As I sat cross-legged on the floor, I watched the chaos unfold around me with mild curiosity. The room had erupted into a storm of concerned whispers, pacing, and the occasional shout.

Gary was in the next room, yelling into what sounded like a communicator. “Yes, she’s TEN! Do you hear me? T-E-N! And she’s been taking... I don’t even know what half this stuff is!”

In front of me, Lance and Lorelei huddled together, whispering furiously. Occasionally, one of them would glance my way, their faces etched with worry. Bruno and Greta paced back and forth, muttering to themselves about how they hadn’t noticed sooner.

Professor Oak sat in a chair, fanning himself with a clipboard, looking as pale as a Cubone’s skull. “Oh dear, oh dear,” he murmured. “This is far worse than I thought.”

I popped a chocolate from my pocket into my mouth, completely unbothered. “You guys are acting like I did something wrong,” I said nonchalantly, licking the melted chocolate off my fingers. “It’s not like I was eating Arbok venom or anything.”

Lorelei stopped whispering and turned to me, her expression equal parts exasperated and worried. “Mia, do you even know what Modafinil is?”

I shrugged. “Nope. But it kept me awake for two weeks, so it must be good, right?”

Lance groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Mia, it’s not candy. It’s a stimulant meant for serious medical conditions. Taking it like this could have—no, will have serious side effects!”

“Side effects?” I asked, tilting my head. “Like what?”

Gary stormed back into the room, his face red with anger. “Like headaches, nausea, hallucinations—oh, and let’s not forget heart problems! Do you even think about what you’re doing, Mia?!”

“Geez, Gary, chill,” I replied, reaching into my bag. “You’re acting like I’m some kind of walking hazard.”

I pulled out a handful of bottles and dumped them onto the floor. The labels rolled over to reveal a rainbow of medication. Everyone froze.

Lorelei picked up one of the bottles, her hands shaking. “Mia… where did you even get these?”

I shrugged. “Some from the PokéMart, some from Nurse Joy—”

“NURSE JOY?!” Lance and Lorelei exclaimed in unison.

“Well, yeah,” I replied. “She’s nice. And she didn’t ask too many questions.”

Bruno grabbed a bottle and squinted at the label. “This is… this is a sedative for Rapidash! Mia, this could knock you out for days!”

“Cool,” I said, unbothered. “That explains why I slept through Gary’s ranting last week.”

“MIA!” Greta exclaimed, her voice sharp. “Do you understand how dangerous this is?”

“Nope,” I replied cheerfully. “But you guys sure are freaking out about it.”

Oak finally stood up, his face serious. “Mia, young lady, this is not a joke. Mixing these medications without knowing what they do is incredibly dangerous. You’re lucky to even be sitting here right now.”

Gary threw his hands in the air. “Why don’t you care, Mia? We’re all losing it here, and you’re just sitting there like it’s nothing!”

I blinked at him, then at the Elite Four, who all looked like they were about to faint. “Wait,” I said slowly. “You guys actually… care about me?”

The room went silent.

“Of course we care!” Lance finally said, his voice full of conviction. “You’re just a kid, Mia. You’re supposed to have fun, not risk your life on dangerous medications!”

Lorelei nodded. “We’re here to train and guide you, not watch you hurt yourself.”

Bruno crossed his arms. “You’re part of our family now, kid. That means we worry about you.”

Greta gave me a small smile. “Even if you do call me Mrs. Witch.”

For the first time, I felt a twinge of guilt. “Oh,” I said softly. “I didn’t know you guys cared that much. I just… I didn’t want to mess up, okay? I didn’t want to let anyone down.”

Gary knelt in front of me, his expression softer now. “Mia, you don’t have to do everything perfectly. You’re already amazing as you are. But you’ve got to stop scaring us like this.”

I looked down at the mess of bottles on the floor, then back at their worried faces. “Okay,” I said quietly. “No more pills. I promise.”

The room let out a collective sigh of relief.

“And no more calling me Mr. Workout,” Bruno added with a smirk.

“Or Mrs. Witch!” Greta chimed in.

“Fine,” I muttered, a small smile tugging at my lips.

As chaotic as it all was, it felt nice to know they had my back—even if they were a little crazy themselves.