"Alright, Mia, we get it!" Brock called after me as I stormed out of the gym. "But you really should listen to us."

I didn't look back, my stride firm as I walked with my Pokémon in tow. Ivysaur, Pikachu, and Bulbasaur were right behind me, their little footsteps matching mine as we exited Brock's gym.

"Yeah, sure, tell me when you’ve become the Champion. Then maybe I’ll listen," I muttered under my breath.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle's voice echoed from its Poké Ball in my pocket, a reminder of the earlier mishap. "Saur, saur!" Ivysaur replied in what I could only interpret as an encouraging tone.

I was still stewing. It wasn't that I didn’t appreciate the gym leaders caring, but honestly, I was tired. Tired of being told what to do, tired of feeling like everyone wanted to take control of my life. I had fought tooth and nail to get to where I was, and no one was going to make me feel guilty about it.

We reached the town square, and I paused. The sun was high in the sky, people bustling around, unaware of the turmoil that had just unfolded in Brock's gym. I took a deep breath, feeling the fresh air fill my lungs, the tension slowly ebbing away.

Pikachu jumped onto my shoulder, nuzzling my cheek, her small sparks of electricity always comforting. I smiled at her.

"Thanks, Pikachu," I whispered, rubbing her head.

But then I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to see none other than Blue, the former rival turned ally, walking toward me. His expression was... serious, almost as if he was contemplating something deep.

"You're really stubborn, you know that?" Blue said, crossing his arms over his chest.

I raised an eyebrow. "Says the guy who used to throw tantrums every time he lost."

He smirked, but there was no heat in his gaze this time. "Yeah, well, you’ve got something I didn’t back then. You’re the Champion now, Mia. But that doesn’t mean you have to do it all alone."

I didn’t say anything at first, just looked down at Pikachu, who was still perched on my shoulder. She was always the one who made me feel calm when everything seemed to fall apart.

"You’re trying to tell me you care?" I asked after a beat.

Blue shrugged. "Not trying to tell you anything. Just... don’t let it all eat you up. You can’t be the Champion of the world if you’re burning yourself out. Let people help. They’re not trying to control you, they just... care."

I looked up at him, surprised by his words. Blue wasn’t the type to open up, and I couldn’t remember the last time he had ever been this straightforward with me.

"Fine," I finally sighed, "but they need to know I’m capable. I didn’t get here by being soft, and I sure as heck didn’t get here by letting people make my decisions."

"I know," Blue said, his expression softening a little. "I know. Just... don’t push them away too much, okay?"

Before I could respond, he turned and walked away, leaving me to stand there, thinking about his words. Pikachu gave a small, encouraging chirp, and I smiled faintly.

Maybe I was being too harsh. But I had my reasons. And I wasn’t going to let anyone take that from me.

I glanced at Ivysaur and Bulbasaur, who were both staring up at me, waiting for my next move. The thought of the gym leaders still stuck in my mind, but for now, I decided to leave it all behind.

"Alright, let’s go," I said to my Pokémon, a new resolve in my voice. "No more distractions. We’ve got a world to conquer."

And with that, we walked off into the distance, ready for whatever came next.