Gary's face went pale as he processed my words. "Phenobarbital?! Mia, that’s a controlled substance! Why would you even try to get that?!"

I tilted my head, confused by his tone. "Well, the guy at the counter said it helps with stress and sleep. And I was really stressed about battling everyone!"

Lance, who had been pacing furiously, froze mid-step. "Mia, do you understand how dangerous that is? That’s not just medicine—it’s a sedative! It could knock out a full-grown Snorlax!"

I blinked, looking between the adults as if they were the ones overreacting. "But I didn’t get it, did I? So it’s fine!"

Gary buried his face in his hands. "Mimi… You’re ten! How are you even getting this stuff in the first place?"

"I mean," I said with a shrug, "I just walked into the pharmacy and asked. Sometimes Pikachu carries things for me. People love Pikachu!"

"Pika!" Pikachu chirped proudly.

Lorelei pressed her palm against her forehead, muttering something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like, "This kid is going to give me gray hair."

Greta leaned forward, her hands on her hips. "Mia, half of the stuff you're talking about is illegal for kids your age! Didn’t anyone stop you? Question why you needed it?"

I crossed my arms and frowned. "They just assumed I was running errands for Professor Oak! He’s a professor, so it’s not that weird!"

Professor Oak choked on his coffee. "Excuse me?! You used me as an excuse for this madness?"

Gary shot him a glare. "You’ve got bigger problems, Professor. Like the fact that this girl is treating her body like a science experiment!"

Bruno groaned, throwing his hands in the air. "We’re panicking because you’re eating pills like they’re candy, Mia! Do you know how much damage this could do to you? To your heart? Your brain?"

I shrugged again. "But I feel fine! See?" I spread my arms wide and spun in a circle. "Totally fine!"

Gary grabbed my shoulders, his voice softer now but no less serious. "Mimi, you might feel fine now, but this stuff adds up. You could hurt yourself, badly. And I…" His voice wavered slightly. "I don’t want to lose you."

That made me pause. "Lose me? Gary, I’m not going anywhere. I’m tough!"

Gary sighed, his grip on my shoulders tightening just a little. "You’re tough, yeah. But you’re not invincible. None of us are."

The room fell silent for a moment, save for the faint hum of Lance’s Dragonite shifting awkwardly in the corner. Finally, Lorelei spoke up, her tone gentle but firm. "Mia, we care about you. We might not always show it in obvious ways, but we do. And seeing you like this… it scares us."

Greta nodded. "We’re not mad at you, Mia. We just want to make sure you’re safe."

Lance crossed his arms, his expression softer than usual. "You’re part of our world now, kid. That means looking out for each other. And that includes making sure you don’t pull stunts like this."

I looked around the room, surprised by how serious everyone seemed. "Wait… you guys actually care about me?"

Bruno groaned. "Of course we care about you! You’re a chaotic little gremlin, but you’re our chaotic little gremlin!"

Gary smirked, ruffling my hair. "Yeah, and if anyone’s gonna give you a hard time, it’s me—not a bottle of pills."

I blinked, a small smile tugging at my lips. "You guys are weird. But… thanks, I guess."

"That’s a start," Oak said with a chuckle. "Now, first order of business: no more self-medicating. Agreed?"

I sighed dramatically. "Fine. No more pills. But you guys owe me a bunch of Poké Puffs for all this drama!"

"Pika!" Pikachu added, clearly in agreement.

Lorelei laughed softly, shaking her head. "Deal. But only if you promise to let us know if you’re struggling again. Okay?"

"Okay," I replied, grinning. "But you guys are still crazy."

"Look who's talking," Gary muttered, earning a laugh from everyone else.