Lance stared at the bottle in his hands, reading the label as if it would somehow change. "Modafinil is a prescription stimulant. It’s meant to treat narcolepsy or extreme sleep disorders—not to be taken casually!" His voice wavered between anger and worry.

I blinked at him, still not getting the big deal. "Okay, so it keeps me awake. What's the problem? I was tired!"

Lorelei knelt beside me, her usual composed demeanor cracking slightly. "Mia, how much of this have you been taking?"

I shrugged. "I dunno. A couple pills a day? Maybe more? It’s not like I was counting."

Gary, who had been unusually quiet, suddenly burst into action. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" he yelled, storming into the next room and slamming the door behind him. A muffled "SHE COULD HAVE DIED!" echoed from the other side.

I blinked, still confused. "Why is he so dramatic? I’m fine, aren’t I?"

Bruno, pacing the room like a caged Machamp, stopped and pointed at me. "Mia, fine is the last thing you are if you’ve been taking this stuff without knowing what it does."

Greta folded her arms, her stern expression softened only by the concern in her eyes. "Mia, you’re eight. Your body can’t handle medications like this—especially not in the quantities you’re describing."

Oak, still fanning himself, finally spoke. "My dear girl, do you even realize how dangerous this is? Your heart, your brain… They could have been permanently damaged!"

I blinked, still processing their words. "Wait, what? It’s just medicine. I thought medicine was supposed to help you."

Lance let out a deep sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Not if it’s misused. And certainly not if you’re combining it with…" He trailed off, glancing at the growing pile of bottles I had pulled from my bag.

Bruno picked up another bottle and read the label. "Mia, this is a muscle relaxant. Why are you taking this?"

I scratched my head. "I dunno. I found it in the Pokémon Center shop and thought it might help with the stress."

Lorelei gasped, picking up another bottle. "And this—this is a sedative! Mia, this isn’t just dangerous; it’s reckless!"

Greta knelt down in front of me, placing her hands on my shoulders. "Sweetheart, were you feeling so overwhelmed that you thought you needed all of this just to cope?"

I shrugged, trying to brush it off. "I mean… yeah, the Elite Four is a big deal. I didn’t want to mess it up. You guys are kind of legends, you know."

Lance crouched down to my level, his face uncharacteristically gentle. "Mia, you don’t need to risk your health to impress anyone. We care about you—about your well-being, not just your skills as a trainer."

I blinked, surprised. "Wait, you guys… care about me? Like, not just as a challenger?"

Bruno snorted. "What do you think we are, robots? Of course, we care. You’re just a kid, Mia."

Lorelei nodded. "And you’re a bright, talented kid. We don’t want to see you hurt—physically or emotionally."

Oak chimed in, his tone soft but firm. "You have so much potential, my dear. But none of that matters if you’re not taking care of yourself."

Gary, having finally calmed down, re-entered the room. His face was still red, but his voice was steady. "Mia, you scared the soul out of me. What were you thinking?"

I looked at him, genuinely confused. "I just didn’t want to disappoint anyone."

Gary groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Mia, you could never disappoint me. Or them. But you’ll disappoint yourself if you keep doing stuff like this."

I frowned, finally realizing how serious they all were. "I… I didn’t know it was that bad."

Lance put a hand on my shoulder. "It’s not too late to fix this, Mia. But you have to promise us—no more self-medicating. No more hiding when you’re struggling. Deal?"

I nodded slowly. "Deal."

As they all relaxed slightly, I couldn’t help but feel a strange warmth in my chest. I’d thought the Elite Four were just tough, battle-hardened trainers. I hadn’t realized they were people who genuinely cared about me.

"Pika," my Pikachu said softly, nuzzling against me.

I smiled, stroking her fur. "I’ll do better. I promise."

And for the first time in weeks, I felt like I didn’t have to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders alone.