Gary's eyes widened as I pulled out bottle after bottle of pills from my bag. Each one seemed to make the atmosphere in the room tenser. Lance and Lorelei exchanged worried glances, Bruno ran a hand through his hair, pacing the room, and Greta had her arms crossed, looking deeply concerned.

Oak’s face paled as he held up one of the bottles. "Mia, where did you even get this?"

I shrugged, confused by their reactions. "I dunno. I traded for it in Celadon City. Why?"

Gary groaned, covering his face with his hands. "Mia, do you even know what half of these are for?"

"Uh..." I paused, looking at the labels. "To help me stay awake, to calm down, to not calm down, to focus, to stop focusing, and this one’s for..." I squinted at the tiny print. "Oh, I guess this one was just candy. Oops."

"Oops?!" Gary exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. He spun on his heel and stormed into the next room, yelling something about needing to call someone.

Lance knelt down to my level, holding the bottle of Modafinil. His voice was calm but firm. "Mia, listen to me. This stuff isn’t safe for you to take like this. It’s meant for very specific conditions, and even then, only under a doctor’s supervision."

"But why?" I asked, genuinely puzzled. "It was helping me. I didn’t want to fall asleep before battling you guys!"

Lorelei sighed, kneeling next to Lance. Her tone was softer but just as concerned. "Mia, your body needs rest. These medications can hurt you if you take them incorrectly. You’re young; your body can only handle so much before it starts to shut down."

"Shut down?" I echoed, my voice small.

Greta stepped in, her expression stern but not unkind. "Yes, dear. These pills can cause serious harm. You’re lucky nothing worse has happened yet."

Bruno, who had been pacing, stopped abruptly and faced me. "Mia, why didn’t you tell anyone you were having trouble sleeping? We could’ve helped you."

I hesitated, looking down at the floor. "Because... because I didn’t want to bother anyone. You’re all so busy and important, and I thought I could handle it myself."

Oak placed a hand on my shoulder, his expression softening. "Mia, you’re not a bother. None of us think that. You’re important too, and your health matters to all of us."

At that moment, Gary came back into the room, still looking frustrated but a little calmer. "Mia, we’re taking you to a doctor. No arguments."

I blinked up at him. "But I feel fine!"

Gary crossed his arms. "Mia, you’ve been popping pills like candy. Trust me, you’re not fine."

"Wait, why do you care so much?" I blurted out, genuinely curious.

Gary froze, his face turning slightly pink. "Because..." He glanced at the others for help, but they just watched him expectantly. Finally, he sighed. "Because you’re my friend, okay? And I don’t want anything bad to happen to you."

I tilted my head, surprised. "Really?"

Gary rolled his eyes, but there was a hint of a smile on his face. "Yes, really. Now come on. Let’s get this sorted before you scare everyone even more."

As he gently took my arm to lead me out, I looked back at the Elite Four, who were all watching with worried but supportive expressions.

"Wait," I said, stopping in my tracks. "You guys actually care about me?"

Lance chuckled, folding his arms. "Of course, we do, Mia. You’re part of this crazy Pokémon world, and we look out for each other."

Lorelei nodded. "And you’re family now, whether you like it or not."

I felt my chest tighten, not with fear but with something warm and comforting. For the first time in a long while, I felt like I wasn’t alone.

"Okay," I said softly. "Let’s go."

And as Gary led me out of the room, Pikachu perched on my shoulder, I couldn’t help but smile a little. Maybe I didn’t have to handle everything by myself after all.