New story.n" Heh. You would have been. But there's one more person you need to battle."

I blinked at Lance, confused." Oh? Who?"

The person stepped into the room, and I turned.

" PROFESSOR OAK?!" I shrieked.

" Hello, my gi-"

I turned to Lance. " I HAVE TO BEAT HIM?!"

" Well, actu-"

I didn't let him finish.

Because at that moment I screamed.

" AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHYYYH!" I screamed, running around Lance's dojo.

My screaming was so loud Oak and Lance and Lance's Dragonite had to cover their ears.

It was also so loud it summoned Greta, Bruce and Lorelei from their rooms.

" What happened?!" Bruno asked.

I grabbed Greta's shoulders. " YOU TOLD ME PROFESSOR OAK DIDN'T BATTLE ANYMORE!"

" he doesn't." Greta replied, confused.

" THEN WHY DO I HAVE TO BATTLE HIM?!"

Lorelei covered her mouth. " Dear, Professor Oak isn't the one you have to battle."

" BUT SIR LANCE SAID SO!"

Lance cleared his throat." you didn't let m-*

I didn't hear him

Because I had went back to screaming while flailing my arms and running in a circle.

The adults just stared.

Lorelei pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to stifle a giggle. "Mia, calm down! You're misunderstanding the situation."

Greta and Bruno exchanged looks, clearly baffled but amused by my chaotic energy.

"Why is she like this?" Bruno muttered under his breath.

"Because she’s Mia," Greta replied matter-of-factly.

Professor Oak, who had been standing calmly through the chaos, finally raised a hand. "Mia, my dear girl, if you would listen for a moment..."

I skidded to a halt, panting but still flailing my arms for dramatic effect. "WHAT?! WHAT COULD YOU POSSIBLY SAY TO MAKE THIS LESS HORRIFYING?!"

Lance stepped in, arms crossed but smirking. "If you had let me finish earlier, I was going to say that I was joking. Professor Oak is not the final opponent you have to battle."

I blinked at him, confused. "Wait, then who is?"

Oak smiled, adjusting his lab coat. "Not me, my dear. You’ll be battling… him."

Before I could process his words, a figure stepped into the room. My jaw dropped as I recognized the familiar face of… Gary.

"You’ve got to be kidding me," I whispered, frozen in place.

Gary grinned. " What, you scared of me?"

"YES," I said without hesitation. "YES, I AM."

Bruno burst out laughing. "She’s honest, I’ll give her that."

Gary raised an eyebrow. "Well, if you’re going to run around screaming like a banshee, this will be over faster than I thought."

I opened my mouth to reply, but then I felt weak.

" SIR LANCE?!" I screamed. " WHERE'S THE WINDOW?!"

Lance blinked. " Uh... Why-"

" JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION!!"

Lance pointed to it, and I didn't waste any time throwing the door open, tumbling out and....

Well, getting sick in the bushes.

" Is.. is she okay?" Lance asked

" Oh yeah she's fine." Oak replied, though even he looked unconvinced.

" Pika."

Everyone turned to see Pikachu holding a bottle.

Gary took it from Pikachu and gasped.

" Mia?!"

I peeked from the window. " Yes?"

" Have you been eating sleeping pills?!"

I froze. " Uh.... Nooooo....."

He shot me a look. " Mia."

I sighed. " Fine. I couldn't sleep for two weeks so I... Well I ate pills. And see? I'm awake."

" But why were you eating pills?" Lorelei asked gently.

" The elite four. Why else?"

Lance blinked. " You mean... Because of Me, Bruno, Lorelei and Great?!"

I nodded innocently. " Mhm."

Gary walked to me and took my hand, guiding me to a chair. He sat down and pulled me next to him.

" Okay explain. Why?"

" Lance's Dragonite, Greta's Gengar, Lorelei's Lapras and Bruno's Hipmonchamp. And as if that weren't bad enough I have to battle you." I said, yawning the last part out.

Pikachu held a bottle for me, and I took it, taking a pill out and eating it.

Gary's eyes narrowed. " Hold on...."

He took the bottle and read the label.

" THIS HAS SODIUM OXYBATE IN IT!" He screamed.

I yawned. " So?"

Gary looked at me with that look only the love of my life could give me. " What else have you been eating Mimi?"

" Nothing much. Just some pain relievers and muscle cramps reliever. A bunch of stuff the elite four have so they can stay awake."

Lorelei gasped. " Mia, half the stuff we eat is prescribed to us!"

I blinked. " Oh. No wonder that man said I had to be twenty or over to get  phenobarbital."

Gary’s face paled as he gripped the bottle in one hand and pinched the bridge of his nose with the other. “Mimi, do you have any idea what you’ve been doing to yourself?”

I blinked innocently. “Yeah, making sure I’m awake enough to battle you guys. Duh.”

“Duh?” Gary repeated, his voice raising an octave. “Mia, this isn’t just about staying awake! Sodium oxybate is used to treat serious conditions. It’s not some candy you pop before a Pokémon battle!”

Lorelei knelt in front of me, her face soft but worried. “Sweetheart, did you really think you needed all these medications to take us on?”

I nodded. “Well, yeah. You guys are like, super scary! Lance has a Dragonite that can crush me with one Hyper Beam, Greta’s Gengar is literally nightmare fuel, your Lapras is like a tank, and Bruno—” I turned to him, throwing my hands in the air, “—you have arms bigger than my entire body! What else was I supposed to do?”

Bruno, who had been pacing the room, froze. “Arms…? Okay, fair, but still! That doesn’t mean you should be overdosing on half the pharmacy!”

Greta stared at me, her jaw dropped. “You… you thought we were that intimidating?”

“Of course!” I said, flailing my arms for emphasis. “You’re the Elite Four! And now, as if that wasn’t bad enough, I have to battle him!” I jabbed a finger at Gary, who was still holding the bottle like it was cursed.

Gary sighed, setting the bottle on the table. “Okay, Mia, we’re going to fix this. First, no more pills. Second, you’re going to see a doctor.”

“Doctor?” I tilted my head. “I feel fine.”

“You look fine,” Lance muttered, “but inside, your body is probably screaming.”

“Much like you were earlier,” Bruno added, smirking.

“Focus!” Gary snapped, glaring at Bruno before turning back to me. “Mimi, you’re my best friend, and…” His voice softened. “And the love of my life. I don’t want you hurting yourself, okay?”

I blinked at him, tilting my head. “You’re being dramatic. I’m not hurting myself. If anything, I feel stronger than ever!”

Lorelei rubbed her temples, trying to stay calm. “Mia, mixing random medications can lead to serious side effects. You could’ve gotten really sick—or worse.”

Pikachu jumped onto my lap and nudged me with her nose. “Pika pika.”

I sighed, scratching her head. “Alright, fine. No more pills. Happy?”

Gary crossed his arms, his expression unrelenting. “Not until I’m sure you’re okay. Where’s your bag?”

“Why?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

Gary rolled his. “Because I want to make sure you’re not hiding anything else. Hand it over.”

Reluctantly, I handed him my bag. Gary dumped it out on the floor, and everyone gasped as a small mountain of pill bottles and energy drinks spilled out.

“MIA!” Lance yelled, grabbing one of the bottles. “This is Adderall! Where did you even get this?!”

“I traded it for some Rare Candies,” I admitted sheepishly.

Bruno buried his face in his hands. “This kid is going to give me a heart attack.”

Lorelei picked up one of the energy drinks, her eyes wide. “This has 300 milligrams of caffeine! No wonder you’re so jittery.”

Gary stared at the pile, his face a mix of shock and frustration. “Mimi, how did you even afford all this?”

“Easy,” I said with a grin. “I sold my Revives and Full Restores.”

“WHAT?!” the entire room shouted in unison.

“Relax,” I said, waving them off. “I don’t need them. I’ve got Pikachu, and she never faints.”

“Pika…” Pikachu looked up at me with a mix of pride and exasperation.

Gary stood up, running a hand through his hair. “Alright, this is officially insane. Lorelei, Lance, Greta, Bruno—what do we do?”

Greta sighed, crossing her arms. “First, we get her checked out. Then, we have a very long talk about proper health management.”

Lance nodded. “Agreed. This kid’s got guts, but she’s also got zero self-preservation instincts.”

I crossed my arms, pouting. “You’re all overreacting. I’m fine!”

Gary crouched down to my level, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Mimi, you’re not fine. But we’re going to make sure you are. Okay?”

I stared at him for a moment before sighing. “Fine. But you’re all crazy, you know that?”

Bruno smirked. “Says the kid who just admitted to trading Rare Candies for black-market meds.”

“Touché,” I muttered, slumping in my chair.

As the adults continued to panic and plan, I leaned back, watching them with mild amusement. The Elite Four, Gary, and even Professor Oak cared way more about me than I ever realized. And, deep down, that made me feel… safe.