As I sat cross-legged on the floor of Lance’s dojo, watching the grown-ups freak out, I couldn’t help but think one thing: The Elite Four are absolutely bonkers.

Lance was pacing back and forth, holding the bottle of pills like it might explode any second. "Mia, do you even know what these medications are for?!"

I shrugged, munching on a chocolate bar. "Nope. But they help me stay awake, and that’s what matters, right?"

"WRONG!" Gary screamed from the doorway, his face red as he shouted into the next room. "SHE’S BEEN TAKING MODAFINIL! AND WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE!"

Lorelei and Lance exchanged frantic whispers that I couldn’t catch, but from the way Lorelei kept stealing glances at me, it felt like they were discussing whether I was going to keel over any second.

Bruno was doing laps around the dojo like he was training for a Pokémon battle. "How could this happen?! How did we miss the signs?!"

Greta was flipping through a first aid manual, muttering under her breath, "Sleep deprivation… medication abuse… side effects… how do we handle this?"

Professor Oak, meanwhile, was fanning himself with a clipboard. "Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear…" He looked like he might faint.

And then there was me, sitting there like nothing was wrong. I even pulled out another candy bar from my bag. "You guys are overreacting," I said calmly. "It’s not like I’m dying or anything."

"NOT YET!" Gary yelled, pointing an accusing finger at me.

I blinked at him. "Dude, chill."

Lance stopped pacing long enough to glare at me. "Mia, this isn’t something you just ‘chill’ about! Modafinil is a powerful stimulant. It’s meant for people with serious sleep disorders, not for ten-year-olds who think it’s fun to pull all-nighters!"

"Exactly!" Lorelei chimed in, her tone sharp but worried. "And what’s this about you not sleeping for two weeks? That’s not normal, Mia!"

I shrugged again, unfazed. "I was nervous about the Elite Four battles, okay? I didn’t want to let everyone down, so I just… didn’t sleep. No big deal."

"NO BIG DEAL?!" Greta slammed the first aid manual shut. "Sweetheart, that’s a very big deal! Your body needs rest to function properly. You could have seriously hurt yourself!"

Bruno stopped running laps and crouched down in front of me, his big, burly arms resting on his knees. "Mia, kid, listen. You’re tough, I get it. But tough doesn’t mean ignoring your health. You’re a fighter, sure, but even fighters need to rest."

"Yeah, yeah," I said, waving them off. "You guys are acting like I’m on my deathbed or something. I feel fine!"

"FOR NOW!" Gary shouted again, clearly on a roll.

At this point, I pulled out the rest of my stash from my bag—a colorful assortment of bottles and packets. "Here, look, this is everything I’ve been taking. Happy now?"

The room fell silent.

Lance’s jaw dropped. "Mia… this is… half of these medications are meant for adults! And the other half… where did you even get these?!"

I shrugged. "The Mart in Saffron City. They don’t card kids."

Lorelei looked like she was about to faint. "This is insane. Absolutely insane."

Greta snatched a bottle and read the label. "Mia, this one is for stress management! You’re ten! What stress are you dealing with that you need medication for?!"

I gave her a blank look. "Uh, the stress of battling the Elite Four? Duh."

Bruno pinched the bridge of his nose. "I’m starting to think we need to battle less and do more life lessons."

"Or parenting lessons," Lorelei muttered under her breath.

Professor Oak finally spoke up, his voice trembling. "Mia, you’re like family to us. Do you have any idea how worried we all are right now?"

I blinked. "Wait… you guys actually care about me?"

Everyone froze.

Gary groaned, smacking a hand to his forehead. "Of course we care about you, Mia! Why do you think we’re all losing our minds over this?!"

I tilted my head, genuinely confused. "I dunno. I just thought you guys were, like, super into battling and didn’t care about anything else."

Lance crouched down next to me, his expression softening. "Mia, we care about you because you’re more than just a trainer. You’re part of this weird, chaotic family we’ve got here. And we want to make sure you’re okay."

I looked around the room at everyone—Lance, Lorelei, Bruno, Greta, Professor Oak, and even Gary—and for the first time, I realized they weren’t mad. They were worried.

"Okay," I said quietly, stuffing my candy bar back in my bag. "I’ll stop taking the pills. But only if you guys promise not to be all weird about it."

Lorelei laughed, finally letting out some of the tension. "Deal."

Gary crossed his arms, still looking grumpy. "You’d better mean it, Mia."

I rolled my eyes but smiled a little. "Yeah, yeah. I mean it."

As the room settled, Pikachu hopped into my lap, nuzzling me. I scratched behind her ears, feeling a little lighter. Maybe the Elite Four weren’t so crazy after all. Well… mostly.