feel a little warm inside. I’d always thought the Elite Four were cold and distant, but now I realized they genuinely cared about me. And maybe—just maybe—that wasn’t such a bad thing.