Lance held up the green bottle of Modafinil like it was radioactive, his face pale. "Mia, this is not something a ten-year-old should be taking! It’s a wakefulness drug for people with serious sleep disorders! Where did you even get this?"

I tilted my head innocently. "Uh… the store? Where else?"

Lorelei groaned and rubbed her temples. "Oh dear Arceus…"

Gary snatched the bottle from Lance's hand and stared at the label. "Mia, how much of this have you eaten?"

I shrugged. "I dunno. A couple of these. A couple of those." I gestured vaguely to the other bottles spilling out of my bag.

At that, Lance, Lorelei, Greta, Bruno, and Professor Oak all froze.

Lance crossed his arms. "Define 'a couple,' Mia."

"Like… a handful? Sometimes two handfuls." I offered a sheepish grin. "But only when I really couldn’t sleep."

Lorelei gasped, Greta slapped her forehead, Bruno started pacing, and Professor Oak sat down, looking like he might faint. Meanwhile, Gary slammed the bottle down on the table.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!" he screamed, storming into the next room for a second before stomping back, pointing an accusatory finger at me. "You’re TEN! You can’t just eat whatever pills you find lying around!"

"Why not?" I asked, genuinely confused. "They work, don’t they?"

Lance looked like he was torn between yelling at me and wrapping me in bubble wrap. "Mia, you could have seriously hurt yourself! These are not candy, for crying out loud!"

"But I didn’t hurt myself," I said, blinking at him. "I’m fine. See?" I gestured at my clearly not fine state: wild hair, dark circles under my eyes, and a slight sway from exhaustion. "Totally fine."

"Totally not fine," Greta muttered, pacing faster. "This explains so much about the last two weeks. I thought she was just stressed!"

Bruno snorted, shaking his head. "She’s not stressed. She’s hopped up on enough medication to keep a Snorlax awake for a year!"

Lorelei leaned in close, her voice soft but firm. "Mia, sweetie, where did you even get these pills? Did someone give them to you?"

I shrugged again. "I might’ve borrowed them from a trainer who left their bag open."

Professor Oak’s jaw dropped. "You STOLE them?!"

"Borrowed," I corrected. "I was going to give them back… eventually."

Gary threw his hands in the air. "Oh, great. So now you’re a sleep-deprived thief too?!"

"I’m not a thief!" I protested. "I just… didn’t ask for permission."

Lance looked like he needed a nap himself. "Mia, do you have any idea how dangerous this is? You could have had a reaction. You could’ve—"

"I could’ve what?" I interrupted, annoyed. "I didn’t die, did I? And anyway, you guys are overreacting. I don’t get why you’re all freaking out."

Bruno pointed at the pile of bottles spilling onto the floor. "Mia, half of these are prescription drugs. You’re not supposed to be taking any of them!"

"How was I supposed to know that?" I asked, crossing my arms. "It’s not like there’s a giant sign saying, 'Kids, don’t eat these!'"

Gary groaned loudly, turning to Lance. "This is why kids shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near adult stuff!"

Meanwhile, Lorelei and Greta were whispering frantically in the corner, their expressions alternating between panic and concern. Professor Oak was fanning himself with a clipboard, muttering something about "irresponsibility" and "what was I thinking."

I, however, was completely unfazed. "You guys are acting like I did something crazy. It’s just a few pills."

Lance’s Dragonite let out a worried growl, and Lance sighed deeply. "Mia, do you even understand what these pills do to you? They mess with your body and mind in ways you don’t even realize!"

I shrugged, sitting cross-legged on the floor. "Eh, I feel fine. You’re all the ones acting crazy."

Gary knelt in front of me, grabbing my shoulders. "Mia, listen to me. You can’t keep doing stuff like this. You scared everyone. We’re worried about you!"

I blinked at him, genuinely surprised. "Worried? Why?"

"BECAUSE YOU COULD HAVE DIED!" Gary shouted, shaking me slightly.

"Okay, that’s dramatic," I said, rolling my eyes. "I’m not that fragile."

"Yes, you are!" Lorelei snapped, her voice louder than I’d ever heard it. "You’re ten, Mia! Ten-year-olds shouldn’t have to worry about things like insomnia or stress from battling the Elite Four!"

I tilted my head. "You mean… you actually care?"

The room went silent. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at me like I’d just grown another head.

"Of course we care!" Lance said, his voice softening. "You’re a kid, Mia. You shouldn’t have to handle all this pressure on your own."

Greta knelt beside me, brushing some hair out of my face. "We’re here for you, you know. If you’re struggling, you can talk to us. You don’t need to hurt yourself like this."

I looked around the room, taking in their worried faces. For the first time, I realized they weren’t mad—they were scared. Scared for me.

I smiled weakly. "You guys are weird."

Gary groaned, burying his face in his hands. "This girl’s gonna be the death of me."

And as the adults began sorting through the mess of pills, lecturing me about safety and self-care, I sat there calmly, thinking one thing: The Elite Four are absolutely insane.