Lance held up the bottle of Modafinil, his face a mixture of disbelief and concern. "Mia, this is a prescription medication meant to treat sleep disorders. You can't just take this casually! It’s not candy!"

I blinked at him, confused. "I mean… it worked? I didn’t feel sleepy anymore."

Gary groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Mia, do you have any idea what kind of damage you could’ve done to yourself?!"

"Nope!" I said cheerfully, as if that would make things better.

Lorelei crouched down to my level, her voice gentle but firm. "Sweetheart, this is really serious. Taking medication like this without a doctor’s guidance can hurt you. What else have you been taking?"

I tilted my head, considering her question. "Oh, just some stuff to keep me awake and focused. You know, for battling the Elite Four."

The room collectively froze.

"Define 'some stuff,'" Lance said, narrowing his eyes.

"Um… hold on." I reached into my bag and began pulling out bottles one by one. "So, there’s this thing for staying alert, this one for calming down when I get too stressed, this one for headaches, this one for energy boosts, and, oh! This one’s supposed to make you feel super strong for battles—"

Gary snatched the bottle out of my hand. "Mia, this is pre-workout!"

"So?"

"It’s not meant for kids!"

By now, Bruno and Greta were pacing around the room, muttering under their breaths. Lance and Lorelei exchanged worried glances, while Professor Oak fanned himself with a folder.

Gary, meanwhile, stomped into the next room, yelling, "SHE’S BEEN USING PRE-WORKOUT AS A BATTLE STRATEGY! WHO EVEN LET THIS HAPPEN?!"

I blinked after him, confused. "Why is he so mad? I thought he’d be proud."

Lance pinched the bridge of his nose, his voice tight. "Mia, you’re not supposed to take random medications without knowing what they do to your body. This is extremely dangerous!"

"I don’t get it," I said honestly. "Why is everyone freaking out? I feel fine. And look—I won against Giovanni and Archer, didn’t I?"

Greta stopped pacing to look at me, her hands on her hips. "Mia, it’s not about winning. It’s about your health. What if something had gone wrong during the battle? What if you collapsed?"

I frowned, a little taken aback. "I… I didn’t think about that."

"Clearly," Bruno muttered, still pacing.

"Okay, okay," I said, holding up my hands. "I get it. I’ll stop taking the pills. You can all calm down now."

But instead of calming down, Lance stepped closer, his expression dead serious. "Mia, this isn’t something we can just brush off. We need to make sure you’re okay. Lorelei, can you call a doctor?"

"A doctor?!" I yelped, clutching my bag. "I’m fine! I don’t need a doctor!"

Lorelei raised an eyebrow. "Mia, you’ve been mixing medications with no idea how they interact. You absolutely need a check-up."

Professor Oak finally spoke up, his voice unusually sharp. "Mia, we’re not upset with you—we’re worried. You’re part of our world now, and that means we care about you. Please, let us help you."

I stared at them, completely bewildered. "You… you all actually care about me? But you’re the Elite Four! Aren’t you supposed to be all self-centered and focused on being the best?"

Greta crossed her arms, giving me a soft smile. "We might be tough trainers, but we’re also people, Mia. And we look out for our own."

I felt my face heat up. "Oh… well, uh… thanks, I guess."

Gary stormed back into the room, still fuming but now holding a glass of water. "Here. Drink this. And we’re confiscating the rest of those pills."

Reluctantly, I took the water and mumbled, "Fine. But you guys are making a huge deal out of nothing."

Lance raised an eyebrow. "Nothing? Mia, you were running on pre-workout and Modafinil while battling Giovanni. That’s not nothing."

I sighed, taking a sip of water. "Okay, okay. I get it. No more pills. Happy?"

They didn’t look happy—they looked relieved. And maybe a little annoyed.

Gary crossed his arms. "You’re lucky we care about you, Mia. Because if we didn’t, you’d be in so much trouble right now."

I couldn’t help but grin. "Aw, you care about me! That’s sweet."

Gary rolled his eyes. "Don’t push your luck."

As the room settled down, I realized something important: maybe it wasn’t so bad having people who genuinely cared about me. Even if they were a little overbearing.