Lance’s eyes darted to the bottle in his hand, then to me, his usually composed expression cracking. "Mia, do you even know what Modafinil is? It's a medication meant for treating sleep disorders, not for staying awake for weeks on end!"

I blinked up at him. "But I have a sleep disorder. I haven’t been able to sleep because of… you know…" I gestured vaguely at the room. "… the whole Elite Four situation."

Gary groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You’re seriously going to give everyone here a heart attack, aren’t you?"

Lorelei knelt down beside me, her voice gentle. "Mia, sweetie, taking medication without knowing what it does can be very dangerous. Please, tell us what else you’ve been taking."

I shrugged and reached into my bag. "It’s nothing big. Just some… uh, supplements." I started pulling out bottles and packets one by one. "This one’s for energy, this one’s for focus, this one said it would help with stress, and—oh! This one has a picture of a lightning bolt, so I thought it would make me faster in battle."

Bruno froze mid-pace, his eyes wide. "Mia, how many of those have you been taking?"

I paused, tilting my head. "All of them? Like… every day?"

The room went silent for a moment. Then chaos erupted.

"WHAT?!" Gary shouted, throwing his hands in the air. "ARE YOU INSANE?!"

"Calm down, Gary," Lance tried to interject, though even he looked shaken. "Mia—how long has this been going on?"

"Two weeks," I said, entirely too casually. "I mean, I have been busy preparing to face all of you, so I needed to stay sharp."

Professor Oak, who had been fanning himself with his hat, finally spoke. "My dear girl, do you understand that combining medications like this can have very serious side effects? Fatigue, nausea, heart palpitations—"

"Oh, that explains the chest thing!" I chirped. "It’s been doing this weird thumping thing, but it’s fine now."

Lorelei looked like she might faint. "Mia, that is not fine!"

Gary stormed out of the room, muttering something about "getting help," while Lance and Bruno exchanged grim looks. Greta, meanwhile, was pacing so fast she looked like she might wear a hole in the floor.

"I don’t get what the big deal is," I said, genuinely confused. "You’re all acting like I’m dying or something."

Bruno stopped in his tracks and turned to me, his face serious. "Mia, you’re a kid. Your body can’t handle this kind of stress. You’re lucky you haven’t ended up in the hospital."

Greta nodded, her tone sharp but worried. "And honestly? I’m a little insulted. You really thought you couldn’t talk to us about this?"

I stared at them, wide-eyed. "Wait… you actually care?"

That made everyone freeze.

Lance let out a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Of course we care, Mia. You’re just a kid, and whether you realize it or not, you’ve been putting yourself through something even most adults would struggle with."

Lorelei smiled softly, reaching out to place a hand on my shoulder. "You’re strong, Mia. But strength doesn’t mean pushing yourself to the brink. It’s okay to ask for help."

Gary chose that moment to stomp back into the room, holding a glass of water and a small plate of crackers. "Here. Eat this. You look like you’re about to keel over."

I blinked at the plate, then at him. "Gary, I’m not a toddler."

"No, but you’re acting like one," he shot back, though there was a flicker of concern in his voice.

I sighed and took the crackers, nibbling on one as everyone else resumed their chaotic worrying. Lance was now flipping through a medical manual he had pulled from nowhere, Lorelei was whispering urgently to Oak, Bruno was pacing again, and Greta had her head in her hands.

Honestly, watching them all freak out was kind of funny. "You know, for the Elite Four, you guys are kind of dramatic."

That earned me a glare from Gary. "Says the girl who just screamed her way into the bushes."

I shrugged, munching on a cracker. "Touché."