Lance held the bottle up, staring at the label as if it had personally insulted him. "Mia, this is not something you should be taking! Modafinil is a medication meant for adults with sleep disorders. You're ten. Do you even know what this does?"

I blinked up at him, utterly confused. "Uh... keeps you awake?"

Lorelei sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of her nose. "It’s a stimulant, Mia. It’s not safe for children, especially not in the amounts you’ve probably been taking."

"Wait, amounts? How much have you been taking?" Bruno asked, crossing his arms.

I shrugged, reaching into my bag and pulling out another half-empty bottle. "Well, sometimes one doesn’t work, so I take two. Or three. Or..."

"THREE?!" Gary suddenly yelled, standing up so quickly his chair scraped across the floor. He stared at me like I’d just announced I was battling Mewtwo with a Caterpie. "MIA, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

I recoiled at his outburst, clutching the bottle protectively. "Hey! It’s not like I did it for fun! I just couldn’t sleep, and I needed to train!"

Professor Oak, who had been fanning himself with his clipboard, looked ready to faint. "Mia, training is important, yes, but not at the expense of your health. Do you have any idea what these medications could do to you?!"

I frowned. "Make me really awake so I can battle better?"

Lorelei groaned and exchanged a glance with Lance, who nodded gravely.

Gary was still fuming, pacing back and forth like a Growlithe chasing its tail. "She’s gonna keel over before she even gets to the finals. What were you thinking?!"

"I was thinking about winning!" I shot back, crossing my arms.

Lance, now crouched to meet my eye level, softened his tone. "Mia, no one’s questioning your dedication. But your health comes first. These pills—" he shook the bottle gently, "—can mess up your heart, your brain... everything. And that’s not even counting whatever else you’ve been taking."

"Whatever else?" Lorelei repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Mia, is there more?"

"Um..." I hesitated. "Define more?"

"Show us. Now," Bruno said, his voice firm but not unkind.

Reluctantly, I dug into my bag and began pulling out bottles, boxes, and packets. Some were vitamins, but others... not so much. By the time I was done, the desk was covered in medications I didn’t even fully understand.

The room fell silent.

Lorelei leaned over to read one of the labels and paled. "Mia, this is a sedative. Why do you have this?"

"Well, sometimes I need to calm down after training..."

"And this?" Bruno held up a blister pack.

"For when I get headaches from not sleeping."

Professor Oak looked like he might pass out. "Dear girl, this is a prescription-only medication. How did you even get these?!"

I shrugged. "The mart guy didn’t ask questions..."

Gary slapped his forehead. "Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable. Do you even know what half of this stuff does?!"

"Not really," I admitted.

Gary let out a frustrated groan and stormed into the next room, yelling incoherently.

Lance sighed, rubbing his temples. "Mia, do you understand why this is serious? Why we’re all worried?"

I blinked at him, still confused. "Honestly? No. I’m fine. I’m awake, I’m battling, and I’m doing great. What’s the big deal?"

Greta, who had been pacing nervously, stopped and knelt beside me. Her usually stern face was soft with concern. "Mia, the big deal is that you’re a ten-year-old kid putting yourself through more stress than most adults handle. These medications could hurt you—really hurt you—and we don’t want that to happen. We care about you."

I blinked, surprised. "You... care about me?"

"Of course we do," Lorelei said gently. "You’re talented and determined, but you’re still a child. It’s our job to make sure you’re safe."

I looked at the adults, their expressions a mix of worry and care, and then at Gary, who was still muttering angrily in the other room.

"Okay," I said softly. "I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was that serious."

Professor Oak placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "It’s alright, my dear. We’re here to help you. But no more of these pills, alright?"

I nodded. "Alright."

Lorelei smiled. "Good. Now, how about we get you some proper rest before your next battle? No pills, just good old-fashioned sleep."

I yawned, suddenly realizing how exhausted I was. "Yeah... that sounds nice."

Gary poked his head back into the room, looking slightly less furious but still stern. "And no more scaring me like that, got it?"

I grinned sheepishly. "Got it."

As the adults began clearing the medications off the desk, I couldn’t help but feel a little lighter. Maybe they weren’t so bad after all.