The room was a whirlwind of noise and movement as everyone suddenly sprang into action. I sat cross-legged on the floor, calmly munching on a candy bar I found in my bag, watching the chaos unfold with mild curiosity.

"MIA, WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU BEEN TAKING?!" Gary practically shrieked, clutching his head like he was about to implode.

"Um..." I tilted my head, reaching back into my bag and pulling out a small box. "There’s this one... and this one... and oh! These are my favorites because they taste like mint!"

Gary stared in horror as I laid out a veritable pharmacy in front of me.

Lance’s eyes widened, and he quickly grabbed one of the bottles. "This... this is caffeine concentrate! How are you even standing?!"

Lorelei snatched another bottle. "And this is a prescription anti-anxiety medication—Mia, you shouldn’t have access to these!"

Bruno was pacing back and forth like a Tauros on a rampage. "How did a ten-year-old even get all of this?!"

Greta, clearly trying to stay calm, crouched next to me. "Sweetheart, why didn’t you tell anyone you were feeling this stressed out?"

I blinked at her, genuinely confused. "Tell you? I thought you all didn’t care. You’re the Elite Four. Aren’t you supposed to be, like, super self-absorbed and busy being champions?"

Lorelei placed a hand over her heart like I’d just stabbed her. "Mia! We’re not heartless!"

"Could’ve fooled me," I muttered under my breath, but they heard it loud and clear.

"WHAT DID SHE JUST SAY?!" Gary yelled, pointing at me dramatically.

Professor Oak, meanwhile, had taken a seat, fanning himself with a notebook. "This child... this child has been living on a cocktail of over-the-counter medications and sheer willpower..."

"She’s like a Jigglypuff with caffeine!" Lance muttered, exasperated.

"I told you all the Elite Four would be bad for my health," I added smugly, popping another candy in my mouth. "I’m practically a case study now."

Gary stormed into the next room, screaming incoherently about "irresponsible adults" and "why am I the only sane person here?!"

Meanwhile, Greta, Bruno, Lorelei, and Lance had formed a sort of circle around me, whispering urgently to each other. I caught snippets like "doctor" and "detox" and "how do we fix this?"

Bruno finally turned to me, crossing his arms. "Mia, you can’t just self-medicate like this. It’s dangerous."

"But I’m fine," I replied, shrugging. "I’m not dead, am I?"

"YET!" Lance snapped, clearly losing his patience.

At that moment, Oak stood up, his voice unusually firm. "Mia, my dear, you are underestimating how serious this is. These substances can harm your body, especially at your age."

I tilted my head again. "Huh. So... it’s not normal to feel like I’m vibrating?"

"OH MY ARCEUS, MIA!" Gary’s voice came from the other room, followed by a loud thud that sounded suspiciously like him banging his head against a wall.

"Calm down, Gary," I called, waving a hand dismissively. "You’re gonna give yourself a headache."

"AND WHOSE FAULT IS THAT?!" he yelled back.

The adults all exchanged horrified looks before Lorelei crouched in front of me, taking both my hands in hers. "Mia, we do care about you. More than you realize. And we’re worried because you’re not taking care of yourself."

I stared at her, the sincerity in her eyes catching me off guard. "You... really care?"

"Of course we do!" Greta added, her voice soft but firm. "You’re part of this weird little family now, whether you like it or not."

I blinked, feeling an unfamiliar warmth in my chest. "Oh. That’s... kinda nice."

But before I could process the mushy feelings, Gary stormed back into the room, pointing an accusatory finger at me. "NICE?! YOU JUST GAVE EVERYONE A HEART ATTACK, AND YOU THINK THIS IS NICE?!"

"Gary, sit down," Lance said, dragging him into a chair.

"Fine," Gary grumbled, crossing his arms. "But only because I’m too tired to yell anymore."

I yawned, leaning back against my bag. "See? All good. You all freaked out over nothing."

"NOTHING?!" the entire room shouted in unison.

I shrugged. "Yup. You’re all crazy. But thanks for caring, I guess."

The room fell into a stunned silence as the adults all exchanged exhausted, incredulous looks. Meanwhile, I calmly unwrapped another candy bar, utterly unfazed by the chaos I’d caused.

And that’s when Lance muttered under his breath, "This kid is going to be the death of us all."