Lance stood frozen with the bottle of Modafinil in his hand, his eyes scanning the label again as if hoping it was a mistake. "Mia," he said slowly, his voice unnervingly calm. "Where did you even get this?"

I shrugged nonchalantly. "I found it in Professor Oak's lab."

Oak's jaw dropped. "WHAT?!" His outburst was so loud it startled Dragonite, who flinched and accidentally knocked over a chair.

"Well, it was on the shelf," I said, my tone defensive. "You didn’t exactly put a Do Not Touch sign on it!"

Gary buried his face in his hands. "I can’t believe I’m related to this family."

"You’re barely related!" I snapped back.

Lorelei raised her hands. "Alright, everyone, calm down. Mia, sweetie, do you understand how dangerous this is?"

I blinked, confused. "Not really? It just kept me awake when I needed to train. Like, it’s not a big deal."

Lance’s eye twitched. "Not a big deal?! Mia, this is a prescription medication meant for adults who suffer from serious disorders! You're ten! Your body can’t handle it!"

Bruno, who had been pacing furiously, stopped and pointed at me. "And what about the other pills in your bag? You pulled out a whole pharmacy just now!"

I tilted my head. "Oh, you mean these?" I reached into my bag and dumped a variety of bottles onto the floor.

Greta gasped. "Mia, what is all this?!"

I started listing them off casually. "This one’s for focus, this one’s for anxiety—though it made me sleepy, so I stopped using it—and this one’s for energy. Oh, and this pink one tasted awful, so I threw it out."

Oak groaned and rubbed his temples. "Mia, this isn’t candy! These are powerful medications! Some of these could cause severe side effects—or worse!"

Gary looked pale as he knelt to pick up a random bottle. "Mia, you’ve been taking all of these at the same time?"

"Well, yeah," I said. "How else was I supposed to prepare for the Elite Four? You guys don’t exactly hand out a training manual!"

Lance shot Oak a glare. "This is your fault. You’re the one who let her roam around unsupervised!"

"I didn’t think she’d start raiding my medicine cabinet!" Oak shot back, clearly flustered.

Lorelei crouched next to me, her voice soft but firm. "Mia, sweetheart, did you ever feel strange or sick while taking these pills?"

I thought for a moment. "Hmm… Well, my heart felt kinda funny sometimes. And I got dizzy a lot. Oh, and I couldn’t feel my hands one time, but that was probably because I forgot to eat."

Gary’s jaw dropped. "Forgot to eat?!"

Bruno groaned and threw his hands up. "Why do I feel like I’m in a soap opera?"

Greta frowned, pacing faster. "Mia, you could’ve seriously hurt yourself! What were you thinking?"

I crossed my arms and pouted. "I was thinking I needed to win, okay? Everyone keeps saying how amazing the Elite Four are, and I didn’t want to let everyone down!"

The room fell silent for a moment, the adults exchanging concerned glances.

Lance sighed, kneeling down to my level. "Mia, no one expects you to destroy yourself just to impress us. We’re here to test your strength, not… not have you put your health at risk."

"Exactly," Lorelei added. "We care about you, Mia. Winning isn’t worth hurting yourself over."

Gary was unusually quiet, staring at me with an unreadable expression. Then, suddenly, he stood up and marched into the next room. Moments later, a muffled scream of frustration echoed back.

"Is he okay?" I asked, genuinely baffled.

"No," Bruno muttered. "None of us are."

Oak knelt beside me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Mia, from now on, we’re going to make sure you have proper guidance. No more self-medicating. Understood?"

I nodded slowly, feeling a bit overwhelmed. "Okay… but, uh, does this mean I’m disqualified?"

Lorelei chuckled, shaking her head. "No, Mia. It means you have a lot to learn—about battling and taking care of yourself."

"Great," I muttered. "The Elite Four are crazy."

Bruno shot me a look. "We’re crazy?! You’re the one eating pills like they’re Poké Puffs!"

I shrugged. "Fair point." Then I sat down calmly in the middle of the chaos, watching as the adults continued to panic around me.

Gary stormed back into the room, pointing a finger at me. "You’re impossible, you know that?!"

"Thanks," I replied with a grin. "It’s a gift."

And with that, the room erupted into a mix of scolding, laughing, and exasperated sighs as I sat there, completely unfazed.