Gary stared at the label, his face going pale. "Mia, phenobarbital is a controlled substance! You can’t just… casually eat that!"

I tilted my head, yawning again. “Why not? It helped me calm down when I couldn’t stop thinking about Sir Lance’s Dragonite squishing me.”

Bruno froze mid-step, his eyes wide. “You’re scared of Dragonite?!”

“Obviously!” I threw my arms up. “It’s huge and terrifying! And don’t even get me started on Lorelei’s Lapras. That thing could drown me without even trying!”

Lorelei covered her mouth, equal parts horrified and trying not to laugh. “Sweetheart, Lapras would never—”

“That’s what they all say!” I interrupted. “Until it’s too late!”

Gary tightened his grip around me, his voice trembling. “Mimi, listen to me. You can’t just… eat random pills because you’re scared or stressed. That’s not how this works. Your body can’t handle this kind of stuff!”

“But you do it!” I argued, pointing at Lorelei. “And Sir Lance does too! You all take things to help with battles, so why can’t I?”

Lorelei knelt in front of me, her eyes soft but firm. “Because we’re adults, Mia. Our bodies are more developed, and even then, we only take what’s prescribed by doctors who know our limits.”

Gary chimed in, his tone urgent. “Mimi, you’re just a kid. You can’t do this to yourself. You’re going to get hurt!”

I blinked at him, then at the others, who all looked equally panicked. “But… I just wanted to be strong enough to fight you guys.”

Oak sighed, stepping forward and placing a hand on my shoulder. “Mia, strength isn’t about what you put into your body. It’s about your heart, your determination, and how you use the skills you’ve already worked so hard to develop.”

“But…” I glanced down, fiddling with Pikachu’s ear. “What if I lose?”

Gary leaned closer, pulling me into a tighter hug. “Then you lose. And you get stronger because of it. But you’re not going to lose me, okay? No matter what happens, you’ll always have me.”

I blinked up at him, his face so serious it made my heart skip. “You mean it?”

Gary smiled faintly, brushing a strand of hair out of my face. “Of course, Mimi. Always.”

The room fell silent for a moment, save for the muffled sound of Bruno pacing and muttering, “Why do kids these days scare me more than Gengar?”

Finally, Lorelei spoke, her voice calm but firm. “Alright, Mia, we’re going to take you to get checked out by a doctor. No arguments.”

I opened my mouth, ready to protest, but Gary gave me a look that made me stop. “Okay, fine,” I muttered, leaning into him. “But only if Pikachu comes too.”

“Pika!” Pikachu chirped, climbing into my lap and snuggling close.

As everyone else started discussing logistics and whispering anxiously, I sat there in Gary’s arms, still not fully understanding why they were all so worried. But for once, I didn’t feel scared. Not with Gary holding me like that.

“They’re so dramatic,” I mumbled, half-asleep.

Gary chuckled softly. “Yeah, but it’s because they care about you.”

I yawned, my eyelids drooping. “You’re all crazy… but maybe that’s not so bad.”

Gary smiled, holding me tighter. “Yeah, Mimi. Maybe it’s not.”