Lorelei pinched the bridge of her nose, trying not to laugh. "Mia, stop screaming for a second and let someone explain."

I skidded to a halt, panting. "EXPLAIN WHAT?! THAT I HAVE TO BATTLE PROFESSOR OAK, THE LEGENDARY POKÉMON RESEARCHER, AND PROBABLY LOSE IN FRONT OF ALL OF YOU?!"

Bruno crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow. "She’s got energy, I’ll give her that."

Greta smirked. "More like chaos incarnate."

Professor Oak held up his hands in a calming gesture. "Mia, my dear girl, you’re misunderstanding something very important—"

I flailed my arms again. "MISUNDERSTANDING WHAT? THAT I’M DOOMED?!"

Lance finally stepped forward, putting a hand on my shoulder to stop my dramatic pacing. "Mia, breathe. You’re not battling Professor Oak."

I froze, mid-flail. "Wait… what?"

Lorelei nodded, her expression soft. "Exactly. Lance was trying to tell you that, but you didn’t let him finish."

I turned to Lance, narrowing my eyes. "Then why did you make it sound like I was?!"

He chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "I wanted to see your reaction. Didn’t expect… well, this."

I blinked. "So… if it’s not Professor Oak, then who?"

As if on cue, another figure stepped into the room. My jaw dropped as I recognized the smug grin and spiky brown hair.

"Gary?!" I shrieked. "YOU?! I HAVE TO BATTLE YOU?!"

Gary smirked, crossing his arms. "What, scared of me?"

"YES!" I shouted without hesitation. "YES, I AM!"

Bruno snorted, struggling to keep a straight face. "At least she’s honest."

Gary’s smirk grew wider. "Well, if you’re already terrified, this is going to be easier than I thought."

I glared at him, pointing dramatically. "Don’t get cocky! I’m just… surprised!"

Lorelei leaned over to Greta. "This is going to be entertaining."

Greta nodded. "Absolutely."

Lance clapped his hands together. "Alright, everyone, settle down. Mia, Gary is your final challenge before you can claim the title. So, are you ready?"

I crossed my arms, scowling. "Ready? I was born ready!"

Gary raised an eyebrow. "You were just screaming like a banshee five seconds ago."

"Shut up, Gary!" I snapped, stomping over to the battle arena. "Let’s do this!"

The room fell silent as we took our positions. Pikachu hopped onto my shoulder, sparking with anticipation. Gary pulled out a Pokéball, his confident grin never wavering.

"Let’s see if you’ve got what it takes, Mia," he taunted.

I smirked back, my earlier panic replaced with determination. "Oh, I’ve got more than what it takes. You’re going down, Gary!"

And with that the battle started.