Gary blinked at the sight of my Pikachu holding a coffee bottle, completely baffled. "You drink coffee? At your age?!" he demanded.

I shrugged as Pikachu handed me the bottle. "I need it to function. Do you know what it’s like to face you and the Elite Four back-to-back? Stress isn’t even the word." I took a big gulp of the coffee, ignoring everyone else’s wide-eyed stares.

Meanwhile, Pikachu was holding up the gray hairs for everyone to see. Greta gasped, and even Lorelei looked concerned. Bruno crossed his arms, frowning deeply.

"Gray hairs?!" Gary exclaimed, leaning in closer to inspect them. His expression softened as he studied me. "Kiddo, you need to sleep. You’re ten, not fifty! What’s going on with you?"

I threw my hands in the air. "What’s going on? Oh, I don’t know, Gary! Maybe it’s the pressure of trying to catch up to you while battling the Elite Freaking Four! You’re always ahead of me, and it’s exhausting!" I huffed, slumping against the wall.

Bulby, my Ivysaur, emerged from his Pokéball with a deadpan expression. He gave me the look — the one that said, "Seriously?"

"What?!" I snapped at him. "Don’t look at me like that, Bulby! I’m just trying to survive here!"

Gary sighed, rubbing his temples. "You’re way too hard on yourself, Mia. And drinking coffee to cope? That’s not normal for a ten-year-old."

"I AM NOT NORMAL!" I yelled back, grabbing my bag. "Look at this!" I yanked out a notebook filled with battle strategies, half-done homework, and crumpled drawings of Gary. "This is my life right now!"

Gary blinked at the doodles of him and smirked. "Nice artwork, by the way."

I turned bright red. "THOSE AREN’T FOR YOU!" I shrieked, snatching the notebook back.

Pikachu handed me another coffee bottle, which I drank without hesitation. Gary’s jaw dropped further. "How... how are you even drinking that much coffee?!"

I shrugged. "It’s an acquired taste."

Greta finally snapped out of her shock. "Mia, honey, this isn’t healthy. You need to talk to someone about your stress before you—"

"I’M FINE!" I yelled again, throwing my arms in the air. "I don’t need to talk, I need to battle!"

Professor Oak exchanged a look with Lance, who sighed deeply. "Kid," Lance began, "you’re gonna burn out before you even finish this challenge. Take a breath."

I crossed my arms, defiant. "No way. I’m ready. Let’s go!"

Gary, shaking his head, knelt in front of me, his voice softer. "Mia. You’re overworking yourself. If you don’t stop, you’re gonna end up too exhausted to even battle. And honestly, it’s okay to take a break."

His tone made me pause, but then Pikachu handed me a third bottle of coffee, and I chugged it down just to prove I wasn’t slowing down.

Gary threw his hands up in exasperation. "How is she even alive?!"

The room erupted into chaos again, and I couldn’t help but smirk. Maybe I was stressed, but hey — this was my life.