The room was tense. Everyone, from Lance to Lorelei, Bruno, and Greta, looked like they were caught in a whirlwind of confusion, concern, and absolute panic. I, on the other hand, sat cross-legged on the floor, calmly nibbling on a chocolate bar.

Gary, meanwhile, was pacing furiously, muttering to himself like a Psyduck with a headache. "I cannot believe this! I can’t believe you’ve been taking all this stuff! Are you crazy, Mia?! You’re TEN!"

I blinked at him. "Uh, yeah? What’s your point?"

He threw his hands up. "My point is that you’re TEN! You’re not supposed to even know what half these things are!"

Lance, still holding the Modafinil bottle, was glaring at it like it had personally insulted him. "Mia," he said, his voice unnervingly calm, "do you understand how dangerous this stuff is?"

"Not really," I said with a shrug. "It just said it helps you stay awake. And look at me—awake as a Noctowl!" I spread my arms like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Lorelei was sitting nearby, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Lance, she’s ten. She probably didn’t know the risks."

"Exactly!" I chimed in. "I didn’t know it was bad! Why is everyone freaking out?"

Bruno, pacing back and forth, finally stopped and pointed at me. "Mia, this isn’t just about Modafinil. What else have you been taking?"

I tilted my head. "Oh, you mean like… the vitamins and stuff?"

Lance’s eyes narrowed. "Define ‘stuff.’"

Sighing, I reached into my bag and started pulling out bottles like it was a magic trick. "Let’s see… there’s this blue one. It says it’s for ‘energy.’ Oh, and this orange one—I think it’s for, uh, mental focus? And then there’s the pink one. Not sure what that does, but it tastes kinda minty."

The room went dead silent as I dumped half a pharmacy onto the floor.

Gary screamed into the next room, "SHE’S LOST HER MIND!"

Lorelei turned to Lance, whispering something I couldn’t hear. Bruno and Greta both started pacing again, looking more stressed by the second. Professor Oak, meanwhile, was fanning himself with a clipboard.

"Mia," Lance said, his voice dangerously low, "do you have any idea what you’ve been doing to yourself?"

I blinked up at him, completely unfazed. "Uh… taking care of myself? You guys told me to prepare for the Elite Four. So, I did!"

Greta stopped pacing and crouched down to my level. "Sweetie, you don’t need… all of this to prepare. You’re strong enough as you are. These things can hurt you if you don’t know what they’re for."

"But I feel fine!" I insisted. "You guys are acting like I’m about to explode or something."

Gary turned back, looking like his head might actually explode. "Mia, you’re not fine! This is serious!"

I shrugged again. "Well, you’re all overreacting. It’s not like I’m, I don’t know, dying or something."

Professor Oak finally stepped forward, his tone grave. "Mia, these medications can have long-term effects. They’re not meant for children—certainly not in the way you’re using them. You could hurt yourself."

I blinked. For the first time, their panic started to sink in. "Wait… really? Like… for real?"

"Yes, for real!" Lance barked, running a hand through his hair. "This isn’t a joke, Mia. We’re going to have to get this sorted out immediately."

Lorelei nodded, standing up. "Mia, we’re worried because we care about you. You don’t need any of this stuff to be strong. You’re already amazing without it."

"Wait…" I stared at them, dumbfounded. "You guys care about me? Like, actually care?"

Bruno sighed. "Of course, we care. You’re part of this, whether you like it or not."

I blinked at all of them, then glanced at Gary. He looked just as worried as the rest of them, and for once, his usual smugness was nowhere to be found.

"...Huh," I said finally, leaning back on my hands. "I thought you guys were all self-centered and only cared about battles."

Gary groaned. "Mia, you’re impossible."

"Well, thanks, I guess," I said, finally starting to feel a little guilty. "Sorry for, you know, making everyone freak out."

Lance crossed his arms. "You’re going to make it up to us by going to see a doctor and getting this sorted out. No arguments."

I groaned but nodded. "Fine, fine. But can we all agree on one thing?"

"What?" Lorelei asked cautiously.

I grinned. "The Elite Four are kinda crazy."

Gary facepalmed, and the others just sighed in unison. But as they all started gathering the medication bottles, I couldn’t help but feel a little warm inside. They actually cared.

Even if they were crazy.