Gary stared at the pile of pills, his expression a mix of concern and disbelief. “Mia, what in the world is going on with you?” His voice was softer now, but it carried a weight that made me shrink a little.

I opened my mouth to answer, but before I could, Bulby, my Ivysaur, emerged from his Pokéball with an exasperated sigh. He waddled over, looked up at me, and gave me the look. You know the one. The "seriously?" look that made me feel like I was back in kindergarten getting scolded for spilling juice.

“What?” I snapped defensively, throwing my hands in the air. “I’m a ten-year-old girl facing the freakin’ Elite Four! My childhood rival—who I like like, by the way—has been ahead of me every step of the way, and I’ve been pulling grey hairs out of my head because of all this stress!” I gestured wildly to my bag, the spilled meds, and the pile of coffee bottles Pikachu was now organizing into a pyramid.

The room went silent. Completely silent. Even Professor Oak, who always seemed unshakable, looked a little pale. Pikachu, ever the drama queen, held up a small plastic bag containing the aforementioned grey hairs as evidence.

“You…” Lance began, blinking rapidly. “You have grey hairs?”

I nodded grimly, pointing at the bag. “Yup. Thanks to all of you, this is my life now.”

Lorelei pressed a hand to her mouth, probably to stifle a laugh, while Greta let out a horrified scream. “Grey hairs?! At ten?! Mia, are you okay?!”

I shrugged, reaching for my coffee bottle. “Define okay.”

Gary grabbed my wrist before I could take a sip. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up. You’re drinking coffee now? Since when do you drink coffee?”

I yanked my arm back and gulped the entire bottle down in one go, ignoring the collective gasp from the room. “Since I realized sleep is overrated and caffeine is my best friend,” I replied flatly, wiping my mouth. Pikachu handed me another bottle, which I opened without hesitation.

Gary stared at me, wide-eyed. “You… How do you even like coffee? It’s bitter, it’s—”

“Delicious,” I interrupted, taking a long sip. “Don’t knock it till you try it, kiddo.” I smirked, throwing his favorite nickname for me back in his face.

Gary ran a hand through his hair, clearly trying to process everything. “Mia… you’re insane.”

“Insanely stressed,” I corrected, waving my coffee bottle like a trophy. “And I’m not apologizing for it.”

Meanwhile, Greta was still freaking out. “Professor Oak, you have to do something! She’s too young for all this stress!” She paused, narrowing her eyes. “Wait… you and I both know that this could’ve been avoided if someone wasn’t so—so reckless!”

Professor Oak looked startled. “Reckless? Greta, are you implying this is somehow my fault?”

“Well, maybe if you didn’t—”

“Wait!” I cut in, pointing at them both. “Hold on. Did you two, like… like each other back in the day or something? Because you care an awful lot about each other for people who claim to hate each other.”

The room fell silent again, save for Pikachu, who was now giggling in the corner. Oak and Greta exchanged awkward glances, and Greta turned bright red.

“I—I have no idea what you’re talking about!” Greta stammered, crossing her arms.

Oak cleared his throat, adjusting his lab coat. “Mia, this is hardly the time for such questions.”

“Oh my Arceus, you totally did,” I said, grinning triumphantly. “This explains so much.”

Gary facepalmed while Pikachu handed me another bottle of coffee, which I gleefully accepted. “You are unbelievable,” he muttered, shaking his head. “And you seriously need to sleep, Mia.”

“Sleep is for the weak!” I declared, raising my bottle like a toast.

Gary sighed deeply. “This is going to be a long day…”

Ten minutes later, I was fast asleep on the couch, leaning on Gary and clutching his arm like a lifeline. My head rested against his shoulder, my breathing soft and steady, a stark contrast to the chaos I had caused earlier. Gary, for all his teasing and bravado, was now sitting perfectly still, glancing down at me with an expression that could only be described as fond.

“She’s always adorable,” he muttered under his breath, the corner of his mouth quirking into a small smile. He brushed a stray lock of hair from my face and adjusted his position slightly so I’d be more comfortable. Pikachu curled up at my feet, her eyes narrowing protectively at anyone who got too close.

Meanwhile, the adults were huddled around the table, my bag of pills spread out in front of them like evidence in a trial. Greta held up a bottle of pain relievers, her face a mix of concern and disbelief.

“Why does she even have these?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly. “This isn’t normal for a kid her age!”

Lorelei picked up another bottle, her expression grim. “Muscle cramp relief… anti-anxiety meds… even sleeping pills? This is… alarming.”

Lance frowned, crossing his arms. “It’s not just the medications. Look at how much coffee she’s drinking. Combine that with the stress of facing us and everything else she’s putting herself through, and it’s no wonder she’s pulling grey hairs.”

Professor Oak sighed, his face unusually serious. “She’s under far too much pressure. This isn’t just about the Elite Four or her battles—it’s about everything piling up on her young shoulders. She’s trying to carry too much.”

Bruno grunted, rubbing the back of his neck. “She’s a kid. She shouldn’t be dealing with this kind of stuff.”

Gary, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke up, his voice low but firm. “She’s been like this for a while. Always pushing herself, always trying to prove something. It’s like she’s trying to catch up to everyone around her, even when she’s already ahead in her own way.” He glanced down at me, his expression softening. “She just… doesn’t see it.”

Pikachu let out a quiet “Pika,” nodding in agreement.

Greta looked on the verge of tears. “But why didn’t she say anything? Why didn’t she ask for help?”

Gary shook his head. “Because she doesn’t want to be a burden. That’s just who she is.” He reached down and gently adjusted the blanket someone had draped over me. “But I think it’s time we all make sure she knows she’s not alone in this.”

Oak nodded, his tone resolute. “Agreed. First thing tomorrow, we’ll sit her down and talk this through. She needs to know she doesn’t have to shoulder everything by herself.”

As the group continued their quiet discussion, I remained fast asleep, blissfully unaware of the plans being made around me. For now, at least, I could rest—safe, warm, and comforted by the steady presence of Gary beside me.