Gary stared at me like I’d just declared I was going to battle a Snorlax bare-handed. "Mia," he said slowly, "do you even know what you’ve been taking?"

I shrugged. "I mean… not exactly. But they help me stay awake and stuff!"

Lance held up the green bottle, looking aghast. "Mia, this is Modafinil! It’s used for treating narcolepsy, not for staying up during stressful situations!"

I blinked. "Narco-what-now?"

Lorelei pinched the bridge of her nose. "It’s a sleep disorder, Mia. And this medication isn’t something you can just… take willy-nilly!"

Oak stepped forward, holding the bottle Pikachu had brought. "And what about these?" he asked, his voice unusually stern.

"Oh, those are just… um… some energy boosters I found," I mumbled, avoiding his gaze.

"Found where?" Gary asked, his tone sharp.

I hesitated. "A Pokémon Mart. They were on sale!"

Gary groaned, dragging his hand down his face. "Of course they were…"

Meanwhile, Bruno and Greta were pacing back and forth, exchanging worried glances.

"How did no one catch this earlier?" Bruno muttered.

Greta sighed. "Because she’s Mia. She hides things well."

I pouted. "Hey! That’s not fair! I wasn’t hiding anything. You guys just never asked!"

Lance looked like he was about to explode. "Mia, do you have any idea what could have happened if you kept taking all this stuff?!"

I crossed my arms defensively. "Uh, yeah. I’d stay awake and beat the Elite Four. Duh."

Lorelei crouched down to my level, her voice softer. "Mia, honey… these pills can hurt you. Mixing medications without knowing what they do is really dangerous. We’re not mad; we’re worried."

Her kind tone made me squirm uncomfortably. "But I’m fine! Look!" I spread my arms wide. "See? Perfectly healthy and ready to battle!"

Oak cleared his throat. "Mia, you might feel fine now, but these medications can have long-term effects. That’s why everyone is so concerned."

Gary, meanwhile, was pacing furiously. "Why didn’t you just… I don’t know, talk to someone?! Me, Ash, literally anyone!"

"Because you were all busy!" I shot back. "Ash was battling Team Rocket, you were off training, and I didn’t want to bother anyone!"

Gary stopped pacing and looked at me, his expression softer now. "Mia… you’re never a bother. You should’ve come to us."

I bit my lip, suddenly feeling guilty. "I just… I didn’t want to seem weak, okay? I wanted to prove I could do this on my own."

Lance sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Mia, no one expects you to do this alone. You have people who care about you—more than you realize."

Greta nodded. "And that includes us. Believe it or not, we’re not just here to battle trainers. We’re here to help."

I blinked. "You mean… you guys actually care about me?"

Bruno let out a dry chuckle. "Of course we do, kid. You’ve got spirit, even if you drive us all a little crazy sometimes."

Lorelei smiled gently. "You’re part of our world now, Mia. That makes you family."

I blinked rapidly, trying to process their words. For the first time, I realized they weren’t just tough trainers—they were people who genuinely cared about me.

"Okay," I said softly, looking at the pills in Lance’s hand. "I’ll stop taking them."

Oak placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "That’s a good start, my dear. And if you’re ever feeling overwhelmed, promise me you’ll talk to someone. Deal?"

I nodded, my voice barely above a whisper. "Deal."

Gary sighed, ruffling my hair. "You’re a handful, you know that?"

I grinned up at him, feeling lighter than I had in weeks. "Yeah, but you love me anyway."

He smirked. "Unfortunately, I do."

As the room filled with laughter, I realized something important: I wasn’t alone in this journey. No matter how tough things got, I had a team—no, a family—by my side.