"CALM DOWN!" Bruno roared, but his booming voice only seemed to fuel my frenzy.

"I CAN'T CALM DOWN! THIS IS TOO MUCH!" I yelled, sprinting laps around the room like a hyperactive Dodrio.

Lorelei sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Should we... sedate her or something?"

"Absolutely not!" Greta exclaimed, trying to catch me as I dodged past her like a Zubat. "She's just overwhelmed!"

"Overwhelmed?!" I screeched, diving dramatically behind a potted plant. "I'm facing PROFESSOR OAK! The legend! The myth! The Pokedex Master! I'M DOOMED!"

At this point, Lance's Dragonite decided it had enough. With a low growl, it stomped forward, picked me up by the back of my shirt like a misbehaving Meowth, and plopped me unceremoniously in front of Lance.

"Thank you, Dragonite," Lance said, rubbing his temples. "Now, can I finally explain?"

I nodded, panting and dazed. "Fine. But if you say I have to fight a Mega Evolved Rattata or something, I will faint."

Lance rolled his eyes. "What I was trying to say earlier is... you don't have to battle Professor Oak."

I blinked. "I don't?"

"No. He's just here to watch and give you advice."

"...Oh."

A beat of silence passed.

Then I stood up, brushed myself off, and looked around as if nothing had happened. "Well, why didn’t you just say so?"

The room collectively groaned.

I stood in the center of the room, the weight of the situation crashing down on me. My heart was racing, my palms slick with sweat. I was about to face Gary—Gary, the love of my life. But it wasn't the Gary I knew. No, this was Gary—the rival, the one I had to battle. And just the thought of facing him like that made my stomach churn.

Lance's words echoed in my head, the only thing I could focus on. "You have to battle Gary."

My breath caught in my throat. "Wait… Gary?" My voice trembled as I turned to Lance, trying to process what he just said.

"Yes," Lance confirmed, nodding. "It's part of the challenge. You have to defeat him."

"But... but he's my Gary!" I choked out, my voice cracking. "He's the one I've… I've…" The words refused to come out as the panic started to set in.

Gary, my Gary, the one who had been by my side, the one I had shared everything with, was now the one I had to defeat. My hands were shaking uncontrollably, my mind racing through a hundred different scenarios. The idea of hurting him, battling him with everything I had—it felt wrong. So wrong. I wanted to back out, I wanted to run, but I couldn’t. I had to face him.

The walls around me felt like they were closing in. I was suffocating. My breathing became shallow, and I could feel the tears beginning to well up in my eyes.

"Gary…" I whispered to myself, unable to make eye contact with anyone. My chest tightened, each breath more difficult than the last.

Suddenly, I couldn't breathe at all. The panic surged in waves, crashing over me like a tidal wave I couldn’t escape. My thoughts spiraled. I can’t do this. I can’t face him. I can’t hurt him. I love him.

Before I knew it, I was gasping for air, my knees buckling beneath me. My hands pressed against my chest, trying to steady the wild, erratic beats of my heart. I felt dizzy, my vision blurred as I staggered, almost losing my footing.

"What's happening?!" Greta's voice was a distant echo in the chaos of my mind. But I couldn’t respond. I couldn’t form words. My chest heaved, and I gripped the sides of my head, trying to hold myself together, trying to force myself to stop falling apart.

Then, I heard him.

"Mia?!"

Gary’s voice. My Gary’s voice.

I looked up, barely able to focus. He was there, standing in front of me, his face full of concern and confusion. But all I could see was the battle, the fight, the inevitability of the challenge. I couldn’t shake the overwhelming dread.

"Hey, hey, Mia, look at me." Gary's voice softened, but there was urgency there, a plea.

My breath hitched in my throat as I took another shaky step backward. "I—I can’t, Gary, I can’t..." My voice was barely a whisper, caught between desperation and fear.

Gary’s eyes widened in realization. He took a step forward, then another, until he was right in front of me. His hand reached out, gently cupping my face. "Mia… Mia, it’s okay."

But I couldn’t hear him. All I could hear was the roar of panic in my ears. My body trembled as tears began to fall, and I collapsed into his arms, no longer able to hold myself up.

"I’m sorry, Gary," I choked out, my voice broken. "I can’t do this... I don’t want to hurt you... Please… Please, don’t make me fight you."

Gary held me tighter, pulling me into his embrace, his warmth surrounding me like a shield. "Mia," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "It’s okay. It’s okay. You don’t have to fight me. I’m not going to hurt you. You’re not alone in this, okay?"

I felt his heartbeat against mine, steady and strong, grounding me in a way that I could barely comprehend. My tears flowed freely, but his presence, his touch, was like an anchor in the storm.

"I... I don’t want to lose you," I whispered between gasps. "I can’t... I can’t lose you, Gary."

Gary’s voice softened even more, a quiet reassurance. "You won’t. You’re not going to lose me. We’ll figure this out. You don’t have to do this, Mia. I’m right here. You’re not alone."

I clung to him, shaking, trying to catch my breath. The panic, the anxiety, the fear—it all swirled inside me, but Gary’s words began to pierce through the chaos. Slowly, very slowly, I began to steady myself.

The tears didn’t stop, but the suffocating weight was lifting. I could breathe again, if only a little.

"You’re okay," Gary murmured, brushing a strand of hair from my face. "It’s okay. I’m not going anywhere. You’ve got this, Mia."

I nodded, the weight of his embrace making me feel safer than I’d felt in what felt like an eternity. Slowly, the trembling started to subside, and my breathing returned to something close to normal.

"I'm sorry," I whispered again, wiping my eyes. "I don’t know what happened."

Gary shook his head. "Don’t apologize. You’re going through something really tough right now. But you’re strong. I believe in you, Mia. You don’t have to be perfect."

I looked up at him, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I allowed myself to relax. Gary was here, and he wasn’t going anywhere. And in that moment, I realized I wasn’t alone—not now, not ever.

The air in the dojo felt thick. I could barely breathe. Lance had just dropped the bombshell, and now I felt like the ground beneath me was disappearing.

I turned to face him, my heart pounding in my chest. "Wait. What do you mean I have to battle Gary?"

Lance's face softened with sympathy. "It's the final challenge, Mia. You have to defeat him. It’s part of the test."

My mind reeled. Gary. My Gary. The boy I had loved for as long as I could remember. The boy who had always been there, who knew me better than anyone else. The boy who never hesitated to tease me, but always in a way that made me feel special. The thought of battling him—it wasn’t just about winning or losing—it was about everything I had with him. It felt like my world was crumbling.

The dojo seemed to spin around me as I took a step back. “I—no, no. This can’t be happening. This is not real…”

I stumbled to the side, my hands clutching my head as my breaths grew shallow. My chest tightened, and my legs buckled beneath me. I could feel my vision blurring. My heart raced so fast I thought it might burst from my chest.

"Gary? My Gary?" I gasped, barely able to form words as my mind began to unravel. "I can't... I can't fight him... I can't...!"

Lance reached for me, but the words were lost on me. The panic, the overwhelming fear, the dread—it all came crashing down like a wave, drowning me in the flood of emotions.

I sank to my knees, the floor cold against my skin as I gasped for air. I felt like I was suffocating, my chest heaving with each ragged breath. My mind was racing, everything spinning out of control.

Then, the door opened with a soft creak, and I heard a familiar voice—one I knew all too well.

“Mia?”

I froze. My heart skipped a beat. Gary’s voice.

I turned, my vision blurry from tears, and there he was. Gary, the love of my life, standing in the doorway. His expression shifted from surprise to concern as he rushed towards me.

“What’s going on?” he asked, kneeling beside me, his hands hovering as if unsure how to help.

I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. The world felt like it was collapsing in on me.

“I—” My voice cracked as I tried to speak, but I couldn’t. The panic was too overwhelming, my chest too tight. I could barely see through the tears streaming down my face.

Gary’s face softened with worry, and before I could stop him, he pulled me into his arms. “Hey, hey, it’s okay. Mia, it’s okay.” His voice was calm, soothing, and it made my chest tighten even more, but this time, it was different—it was like he was grounding me, pulling me back from the edge.

But the panic didn’t stop. My breaths were coming too fast, my chest tightening so painfully I could barely breathe.

“Oh Mia...” Gary whispered, his voice full of concern and pain. “It’s okay. You don’t have to do this if you’re not ready. We’ll figure it out.”

I clung to him, my body trembling in his arms. “I can’t… I can’t fight you… I can’t…!” The words spilled out in a rush, barely coherent as I gasped for air.

Gary’s arms tightened around me, holding me close as he gently rocked us back and forth. “Mia, listen to me. You’re strong. You don’t have to fight me if it’s too much. I’m not going anywhere, okay? I’m right here. You don’t have to do this alone.”

His words didn’t make the panic go away, but they gave me something to hold onto. His presence, his warmth, the feeling of him being there, it was the only thing that made sense in a world that had just shattered.

“Breathe with me, Mia,” Gary said softly, his voice steady as he guided me through it. “In and out. Slowly. You’re okay. We’re okay. I’m not going anywhere.”

I tried to follow his instructions, but everything still felt like it was closing in on me. My breaths were still shallow, my heart still pounding, but his arms around me, his voice, it helped. It helped more than I could ever explain.

Finally, after what felt like forever, my breath started to slow. My chest was still tight, but the panic began to ease, little by little.

“I’m here,” Gary whispered again, kissing the top of my head gently. “It’s okay. You don’t have to fight me. I’ll always be here for you.”

I leaned into him, finally able to speak, my voice small and shaky. “I didn’t want to lose you, Gary. I couldn’t… I couldn’t do that.”

Gary pulled back slightly, just enough to look me in the eyes. His gaze was soft, understanding. “You’re not going to lose me, Mia. I promise.”

I nodded, tears still falling, but somehow, the overwhelming weight had lifted.

Gary stayed close, not letting go, and in that moment, I realized something. The battle didn’t matter. The test didn’t matter. Not when I had Gary by my side, holding me through the storm.

The door creaked open, and Gary stepped into the room, his confident smirk fading instantly as his eyes landed on me. I was on my knees, my arms wrapped tightly around myself, my breathing shallow and erratic. Tears streamed down my face as I rocked back and forth, muttering incoherent words between gasps. 

Gary's eyes widened in alarm. "Woah, woah, woah—hold on a second!" he said, rushing toward me. 

I barely registered his voice. The world spun, my chest tightening with every second. I couldn’t think straight, couldn’t breathe right, couldn’t stop the overwhelming panic clawing at my mind. 

"Mia," he said, his tone softer, laced with concern. He crouched down in front of me, reaching out hesitantly as if afraid I might shatter further. "Mia, it’s okay. It’s me." 

I couldn’t respond. The words stuck in my throat, lost in the rapid gasps and sobs. My vision blurred, and my trembling hands clutched at my chest, desperately trying to ease the suffocating pressure. 

Gary moved closer, his heart sinking at the sight of me breaking down so completely. "Oh, Mia..." His voice cracked as he pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly but gently, like I might slip away if he wasn’t careful. 

"I can’t—Gary—I can’t!" I choked out between ragged breaths, my voice raw with despair. 

"Shh," he whispered, his hand smoothing over my hair as he rocked me slightly. "Breathe, Mia. Just breathe. It’s going to be okay. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere." 

But I couldn’t stop. The panic gripped me tighter, and the sound of my hyperventilating breaths filled the room. My head throbbed, my body shaking uncontrollably. 

Gary pulled back just enough to look at me, his hands cupping my face. "Look at me, Mia," he said firmly, though his voice remained soft. "You’re safe. I promise. Just look at me, okay?" 

My eyes darted to his, full of fear, and he nodded, holding my gaze. "That’s it. Focus on me. Breathe with me, alright? In and out. Slow." 

He exaggerated his breathing, taking slow, deep breaths, and I tried—oh, I tried—to mimic him. My chest hitched, my breath still uneven, but his steady presence anchored me. 

"That’s it, you’re doing great," he encouraged, his thumbs brushing away the tears on my cheeks. "I’ve got you, Mia. You’re not alone." 

I clung to his words, to him, as the storm inside me began to ebb. The sharp gasps softened, though my body still trembled. Gary’s arms stayed around me, his warmth grounding me as he continued to murmur reassurances. 

After what felt like an eternity, I managed to take a deeper breath, though my head still swam. Gary pulled me closer again, resting his chin on top of my head. 

"I’m so sorry," I whispered, my voice barely audible. 

"Don’t you dare apologize," he said, his tone gentle but firm. "You’re allowed to feel this way. It’s okay, Mia. You don’t have to go through this alone." 

Tears welled up again, but this time they were different—less panicked, more overwhelmed by his kindness. I buried my face in his chest, his steady heartbeat soothing the remnants of my fear. 

For the first time in what felt like hours, I felt like I could breathe.