Bruno raised an eyebrow, clearly unfazed by my dramatic reaction. "What’s your problem?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest, which only made the situation worse.

I turned away, holding Pikachu close and shielding her eyes with my hand. "Sir, put a shirt on! There are children here!"

Pikachu tilted her head, clearly confused, and squeaked, "Pika?"

Greta chuckled softly, trying to stifle her laughter. "Mia, you do realize this is normal for him, right?"

I spun around, still covering Pikachu’s eyes. "Normal?! What kind of barbaric training center is this?!"

Bruno sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I don’t see why it’s a big deal. It’s part of my training regimen."

I dramatically pointed at him, still refusing to look. "Well, it’s indecent! And distracting!"

Lorelei smirked from her icy throne, resting her chin on her hand. "Distracting, hmm? Bruno, I think she might be trying to tell you something."

My face turned bright red. "That’s NOT what I meant!"

Bruno rolled his eyes. "Kid, if you can’t handle this, you’re not ready for the Elite Four."

I stomped my foot. "Oh, I can handle anything you throw at me! I just wasn’t prepared for... this!"

Greta laughed openly now, leaning against the wall. "You’re already more entertaining than half the challengers we get."

"Great," I muttered, finally uncovering Pikachu’s eyes. "Glad to know I’m a circus act."

Bruno cracked his knuckles, stepping forward. "Are you done, or are we going to battle?"

I hesitated, glancing at Pikachu. She gave me a determined nod, sparking slightly.

"Fine," I said, pointing dramatically. "But if I win, you have to put on a shirt!"

Bruno raised an eyebrow, then smirked. "Deal."

Lorelei clapped her hands together, clearly amused. "Oh, this is going to be good."

I took a deep breath, gripping Pikachu’s Poké Ball tightly. "Alright, Pikachu, let’s show them what we’re made of!"

Bruno grinned, tossing out his first Pokémon. "Let’s see if you can back up all that talk, kid."

As the battle began, the room echoed with the sounds of thunder, boulders, and the occasional sarcastic remark from Lorelei. One thing was for sure: this was going to be a fight to remember.

Lorelei stood elegantly on her icy platform, her expression calm and composed. "So, you're the challenger everyone's been talking about," she said, adjusting her glasses. "I hope you're ready. I don't hold back."

I smirked, feeling the adrenaline already surging through me. "Oh, I’m ready. But are you ready for this?" I tossed out Pikachu’s Poké Ball, and she landed on the ice with a determined spark in her cheeks.

"Pika!"

Lorelei raised an eyebrow. "A Pikachu? Cute. But cuteness won’t win you this battle." She threw her Poké Ball, releasing a Dewgong that gracefully slid across the icy field.

The battle began, and it was electric—literally.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" I shouted, pointing dramatically.

Pikachu let out a cry as a bolt of lightning shot toward Dewgong, crackling through the air. The ice beneath Pikachu’s feet seemed to amplify her energy, her sparks scattering in all directions.

Lorelei’s eyes narrowed. "Dewgong, use Ice Beam!"

The two attacks collided midair, creating an explosion of steam that enveloped the battlefield. When the mist cleared, Pikachu was already charging forward without waiting for my command.

"Pika-chu!"

Dewgong tried to dodge, but Pikachu leaped into the air, landing a point-blank Iron Tail. The ice beneath Dewgong cracked, sending shards flying everywhere.

Lorelei’s calm demeanor faltered for a moment. "Impressive," she admitted. "But let’s see how you handle this. Cloyster, go!"

The spiky shell Pokémon emerged, looking as sturdy as a fortress.

I grinned. "Sturdy or not, Pikachu can break through anything. Right, girl?"

Pikachu nodded, her cheeks sparking wildly.

"Thunder!" I yelled.

The room seemed to light up as a massive bolt of lightning struck Cloyster. The energy was so intense it created ripples across the icy battlefield. Cloyster fainted instantly, and Lorelei returned it to its Poké Ball.

She smiled faintly, adjusting her glasses. "You’re certainly full of surprises."

By the time her final Pokémon, Lapras, came out, Pikachu was practically glowing with energy. The intense competition seemed to have supercharged her, and I could feel the electricity in the air.

"Lapras, use Surf!" Lorelei commanded.

A massive wave of icy water surged toward Pikachu, but she didn’t flinch.

"Thunderbolt, now!" I shouted.

Pikachu jumped into the air, letting loose another powerful attack. The electricity surged through the wave, electrifying the water and hitting Lapras directly. The room was filled with the sound of crackling energy as Lapras collapsed.

Lorelei returned her Pokémon, stepping forward with a small smile. "Well, I didn’t expect you to be this strong. You’ve earned this victory."

I grinned, scooping Pikachu into my arms. "We’re just getting started!"

As I walked toward the next room, I glanced at Pikachu. "Think we’ll keep this momentum going?"

"Pika!" she replied confidently, her cheeks still sparking.

One down, three to go.

The moment I stepped into Bruno's chamber, the overwhelming scent of sweat hit me like a Machamp's punch. I staggered back, covering my nose and groaning. "Oh, Arceus, what is that smell?! Did someone leave a bucket of gym socks in here?!"

Bruno stood proudly in the center of the room, shirtless as always, arms crossed. "That smell is the result of hard work, discipline, and dedication!"

I gagged. "That smell is the result of forgetting what deodorant is!"

Pikachu, by my side, wrinkled her nose. "Pika..."

Bruno chuckled, clearly amused. "If you can’t handle the heat, maybe you should turn around and go home."

I straightened up, trying to look confident while still holding my nose. "Oh, I’m not going anywhere. But can we at least open a window first?!"

Bruno ignored my comment, tossing a Poké Ball into the air. His Onix emerged with a mighty roar, towering over me and Pikachu.

I sighed dramatically. "Great. A giant rock snake. And it probably smells just as bad as you!"

Bruno smirked. "Onix, use Rock Throw!"

"Blech, Pikachu, dodge it!" I called, holding my nose with one hand and pointing with the other.

Pikachu darted out of the way, lightning-fast. The rocks shattered against the ground, sending dust flying—and, unfortunately, stirring up the sweaty air even more. I gagged again. "I’m going to lose because I passed out from the smell before you even knocked me out!"

"Pika pika!" Pikachu squeaked, clearly agreeing with me.

Bruno grinned. "Focus on the battle, kid. Complaining won’t win you anything."

I glared at him. "Oh, we’ll see about that. Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu unleashed a powerful bolt of electricity, striking Onix dead-on. The giant rock snake wobbled but stayed upright.

Bruno’s grin widened. "You’ll need more than that to take us down. Onix, Earthquake!"

The ground beneath us trembled violently, sending me and Pikachu stumbling. I managed to stay on my feet, but the smell combined with the shaking was almost too much.

I pinched my nose tighter and yelled, "Pikachu, Quick Attack! Get close and use Iron Tail!"

Pikachu darted forward, leaping onto Onix and delivering a powerful Iron Tail right between its eyes. The rock snake let out a groan before collapsing in defeat.

Bruno returned Onix and sent out his Hitmonlee. The battle continued with more punches, kicks, and—unfortunately—sweat flying everywhere. I kept gagging every time I moved, but Pikachu was unstoppable, zipping around the battlefield and taking down Bruno's team one by one.

Finally, his last Pokémon, Machamp, went down after a well-placed Thunderbolt. I fell to my knees, exhausted and still gagging. "Oh, thank goodness, it’s over."

Bruno approached, clapping his hands. "You’ve got guts, kid. Not many people can handle my training chamber."

I waved him off, still holding my nose. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Next time, invest in some air fresheners!"

Pikachu nodded in agreement, sparking slightly as if to emphasize the point.

Bruno laughed heartily as I stumbled toward the next room, muttering under my breath. "I swear, if the next one smells bad too, I’m out."

As I stepped into Greta’s chamber, I was immediately hit with a wall of thick fog. I blinked, trying to adjust, but it was like walking through a cloud made of confusion.

"Pikachu?" I called, squinting to find her.

"Pika!" Pikachu’s voice came from somewhere ahead, though I couldn’t see her.

"Great," I muttered. "This is going to be a disaster."

A soft chuckle echoed through the room. "Welcome, challenger," Greta’s voice called, calm and confident. "The fog represents the uncertainty of battle. Can you navigate through it and find victory?"

I groaned. "Forget victory! I can’t even find you! Is there a map or something?!"

Greta didn’t answer, but the sound of her releasing a Pokémon echoed through the chamber. I squinted into the fog, trying to make out the shape.

Suddenly, I tripped over something solid. "Ow!" I yelped, landing flat on my face. "What was that?!"

A shadow loomed above me as I scrambled to my feet. "Oh, wonderful. It’s a giant rock." I blinked as it moved. "Wait, no, it’s a Hariyama!"

Greta’s voice came through the fog again. "Hariyama, use Arm Thrust!"

"Are you kidding me?!" I yelled, ducking just in time to avoid a massive hand slamming down where I had been.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt! Aim for the big guy!" I called.

Pikachu’s attack lit up the fog briefly, enough for me to see Hariyama stagger. But as soon as the light faded, I was back to stumbling blindly.

I turned and immediately smacked into a pillar. "Ugh! Greta, can we at least get some visibility in here?!"

She laughed softly. "A true trainer adapts to their surroundings."

"Yeah, well, my surroundings are trying to kill me!" I muttered, rubbing my head.

"Pika!" Pikachu cried out as she dodged another attack, her cheeks sparking.

"Hang in there, girl!" I encouraged. "Use Quick Attack to get close, then Iron Tail!"

Pikachu darted forward, her movements just a blur in the fog. I heard the satisfying clang of her tail hitting Hariyama, followed by a heavy thud as the massive Pokémon went down.

"Not bad," Greta admitted. "But the fog isn’t going anywhere, and neither am I!"

I groaned again as I bumped into yet another obstacle. "Pikachu, remind me to get fog lights after this battle," I muttered.

The rest of the match was a chaotic mess of me tripping over things, Pikachu zipping around blindly, and Greta’s Pokémon trying to land attacks in the haze. Somehow, we managed to take down her team one by one, though not without me hitting every single object in the room at least once.

When her final Pokémon fainted, the fog began to clear. Greta stepped forward, clapping slowly. "You’ve got determination, I’ll give you that. Even if you’re... a bit clumsy."

"A bit?!" I exclaimed, pointing to the bruises forming on my arms. "Your room is a health hazard!"

She smiled, completely unfazed. "Battlefields aren’t meant to be comfortable."

I rolled my eyes as Pikachu climbed onto my shoulder, looking equally annoyed. "Let’s just get out of here before I break my nose on another pillar."

As I stumbled toward the next room, I muttered under my breath, "Next time, I’m bringing a flashlight. Or a bulldozer."

The moment I entered Lance’s room, I was struck by the majesty of his Dragonite. The creature stood tall, its golden-orange scales glistening under the dim lights, and its big, expressive eyes locked onto mine. My heart skipped a beat.

"Whoa," I breathed, clutching my chest dramatically. "Is this what love at first sight feels like?"

Lance raised an eyebrow. "Uh… what?"

Before he could say more, Dragonite stepped forward, tilting its head curiously at me. Its gentle demeanor and adorable smile made me swoon. "Oh, Arceus, you're perfect," I whispered.

Dragonite chirped happily, clearly enjoying the attention. It reached out one of its massive hands, gently patting my head.

Pikachu tugged at my pant leg. "Pika?"

"Not now, Pikachu," I said dreamily. "I’m bonding with my soulmate."

Lance crossed his arms, clearly perplexed. "We’re supposed to be battling, you know."

I ignored him entirely, now holding Dragonite’s hand like we were sharing a romantic moment in a movie. "Dragonite, I don’t care if we’re from different species. Love conquers all."

Dragonite blushed (at least, I think it did), letting out a soft, affectionate growl. Lance facepalmed.

By the time the "battle" began, it wasn’t much of a fight. Dragonite refused to attack me, and I refused to give Pikachu any commands. Instead, I was already planning our future.

Fast forward a few years (in my imagination, at least), and Dragonite and I were happily married. We had two adorable children—well, they looked more like Gary than a mix of me and Dragonite, but I wasn’t complaining.

I glanced at one of the kids, who had Gary’s smug grin and messy hair, and pointed dramatically. "OoOoO, Gary’s a daddy!"

Gary, who had somehow entered my daydream uninvited, crossed his arms and scowled. "What are you even talking about?!"

"I mean, look at them!" I gestured wildly. "They’ve got your vibe!"

"How does that even—never mind," Gary groaned, rubbing his temples.

Lance was now officially done with the situation. "Can we please go back to the part where you’re here to battle the Elite Four and not… marry my Dragonite?"

I sighed dreamily, still holding Dragonite’s hand. "Oh, right. That."

Dragonite, now looking conflicted, glanced between me and Lance. With a resigned shrug, it leaned down and gave me a gentle nudge, as if to say, It’s time to move on, my love.

I wiped a fake tear from my eye. "I’ll never forget you, Dragonite. You’ll always be in my heart."

Pikachu rolled her eyes, muttering, "Pika pika," under her breath as I finally turned to face Lance. "Okay, okay, let’s battle for real this time. But just know that your Dragonite is officially my favorite."

Lance shook his head, clearly exasperated. "This might be the strangest challenge I’ve ever had."

"Welcome to my world," someone yelled from the other room.

Someone familiar.

I gasped. " Hold on...."

I ran through the door and screeched to a halt, gasping.

" G...g... Gary?!"

Before Gary could even say anything I had already run to my boyfriend, hugging him like crazy. " You're heree oh my gosh are you okay have you been eating well and did you know we're gonna have two kids? Both brown hair brown eyes peach skin... A boy for you and a girl for me. You can do whatever you want with Jay but Mimi is mine. An-"

Gary's face was as red as a Tamato Berry. "Mia!! Slow down!" he stammered, trying to gently push me back, though I clung to him like a Jigglypuff with a microphone.

"But Gary!" I exclaimed, eyes sparkling. "You’re here! In the Elite Four chambers! I missed you so much! And did I mention we’re gonna have kids? Oh, and—"

"Mia, stop!" Gary interrupted, his blush intensifying. "What are you even talking about?! Kids?! How did we go from me being here to having a family tree planned out?!"

Lance leaned against the doorway, smirking. "This is honestly more entertaining than our battle."

"Not helping, Lance!" Gary shot back, glaring at him before turning to me. "Mia, focus! Why are you even here?"

I gasped dramatically, pulling back just enough to point at him. "Why am I here? Why are you here?!"

Gary groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I’m here because Professor Oak asked me to observe your battle with Lance. Not to listen to your... weird future predictions."

Pikachu tugged at my pant leg, looking both concerned and mildly embarrassed for me. "Pika pika," she muttered, clearly judging me.

"But Gary!" I whined, crossing my arms. "I was just telling you how great our future will be! Jay and Mimi will be the cutest—"

"Mia," Gary interrupted, his face now buried in his hands. "We’re ten. TEN. How do you even know about—" He shook his head. "Never mind. I don’t want to know."

Lance chuckled, clearly enjoying the show. "You two are like a sitcom. Forget Pokémon battles, I should start charging for tickets to this."

Gary glared at him again. "Lance, I swear—"

I grabbed Gary’s hands, cutting him off. "Gary, don’t get mad. Just think about it! Me, you, two adorable kids, maybe a house in Pallet Town—"

Gary finally managed to pull away, his entire face red. "Mia, you’re impossible!"

"Impossible but lovable," I teased, winking at him.

Lance sighed, shaking his head with a grin. "I don’t know if this is the best or worst day of my career."

Gary groaned. "Worst. Definitely worst."

Pikachu hopped onto my shoulder, giving Gary a look as if to say, You signed up for this, buddy.

" You know, I could try right now."

Gary's face turned an even deeper shade of red, practically glowing like a Charizard's tail flame. "M-Mia!" he stammered, his voice cracking. "What are you even talking about now?!"

I grinned mischievously, leaning closer to him. "How about now, Gary? I could totally have twins, you know! Jay and Mimi might not have to wait for the future after all."

"MIA!" Gary practically yelped, stumbling back a few steps and tripping over a stray Pokéball on the floor. He landed on his backside, covering his face with both hands. "Stop saying stuff like that!"

Lance, leaning casually against the doorway, burst out laughing. "This just keeps getting better. Kid, you’re as red as a Magmar."

Gary glared at Lance from behind his hands. "You’re not helping!"

I crossed my arms, feigning offense. "Gary, are you saying you don’t want twins? I thought we were on the same page here."

Gary groaned loudly, his blush refusing to fade. "Mia, we are ten! T-E-N! How do you even come up with this stuff?!"

Pikachu, perched on my shoulder, snickered softly. "Pika pika," she muttered, clearly enjoying Gary’s meltdown.

I shrugged innocently. "I’m just thinking ahead. You know, planning for our future. Is that so bad?"

Gary flopped onto his back, staring at the ceiling as if begging Arceus for patience. "Why me? Why does it have to be me?"

"Because you love me," I replied with a cheeky grin.

Lance smirked, crossing his arms. "I hate to admit it, but she’s got a point."

Gary sat up abruptly, glaring at Lance. "Lance, I swear, if you don’t stop encouraging her—"

"Relax, kid," Lance said, waving him off. "You’re gonna need all the energy you can muster if you’re going to survive being her boyfriend and a future dad to twins, apparently."

Gary let out a defeated groan, covering his face again as I knelt beside him, patting his shoulder. "Don’t worry, Gary. I’ll take care of everything. You’ll be the best dad ever!"

"And the most stressed," Gary muttered under his breath, his ears still burning red.

Just as Gary was trying to recover from his blush-induced meltdown, Lorelei casually walked into the room, pushing a fancy white crib with ribbons and bows. "Oh, by the way," she said nonchalantly, "someone sent this for you two."

Both Gary and I froze, staring at the crib like it was a ticking Voltorb.

"What?!" we screamed in unison, our voices echoing through the room.

Lorelei stopped the crib in front of us, peering into it with a small, amused smile. "Yep. And look, it already comes with the twins."

"The—THE WHAT?!" Gary bolted to his feet, pointing a trembling finger at the crib. "What do you mean the twins?!"

I cautiously stepped closer, heart racing, and peeked inside. Sure enough, nestled snugly in the crib were two tiny babies. One had brown hair and big, sparkling eyes, while the other had the softest peach skin and an adorable pout.

Gary joined me, and we both stared down at the babies, then at each other, then back at the babies.

"HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE?!" Gary shrieked, practically vibrating with panic.

"I DON’T KNOW!" I screamed back, hands flailing wildly. "BUT LOOK AT THEM, GARY! THEY LOOK JUST LIKE US!"

Gary stumbled back, clutching his head. "Mia, we’re TEN! TEN! This makes no sense!"

Lorelei smirked, arms crossed. "Well, someone clearly thought ahead. They even left a note." She handed me a folded piece of paper.

My hands shook as I opened the note. It read:
"To Mia and Gary, congratulations on your beautiful family! Raise them well. Love, A Friend."

Gary snatched the note, his eyes scanning it rapidly. "What kind of ‘friend’ does this?! Who even has the power to—"

The babies cooed softly, and I instantly melted, picking up the little girl. "Oh, Gary, look at her! Isn’t Mimi just perfect?"

Gary stared at me, completely baffled. "You already named her?!"

"And this must be Jay!" I cooed, gently cradling the baby boy. "Oh, Gary, they’re amazing!"

Gary sat down heavily on the floor, his face in his hands. "This is a nightmare. This has to be a nightmare."

Lance peeked in, grinning ear to ear. "So... twins, huh? Looks like Mia was right after all."

"GET OUT, LANCE!" Gary shouted, his voice cracking.

I held the babies close, grinning at Gary. "Well, Daddy, looks like we’ve got our work cut out for us!"

Gary let out the loudest groan of his life, while Lorelei and Lance laughed in the background.

Gary ran a hand through his messy hair, pacing back and forth in a small circle. "Okay, we have to tell my sister. And your mom. And your brothers. And everyone else," he said, his voice full of panic.

I stared at him with a mischievous grin. "Well... how about we keep it a secret for a week? You know, just until we figure things out. No big deal, right?"

Gary froze mid-step, blinking at me as if I'd just suggested we run through a forest of Beedrills naked. "What? No, Mia, we can’t keep it a secret! We have babies!"

I shrugged innocently, cradling the babies in my arms. "I mean, no one really has to know. We can just pretend we’re... uh, practicing for when we’re older."

Gary’s eyes widened in horror. "You’re seriously suggesting we hide actual babies for an entire week?! What if someone notices? What if your mom freaks out?"

I held my ground, smiling innocently. "Come on, it’ll be fun. You and me, undercover parents for a week. How hard can it be?"

Gary ran his hands through his hair again, his face flushed with a mix of confusion and anxiety. "Mia, this is crazy. But—" He paused, looking at the babies in my arms. "But I guess... maybe we can keep it between us for a little while. You know, until we figure out what the heck is going on."

"Exactly!" I said, nodding enthusiastically. "A week of just us. We can get all the practice in before anyone else finds out. Plus, we can tell them we’ve been thinking about names... and maybe not tell them we already chose."

Gary looked at me, shaking his head but clearly defeated. "You’re unbelievable, Mia."

"Thanks! So are you!" I said brightly.

Gary sighed deeply, plopping down on the couch. "Alright, fine. A week. But if anyone finds out before then, you’re explaining everything to my sister."

I grinned. "Deal. And hey, think of it this way—if they do find out, at least we’ll have the most epic reveal ever!"

Gary stared at me, speechless. "I... I don't even know anymore."

Pikachu, who had been watching the whole thing, giggled from my shoulder. "Pika pika!"

"See? Even Pikachu agrees!" I said, laughing as Gary buried his face in his hands.

"I can’t believe this is my life," he muttered, his voice muffled.

"Welcome to mine," I said, winking at him. "Now, how about we figure out how to hide these two for a week?"

" Thanks, love. Keep Mimi and Jay safe, okay? Love you." I said, kissing the Dragonite.

Gary turned red. " MIAAAAA!"

I turned and shrugged. " What?"

Greya cleared her throat. " You realize now that you have kids you're gonna have to... Marry."

Me and Gary stared at one another.

Then we screamed.

Gary and I both stood there, frozen for a second, staring at each other in complete shock. The room was dead silent except for the soft cooing of Mimi and Jay in their crib.

"Wait," Gary said, his voice a little higher than usual, "what did you just say?"

Greta raised an eyebrow. "You know, if you're going to raise those kids together, there’s this little thing called marriage that generally comes before... raising children."

I blinked, feeling the blood drain from my face. "Oh, right. Marriage. Well, uh, you know, we’re a bit young for that, right?"

Gary’s eyes widened, his face turning beet red. "MIAAAAA!" He practically screeched, flailing his arms in disbelief. "We’re TEN! Do you know what you're talking about?!"

I turned to him, still trying to process what Greta had said. "Well, we did just get two babies... Does that mean we're supposed to get married now? Is that how this works?"

Gary turned and looked at Greta like she had just handed us a test we couldn’t possibly pass. "Please tell me this is some sort of weird joke!"

Greta shrugged. "It's not a joke. You’re parents now. And whether you’re ready or not, this is part of the deal."

I glanced back at Gary, feeling the panic rise in my chest. "We can’t get married now, Gary!" I practically whispered, my hands wringing. "We have so much to figure out! We’re just... kids!"

Gary looked back at me, eyes wide and clearly freaking out. "I know! I mean, I don't even know what I'm doing half the time! We’re supposed to be kids! We’re supposed to be... playing, not dealing with—" He stopped mid-sentence as I held up Mimi.

"Gary, look at them," I said softly. "We have to take care of them, whether we’re married or not."

Gary sighed, looking from me to the babies and then back to me. "This... this is insane, Mia. How did this happen?"

"Maybe we should start with figuring out how to actually... parent them before we worry about getting married," I suggested, trying to bring some calm into the chaos.

Greta smirked at us. "Well, whatever you decide, just remember that the responsibility is real. But take your time. There's no rush. But... eventually, you’ll have to make it official."

"Let’s just focus on getting through the next week first," Gary muttered, sitting down heavily on the couch. "One step at a time."

I nodded in agreement, still trying to process everything. "Yeah... one step at a time."

As we sat there, the room filled with the peaceful sounds of Mimi and Jay, who had fallen asleep in their crib. We may have been freaked out, confused, and way too young to be dealing with this kind of thing, but for now, all we could do was take things one day at a time.

And maybe, just maybe, we’d survive this whole parenthood thing without completely losing it.