Lance held up the bottle of Modafinil, his face pale. "Mia, this isn't candy. This is serious medication. It's meant for people with specific conditions, not for staying awake to train for the Elite Four!"

Lorelei knelt next to me, her voice soft but firm. "Sweetheart, taking all this without knowing what it does could hurt you. What else have you been taking?"

I blinked, confused by their concern. "Uh… I mean… just some other stuff to help me stay awake and, you know, focused!"

Bruno stopped pacing and stared at me. "Define 'other stuff.'"

Sighing, I reached into my bag and began pulling out more bottles. One by one, I set them on the ground. Greta's jaw dropped as the pile grew: caffeine tablets, herbal energy boosters, even a bottle labeled "Silver Strength Plus."

Gary, who had been quiet up until now, finally lost it. He grabbed one of the bottles and held it up. "Mia, this is calcium supplements for seniors! Why are you taking this?!"

I shrugged. "I thought it might make my bones stronger?"

Gary stared at me, completely dumbfounded. "Your bones are fine! You're not an old lady!"

Bruno snorted, but quickly tried to cover it with a cough. Lance, however, was pacing now, muttering under his breath.

Professor Oak took the pills from Gary’s hands and frowned deeply. "Mia… This isn’t a joke. These medications are meant for people with specific needs. Taking them without guidance is dangerous!"

I tilted my head. "Dangerous how? I feel fine!"

Lorelei pinched the bridge of her nose while Lance groaned. "Mia," Lance said, "you might feel fine now, but these medications could have long-term effects. What if they interact badly with each other? What if they cause serious side effects?"

Gary was still fuming. "And what if they don’t work the way you think they do?!" He pointed toward the window. "You just got sick in the bushes! Doesn’t that tell you something?"

I scratched my head, still not entirely understanding the fuss. "Uh… maybe I shouldn’t have eaten the expired energy gummies earlier?"

The room went silent.

"Expired?!" Greta exclaimed, horrified.

"How long expired?" Bruno asked, leaning forward with genuine concern.

I waved my hand dismissively. "Only like… a year or two."

Gary grabbed the nearest chair and let out a frustrated scream into his hands. "You’re impossible, Mia! I can’t believe this!"

Meanwhile, Oak was fanning himself with a folder, clearly overwhelmed. "Lance, we need to do something. This is beyond reckless."

Lance nodded. "Agreed. Mia, hand over the rest of the pills. All of them."

I frowned. "Why? They’re mine!"

Greta crossed her arms. "Because we care about you, Mia. We don’t want to see you hurt yourself."

I blinked at her, confused. "Since when do the Elite Four care about some random trainer?"

Bruno raised an eyebrow. "Since you decided to charge headfirst into danger and show more heart than half the trainers we meet. You’re not just some random trainer to us."

I was about to argue when Gary snatched another bottle from my hand. "And this!" he yelled, holding it up. "This is a joint supplement for people with arthritis! Why in the world do you have this?!"

I rolled my eyes. "Chill, Gary. Since when do you lose your cool?"

Gary glared at me, his frustration boiling over. "Since I realized my girlfriend has been taking random pills like they’re candy and doesn’t seem to care!"

Everyone went quiet at his outburst.

Lorelei smirked. "Well, that’s new."

Bruno nodded. "Didn’t know he had it in him."

Gary turned bright red. "That’s not the point!"

Oak clapped his hands for attention. "Enough! Mia, you’re coming with me. We’re going to get you checked out by Nurse Joy and make sure none of this nonsense has caused any damage."

I groaned but didn’t argue. "Fine. But can someone tell Gary to chill? Seriously, it’s not that big a deal."

As they led me out of the room, Gary muttered under his breath, "Not a big deal, she says. Unbelievable."

And for the first time, I realized that maybe—just maybe—everyone cared a little more than I thought.