" Mia?"

I sighed from under the blanket. " What?"

" Hey, cheer up sis." Red said as he pulled the covers off. " You'll beat the ghost."

" No I won't.

" Heyo!"

I looked at my faithful little puppy, and I pet his head.

" It's nearly impossible!" I complained. " I don't-"

" P Iiiiiiiiiiiiii!"

" Pikatchu!"

I looked at both of my Pikachus, who were holding an oran berry for me.

" Thank you two but........"

I pet their heads and took the berry, splitting it in quarters. I gave each quarter to my four Pokemon ( Pikachu, Pichu, Growlithe and Ivysaur.)

" Saur, Ivysaur!"

I laughed. " Oh, Bulby."

" Come on, Mia!" Red urged as he pet his Pikachu. " If you don't go out into the world you won't figure out how to get the ghost."

" It doesn't help if your best friend is afraid of ghosts." I muttered.

" Pikachu's afraid of ghosts?" Red looked confused. " Bu-"

" I meant Gary."

" Gary? Your best friend Gary? Gary-"

" Gary, who I love, the one who made the comment yesterday that my Pokemon are doing a little TOO good. Yes, him."

" Where is he, anyway?" Red asked, looking around.

I shrugged. " Dunno."

" Heyo!"

I took Growlithe's paws and waved them around. " You're certainly energized, aren't you?"

" Heyo!"

Red nudged me. " You beat Jessie and James and all those other Team Rocket people."

" Yeah, but I didn't beat Archer."

" Heyo!"

I pet my Growlithe. " And Erica."

" Evolve Growlithe."

I looked at Red, surprised. " Evolve?!"

" Not that Growlithe."

" Then which one?"

" You have two others, do you not?"

I nodded. " Yeah...."

" Then evolve it and use that one to beat Erica! Make it grow stronger, an-"

" And then go back and beat Erica!" I squealed. " You're a genius!!!"

Red grinned. "Of course I am. That's why I'm the big brother."

I jumped up, my blanket falling to the floor as I grabbed Growlithe's paws and danced around. "Growlithe, we're going to train you up! And then we'll show Erica who's boss!"

"Heyo!" Growlithe barked, his tail wagging furiously.

Pikachu and Pichu cheered too, bouncing around the room. Even Ivysaur chimed in with an enthusiastic "Ivysaur!"

I turned back to Red, determination blazing in my eyes. "First, we train. Then, we get that badge."

Red clapped me on the shoulder. "That's the spirit, sis. Now, come on. Let's head out before you start overthinking it."

Outside, the sun was shining brightly as we made our way to the training fields. The open space was perfect for working on moves and building strength. I let all my Pokémon out of their Pokéballs, giving them some time to stretch and warm up.

"Okay, Growlithe," I began, kneeling down to meet his eager gaze. "Today, we're going to focus on your fire moves and agility. Ready?"

"Heyo!"

Pikachu and Pichu stood by, their cheeks sparking with excitement, while Ivysaur stretched out his vines, ready to assist if needed.

"Alright! Pikachu, Pichu, you two help Growlithe with some dodging drills. Ivysaur, you're on distraction duty." I grinned. "Let's get to work!"

For the next few hours, we practiced tirelessly. Growlithe dodged bolts of electricity from Pikachu and Pichu, weaving and leaping with increasing speed. Ivysaur would suddenly extend his vines, trying to trip Growlithe up, but my loyal puppy was getting sharper with every move.

Finally, I called for a break. Growlithe flopped onto the grass, panting but looking proud of himself. I knelt beside him, offering him a small bowl of water. "You're amazing, Growlithe. I can feel it—you're getting stronger already."

"Heyo," he barked softly, licking my hand.

Red walked up, nodding in approval. "Not bad. Keep this up, and you'll be ready to evolve in no time."

I stood up, fists on my hips. "Evolve or not, we'll be ready to take on Erica. Nothing's going to stop us!"

As I looked at my team—Growlithe, Pikachu, Pichu, and Ivysaur—I knew I wasn't alone. Together, we could conquer anything, even ghosts... and maybe Gary's teasing too.

As the day wore on, doubts began to creep into my mind. I sat under the shade of a large tree, watching Growlithe playfully chase after Pikachu and Pichu. His cheerful "Heyo!" echoed in the field, making me smile despite the uncertainty gnawing at me.

Red noticed my hesitation. "What's wrong, Mia? Second thoughts?"

I nodded slowly, running my fingers through Growlithe's warm fur when he bounded over to me. "I love Growlithe just the way he is. He's perfect as a Growlithe. I don't want to change that."

"Heyo!" Growlithe barked, his tail wagging, completely unaware of the decision I was grappling with.

Red crouched beside me, his tone softer than usual. "It's okay to feel that way. If you want to keep this Growlithe as he is, there's nothing wrong with that. You have two other Growlithe, right?"

I nodded again. "Yeah, but they're not as close to me as this one."

"Then why not train one of them to evolve instead?" Red suggested. "That way, you keep this Growlithe just the way you love him, and you still get a powerful Arcanine to take on Erica."

I looked down at Growlithe, who was licking my hand affectionately, then back at Red. "You're right. I can do this."

Red smirked. "Of course, I'm right. Come on, let's call out one of your other Growlithe and start training."

I hesitated for a moment but finally reached for my Pokéball. With a flash of light, my second Growlithe appeared, shaking out his fur and looking up at me expectantly.

"Alright, buddy," I said, crouching down to meet his gaze. "Are you ready to become an Arcanine?"

Growlithe tilted his head, his ears perking up as if he understood the gravity of my words. With a bark of excitement, he ran in circles, clearly eager for the challenge.

"That's the spirit!" Red cheered. "Let's get to work."

The training began again, this time with my second Growlithe as the focus. We practiced his fire moves, honing his Flamethrower and learning new techniques like Flame Burst. Pikachu and Pichu helped with agility drills, and Ivysaur provided support with his sturdy vines.

As the sun began to set, Growlithe was glowing with confidence, his flames burning brighter than ever. I held up the Fire Stone I'd been saving for the perfect moment. "Are you ready, buddy?"

Growlithe barked, standing tall and proud.

I placed the Fire Stone gently against his fur, and a brilliant light enveloped him. When it faded, a majestic Arcanine stood before me, his mane flowing like fire.

"Arcanine!" he roared, his voice deep and powerful.

I threw my arms around him, laughing. "You're amazing! I can't wait to see what you can do in battle."

"Heyo!" my first Growlithe barked, wagging his tail as if to say he was proud too.

Red grinned. "Now you've got the best of both worlds. Erica won't know what hit her."

Looking at my team, I knew I was ready—not just to beat Erica, but to face anything that came my way. With my loyal Pokémon by my side, doubts didn't stand a chance.

I flopped onto the hotel bed, my arms spread wide, then rolled over, planting my face into the pillow. Frustration bubbled up inside me, and before I could stop myself, I let out a muffled scream. The sound echoed faintly in the quiet room, and I groaned, flipping over dramatically.

The door creaked open, and Blue peeked his head in, eyebrow raised and a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Did someone die, or are you just being overly dramatic?"

I sat up halfway, glaring at him with my hair a wild mess. "I'm not being dramatic!" I huffed, though my tone probably betrayed me. "I just... don't think I can do this."

Blue stepped inside, leaning against the doorframe like he owned the place, which, knowing him, he probably thought he did. "Do what? Lose to Erica? Don't worry, I can coach you through it," he said with a smug grin, crossing his arms.

I grabbed the nearest pillow and launched it at him. He dodged, laughing. "No, you idiot! I don't even know if I want to battle her anymore!"

Blue's laughter faded, replaced by a mix of curiosity and confusion. He walked over to the desk chair, spun it around, and plopped down in it backward, resting his arms on the chair's back. "Wait. You're backing out now? After all the work you did? You evolved a Growlithe, for crying out loud. What's the deal?"

I sighed, flopping back onto the bed with my arms covering my face. "I don't know. I feel like I'm going in circles. One second, I'm excited and ready. The next, I'm doubting everything—whether I'm good enough, whether I even want to do this."

Blue was quiet for a moment, which was rare for him. Then, in a surprisingly thoughtful tone, he said, "You know, it's okay to feel like this. Sometimes when something matters a lot, it freaks you out because you don't want to screw it up. But that doesn't mean you give up."

I peeked out from under my arm. "And what do you know about feelings, Mr. Smug?"

He grinned, leaning back and kicking his legs up onto the desk. "Hey, just because I'm awesome doesn't mean I don't have doubts sometimes. I just don't let them stop me. You've got two choices, Mia: you can stay here wallowing in doubt, or you can get out there and show Erica why you've got what it takes."

"But what if I lose?" I asked quietly, staring at the ceiling.

Blue shrugged. "Then you lose. Big deal. You learn from it and get better. It's not the end of the world. Plus," he added with a smirk, "you'd still be cooler than Red. That guy's as boring as watching a Metapod use Harden."

That got a laugh out of me despite everything, and I rolled onto my side to face him. "You're insufferable, you know that?"

"And yet, here I am, cheering you up," Blue said with a wink. "Come on, Mia. If anyone can take Erica down, it's you. Trust your team, trust yourself, and maybe—just maybe—stop screaming into pillows. It's not a good look."

I threw another pillow at him, but this time I was smiling. Maybe he had a point.

I thought.

Then I sat up abruptly, the pillow falling from my lap as a sudden calm washed over me. "You know what, Blue? I've made a decision."

Blue raised an eyebrow, his smirk returning. "Finally. Let's hear it, oh indecisive one. What's the master plan?"

"I'm going to battle Erica..." I paused dramatically, watching as his grin widened in anticipation. Then I dropped the bombshell. "...next year."

Blue froze. His grin faltered, his eye twitched, and then— "WHAT?!" he practically screamed, throwing his hands into the air like I'd just announced I was retiring from Pokémon training altogether.

I shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "It's just not the right time. I need to train more, bond with my team, you know, really prepare. Next year feels... right."

Blue jumped out of his chair, pacing the room like a man on the verge of a breakdown. "Next YEAR? NEXT YEAR?!" He spun to face me, his finger pointing accusingly. "You evolved your Growlithe! You were ready to face her tomorrow, and now you're just—just—ARGH!"

I leaned back on the bed, folding my arms smugly. "What's the rush? Erica will still be there next year, and besides, it's my decision. Right?"

Blue groaned, dragging his hands down his face. Then, as if struck by divine inspiration, he bolted to the door and threw it open. "REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED?!" His voice echoed through the hallway, loud enough to make me wince. "HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!"

I blinked, completely bewildered. "What are you doing?!"

"Calling for backup!" Blue yelled without turning around, his voice still reaching operatic levels. "RED, GET IN HERE! SHE'S LOSING HER MIND!"

From somewhere down the hall, I heard a faint groan that could only belong to Red. A moment later, his familiar, quiet footsteps approached, and his head appeared around the corner, looking as unimpressed as ever.

Blue threw himself dramatically at Red's feet. "She's lost it, man! She says she's not battling Erica until next year! NEXT YEAR! Do something! Talk some sense into her!"

Red blinked, looking between Blue sprawled on the ground and me sitting calmly on the bed. Then, with his usual deadpan expression, he shrugged.

Blue shot up, his hands in his hair. "What do you mean, shrug?! She's making the biggest mistake of her life!"

Red just gave him a look, the kind that clearly said, She's fine. You're the one freaking out. Then he turned and started walking away without saying a word.

Blue looked after him, completely exasperated. "Red! RED! Don't just walk away! Help me fix this!"

I burst out laughing, clutching my sides. "Oh, come on, Blue. It's just a battle! Next year isn't the end of the world."

Blue turned back to me, pointing dramatically. "You're impossible!" Then he stormed out of the room, muttering something about stubborn trainers and wasted potential.

I flopped back onto the bed with a satisfied grin. Next year it was.

My Growlithe hopped up beside me, letting out a soft bark of concern. I reached over, scratching behind his ears as I let out a long, theatrical sigh.

"You know what?" I said aloud, mostly to myself but loud enough for Blue to hear if he was still lingering. "Maybe... maybe I should just retire."

There was a beat of silence. Then—

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!" Blue's voice erupted like a volcano. He burst back into the room, eyes wide with disbelief and fury. "Retire?! RETIRE?! Oh, no, no, no! You don't get to drop that bomb and act like it's nothing!"

Before I could respond, Red's head whipped back around the corner, his normally impassive face showing something dangerously close to panic. He marched straight into the room, his footsteps faster than usual, and stood next to Blue. Together, they looked at me like I'd just announced I was giving up Pokémon altogether to start knitting sweaters.

I blinked at them, playing up my exhaustion. "I mean, what's the point, right? Maybe battling isn't for me. Maybe I'll just... become a breeder or something. Growlithe and I can hang out, relax, and—"

"STOP TALKING!" Blue yelled, grabbing his head as if my words physically hurt him. "You—you can't just retire! That's not how this works! You're a trainer! You've got badges! You've got potential! You're not retiring, you're just being a wimp!"

Red nodded emphatically, his normally calm demeanor cracking as he gestured wildly. He even pointed to my Growlithe, as if saying, What about him? What about the journey?

I sat up, raising an eyebrow. "Wow, you two are really losing it, huh? It's just an idea..."

"JUST AN IDEA?!" Blue paced back and forth like a caged animal, muttering under his breath. "She's lost it. She's completely lost it. Retiring?! I can't believe this! Red, say something!" He turned to his best friend, his eyes wide with desperation.

Red crossed his arms, glared at me, and finally broke his silence with a single word:

"No."

I stared at him, caught off guard. "No?"

Red nodded, his eyes narrowing. "No."

Blue threw his arms into the air. "FINALLY! That's what I'm talking about! Tell her, Red! Tell her why she's being ridiculous!"

Red turned to Blue, smirking slightly, before looking back at me. "Coward."

I gasped. "Excuse me?"

"You heard him!" Blue chimed in, grinning like a madman. "Coward! You're just scared of Erica, aren't you? Oh no, the big scary Grass-type trainer! What ever will you do?"

Growlithe barked indignantly at the insult, standing on all fours as if to say, We're not scared!

I narrowed my eyes. "You think I'm scared?"

Blue crossed his arms smugly. "I don't think. I know. Prove me wrong. Battle her. Tomorrow."

Red raised an eyebrow, clearly agreeing. He pointed at me, his challenge written all over his face.

I huffed, folding my arms. "Fine. I'll battle her tomorrow. But only because you two are so insufferable!"

Blue cheered, throwing his arms up in victory, while Red just nodded, satisfied.

As they left the room, Blue called over his shoulder, "And no more talk of retiring! You'll thank us later!"

I flopped back onto the bed with a groan. "Why do I even tell them anything?" Growlithe barked again, wagging his tail. At least one of us was excited.

Then, a wild thought crossed my mind—an absolutely ridiculous, impulsive thought. I sat up, the beginnings of a mischievous grin forming on my face.

"You know what?" I said, mostly to Growlithe but loud enough to be heard through the thin hotel walls. "I should just blow up the Pokémon Center. Problem solved!"

The room went dead silent for about two seconds.

And then the chaos started.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!" Blue's voice cracked as he stormed into my room like a hurricane, looking at me like I'd grown three heads. "BLOW UP THE POKÉMON CENTER? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!"

Right on cue, Red appeared behind him, eyes wide for once, his usually stoic demeanor shattered into pure, unfiltered disbelief. He gestured wildly at me, his hands saying, Have you completely lost it?!

Blue grabbed his head, pacing back and forth like a madman. "I've heard a lot of stupid things from you, but this—THIS—takes the cake! You can't just throw a bomb on the Pokémon Center! That's like... that's like... criminal! Red, back me up here!"

Red nodded vigorously, his eyes narrowing. He pointed at me, then at the imaginary Pokémon Center outside the window, shaking his head so hard I thought it might fall off.

I shrugged, playing up the nonchalant act. "What? I'm just saying. Erica's Pokémon are probably all in there, getting healed up, right? No Pokémon, no battle. Easy."

Blue practically screeched. "THIS IS NOT HOW BATTLES WORK! YOU DON'T WIN BY BLOWING THINGS UP! OH MY ARCEUS, RED, SAY SOMETHING!"

Red finally spoke, his voice low but charged with panic. "No."

Blue rounded on him. "No?! That's it?! That's all you've got?!"

Red raised his hand, pointing at me again. "No bomb."

Growlithe barked in agreement, jumping down from the bed as if to add, Yeah, that's a little extreme, even for us.

I rolled my eyes. "You two are so dramatic. I wasn't serious."

Blue stopped pacing, staring at me with wide eyes. "You—you weren't serious?"

"No," I said, crossing my arms. "But wow, you guys really can't handle a joke."

Red let out a long sigh of relief, leaning against the wall as if I'd just saved him from a heart attack. Blue, on the other hand, looked like he was still recovering from a near-death experience.

"Don't EVER joke about something like that again!" Blue shouted, pointing a trembling finger at me. "You could give a guy a heart attack! I mean, seriously, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

Red nodded in agreement, his glare sharp. He mimed tossing something into the trash—probably my so-called "plan."

I smirked. "Alright, alright. No bombs. I get it. You two are no fun."

Growlithe hopped back onto the bed, wagging his tail, and Red and Blue stomped out of the room muttering under their breaths. As soon as the door slammed shut, I flopped back onto the bed with a satisfied grin.

Somehow, annoying those two was almost as satisfying as winning a battle. Almost.

The thought hit me again, stronger this time, like a tidal wave crashing over any shred of rationality I had left. The Pokémon Center? Too public. Too many people around. The gym, though? That was a different story. I sat up, a devious gleam in my eyes.

"Forget the Pokémon Center," I muttered, mostly to myself but loud enough for Growlithe to perk up. "I'll just bomb the gym. Erica won't see it coming."

The door to my room slammed open so fast I thought it might come off its hinges. Blue, Red, and Gary all stood there, their faces pale with shock and horror.

"What did you just say?!" Blue shrieked, his voice cracking so high it could've shattered glass.

I shrugged, casual as ever. "You heard me. I'm going to bomb the gym. Problem solved."

Gary's jaw dropped, and he stumbled into the room like his legs had given out. "You can't—you wouldn't—are you serious right now?!"

Red, who rarely ever said a word, was actively pointing at me with both hands, his expression the most animated I'd ever seen. His gestures screamed, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!

Blue, meanwhile, looked like he was about to faint. "You've finally lost it! Like, completely, totally lost it! Bombing the gym?! That's not even remotely okay! That's—THAT'S TERRORISM!"

Gary grabbed my shoulders and shook me, his eyes wild. "What happened to battling like a normal person?! Just going in there, having a Pokémon fight, you know, the usual?! WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT?!"

"I don't feel like battling," I said simply, shrugging him off. "This is faster."

Red groaned, slapping his forehead so hard it echoed in the room. He grabbed a notebook from his pocket, furiously scribbled something, and shoved it in my face. The note read: This is insane. Stop. Now.

Blue started pacing again, practically tearing at his hair. "We need a plan. Red, we need a plan! She's serious! SHE'S SERIOUS! What do we do?!"

"I'm right here, you know," I said, crossing my arms. "No need to talk like I'm not."

Gary stumbled backward into the wall, holding his head like he had a migraine. "You're gonna land all of us in jail! Or worse! Do you know what the Elite Four would do if they found out?!"

"Elite Four?" I scoffed. "They can deal with it. I'm doing this."

Blue turned to Red, his face pale. "You're the calm one! Say something!"

Red threw up his hands, grabbed the notebook again, and wrote furiously. He slapped the page against Blue's chest: Tackle her. Now.

"What?!" Blue yelped. "I'm not tackling her!"

"Fine," I said, standing up and brushing past them. "If you won't help, I'll do it myself."

The three of them moved as one, blocking the doorway like an impromptu barricade. Growlithe barked, sensing the rising tension.

"You're not going anywhere," Blue said, his voice shaking but determined.

Gary spread his arms wide. "Not a chance. You're grounded or something. I don't even know if I can ground you, but I'm doing it."

Red just stood there, glaring at me with an intensity that could have melted ice. His stance screamed, Try me.

I sighed, rubbing my temples. "You guys are overreacting."

"OVERREACTING?!" Blue practically screeched. "YOU JUST THREATENED TO BOMB A GYM!"

"Yeah," Gary chimed in. "There's no overreacting to that! That's like... the definition of underreacting if we don't stop you!"

Red scribbled another note, which he shoved into my hand. It read: Sit. Down. Now.

I looked at the three of them, their faces a mixture of terror, panic, and sheer disbelief. For the first time, I realized maybe—just maybe—I'd gone a bit too far.

But I wasn't going to admit that out loud. Not yet, anyway.