Lance stared at the green bottle in his hand, still looking as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “Mia, this is Modafinil. It’s a wakefulness medication meant for people with serious sleep disorders. How did you even get this?”

I blinked, looking up from my bag of various medications. “I… found it?”

Gary’s eyes widened as he leaned forward. “You found it?! Where?!”

“Uh… in an abandoned building?” I said sheepishly, scratching the back of my head.

Lorelei facepalmed, groaning. “Mia, do you realize how dangerous that is? You shouldn’t be taking medication without a prescription, let alone something this strong!”

I tilted my head. “Why not? I mean, it’s working. I’m not asleep, am I?”

Gary suddenly stood up and marched into the next room, shouting, “THIS IS WHY SHE NEEDS A FULL-TIME BABYSITTER!”

Bruno paced back and forth, muttering under his breath. Greta looked ready to faint. Professor Oak was fanning himself with a notebook, looking utterly scandalized.

Meanwhile, Pikachu climbed onto the table and stared at me disapprovingly. “Pika pika…”

“Et tu, Pikachu?” I muttered.

Lance held up the bottle again, shaking it slightly. “This stuff isn’t meant for prolonged use, especially not by someone your age. It can cause serious side effects—headaches, dizziness, increased heart rate. Do you feel okay?”

I shrugged. “I feel fine. Well, except for the occasional jitteriness and, uh, slight hallucinations. Oh, and my heart might be beating a little faster than normal, but that’s probably because I’m excited, right?”

Greta looked horrified. “Mia! That’s not normal! What other medications have you been taking?”

“Um…” I dug into my bag and pulled out several more bottles. “Well, there’s this one for ‘calm nerves,’ this one for ‘enhanced focus,’ and this one… uh, I don’t remember what this one does, but it tastes like strawberries.”

Gary stormed back into the room just as I held up the last bottle. He snatched it out of my hand, read the label, and shouted, “THIS IS FOR JOINT PAIN! IT’S LITERALLY FOR OLD PEOPLE!”

I blinked at him, confused. “Sheesh, chill, Gary. Since when have you ever lost your cool?”

He stared at me, his eye twitching. “SINCE YOU STARTED EATING PILLS LIKE THEY’RE CANDY!”

Lorelei stepped forward, taking the bottles from me and setting them aside. “Mia, you can’t keep doing this. We care about you, and we’re worried. Self-medicating like this is extremely dangerous.”

I looked around at their serious faces, feeling a bit overwhelmed. “Wait… you all actually care about me? I thought the Elite Four were supposed to be all serious and self-centered.”

Bruno stopped pacing and crossed his arms. “We’re not self-centered, Mia. We’re concerned because you’re risking your health. This isn’t something to take lightly.”

Oak nodded, finally catching his breath. “Mia, you’re a bright young trainer with so much potential. Please, promise us you won’t take any more of these without proper guidance.”

I frowned, feeling a pang of guilt. “Okay, okay, I promise. No more pills without asking someone first. But seriously, you guys are acting like I’m dying or something.”

Gary glared at me, his voice uncharacteristically sharp. “You could have been! Do you even realize how lucky you are that nothing worse happened?!”

I blinked at him, surprised by his intensity. “Gary… are you okay? You’re kinda… freaking me out right now.”

He ran a hand through his hair, muttering under his breath before sighing. “I just… I don’t want anything to happen to you, alright? You’re important to a lot of people. Don’t forget that.”

For a moment, the room was silent. Even Pikachu stopped scolding me.

I smiled a little, feeling a warmth in my chest. “Thanks, Gary. I’ll be more careful. Promise.”

Lorelei patted my shoulder gently. “Good. Now, let’s get you something proper to eat and drink to flush all this out of your system.”

As they ushered me toward the kitchen, I couldn’t help but glance back at Gary. He was still grumbling under his breath, but there was a softness in his expression that made me realize just how much he cared. Maybe the Elite Four weren’t so bad after all.