Professor Oak took a deep breath, fanning himself with his clipboard as if the room had suddenly gotten too warm. "Mia," he said, voice trembling slightly, "do you have any idea what you've been doing to yourself?"

I blinked up at him from where I sat on the floor. "Uh… taking medicine so I wouldn’t feel tired? Isn’t that what it’s for?"

Gary threw his hands in the air and stomped into the next room. "She’s insane! Insane! Someone get her some real help!" His voice echoed as he disappeared behind the door.

"Gary, I’m fine!" I called after him. "Jeez, why are you freaking out?!"

Lorelei knelt beside me, her face full of concern. "Mia, sweetheart, the medicine you’ve been taking—" She gestured to the bottles scattered around me. "—it’s not meant for kids, and definitely not in the amounts you’ve been taking. It’s dangerous!"

I tilted my head, confused. "But it kept me awake, didn’t it? And I needed to stay awake to train for the Elite Four!"

Bruno was pacing back and forth, his heavy footsteps making the floorboards creak. "This is bad, Lance. Really bad. She’s been taking Modafinil—an adult medication! And who knows what else is in that bag!"

Lance, still holding the bottle he’d snatched from me, pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily. "Mia, why didn’t you tell anyone you were struggling with sleep? We could’ve helped you in a safer way."

I shrugged, completely unbothered by the chaos around me. "Didn’t seem like a big deal. Plus, everyone’s always talking about how hard the Elite Four is. I figured I needed every advantage I could get."

"Not like this, kid!" Greta snapped, looking more flustered than I’d ever seen her. "Mrs. Witch, huh? I’ll show you a witch if you keep scaring us like this!"

"Greta, calm down," Lorelei said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I am calm!" Greta snapped, though her voice betrayed her.

Meanwhile, Professor Oak began rummaging through my bag, pulling out more bottles of pills. He paled as he read the labels. "Caffeine supplements, energy shots, muscle relaxers—Mia, what in Arceus’ name were you thinking?!"

"I was thinking I wanted to beat you guys!" I said, throwing my hands up. "Why is everyone acting like I’m dying or something?!"

"Mia," Lance said sternly, kneeling in front of me. His Dragonite hovered behind him, looking equally serious. "You’re ten. Your body isn’t built to handle this kind of stress, let alone all these medications. You could’ve seriously hurt yourself—or worse!"

I blinked at him, utterly unphased. "But I didn’t."

Gary stormed back into the room, pointing a finger at me. "That’s not the point! You’re so reckless! Do you even care about yourself?!"

I frowned at him, my calm demeanor finally cracking a little. "Of course, I care about myself! I just thought this was what it took to be a good Trainer!"

Lorelei sighed, shaking her head. "Mia, being a good Trainer doesn’t mean destroying your health. It means taking care of yourself so you can take care of your Pokémon."

"Pika!" my Pikachu agreed, hopping onto my shoulder and nudging my cheek.

I looked around at all their worried faces—Lance, Lorelei, Bruno, Greta, Professor Oak, even Gary. It was… weird. I’d always thought of the Elite Four as these untouchable, self-centered legends, but here they were, acting like they genuinely cared about me.

"You guys are really this worried about me?" I asked softly, feeling a strange warmth in my chest.

"Of course we are," Lance said, his expression softening. "We may be the Elite Four, but we’re also Trainers who care about the future of our world. That includes you, Mia."

Bruno nodded. "You’ve got potential, kid. Don’t throw it away on shortcuts like this."

Greta crossed her arms, trying to look stern but failing miserably. "You scared the crap out of us, you know. Don’t do it again."

Gary sighed, rubbing his temples. "You’re lucky you’ve got people looking out for you, Mia. Don’t take it for granted."

I looked down at my Pikachu, who nuzzled me reassuringly. "Okay," I said quietly. "No more pills. I promise."

The room seemed to collectively exhale in relief.

"Good," Lance said, ruffling my hair. "Now, let’s get you some real rest before your next battle. And no more surprises, okay?"

I grinned up at him. "No promises."