" Heh. You would have been. But there's one more person you need to battle."

I blinked at Lance, confused." Oh? Who?"

The person stepped into the room, and I turned.

" PROFESSOR OAK?!" I shrieked.

" Hello, my gi-"

I turned to Lance. " I HAVE TO BEAT HIM?!"

" Well, actu-"

I didn't let him finish.

Because at that moment I screamed.

" AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHYYYH!" I screamed, running around Lance's dojo.

My screaming was so loud Oak and Lance and Lance's Dragonite had to cover their ears.

It was also so loud it summoned Greta, Bruce and Lorelei from their rooms.

" What happened?!" Bruno asked.

I grabbed Greta's shoulders. " YOU TOLD ME PROFESSOR OAK DIDN'T BATTLE ANYMORE!"

" he doesn't." Greta replied, confused.

" THEN WHY DO I HAVE TO BATTLE HIM?!"

Lorelei covered her mouth. " Dear, Professor Oak isn't the one you have to battle."

" BUT SIR LANCE SAID SO!"

Lance cleared his throat." you didn't let m-*

I didn't hear him

Because I had went back to screaming while flailing my arms and running in a circle.

The adults just stared.

Lorelei pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to stifle a giggle. "Mia, calm down! You're misunderstanding the situation."

Greta and Bruno exchanged looks, clearly baffled but amused by my chaotic energy.

"Why is she like this?" Bruno muttered under his breath.

"Because she’s Mia," Greta replied matter-of-factly.

Professor Oak, who had been standing calmly through the chaos, finally raised a hand. "Mia, my dear girl, if you would listen for a moment..."

I skidded to a halt, panting but still flailing my arms for dramatic effect. "WHAT?! WHAT COULD YOU POSSIBLY SAY TO MAKE THIS LESS HORRIFYING?!"

Lance stepped in, arms crossed but smirking. "If you had let me finish earlier, I was going to say that I was joking. Professor Oak is not the final opponent you have to battle."

I blinked at him, confused. "Wait, then who is?"

Oak smiled, adjusting his lab coat. "Not me, my dear. You’ll be battling… him."

Before I could process his words, a figure stepped into the room. My jaw dropped as I recognized the familiar face of… Gary.

"You’ve got to be kidding me," I whispered, frozen in place.

Gary grinned. " What, you scared of me?"

"YES," I said without hesitation. "YES, I AM."

Bruno burst out laughing. "She’s honest, I’ll give her that."

Gary raised an eyebrow. "Well, if you’re going to run around screaming like a banshee, this will be over faster than I thought."

I opened my mouth to reply, but then I felt weak.

" SIR LANCE?!" I screamed. " WHERE'S THE WINDOW?!"

Lance blinked. " Uh... Why-"

" JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION!!"

Lance pointed to it, and I didn't waste any time throwing the door open, tumbling out and....

Well, getting sick in the bushes.

" Is.. is she okay?" Lance asked

" Oh yeah she's fine." Oak replied, though even he looked unconvinced.

" Pika."

Everyone turned to see Pikachu holding a bottle.

Professor Oak took it from Pikachu and gasped.

" Mia?!"

I peeked from the window. " Yes?"

" Have you been eating sleeping pills?!"

I froze. " Uh.... Nooooo....."

Gary shot me a look. " Mia."

I sighed. " Fine. I couldn't sleep for two weeks so I... Well I ate pills. And see? I'm awake."

" But why were you eating pills?" Lorelei asked gently.

" The elite four. Why else?"

Greta blinked. " You're going to need to go into more detail, dear."

I groaned, leaning against the window frame, feeling like my brain was being interrogated by the International Pokémon Federation. "You know... THE ELITE FOUR! You guys are terrifying! I’ve been up for weeks thinking about how I’d beat you, and it didn’t help that everyone kept talking about how Lance’s Dragonite can one-shot practically anything."

Lance smirked, arms crossed. "Well, they’re not wrong."

"SEE?!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms in the air. "How am I supposed to sleep when that is looming over me? So yeah, I took sleeping pills to try and chill, but… I may have taken one too many. But I’m fine now!" I grinned, trying to wave off their concerned stares.

Gary facepalmed. "Mia, you can’t just solve problems like that."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Coming from the guy who once drank four energy drinks to stay up studying Pokémon moves?"

Gary turned red. "That’s not the same!"

Oak sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Mia, this is serious. You shouldn’t be using pills without consulting a doctor or a professional first."

I looked down at Pikachu, who was giving me a disappointed look. "Even you, buddy? Traitor," I muttered.

Lorelei knelt down to my level. "Look, sweetie, we understand the pressure you’re under. Battling the Elite Four is no small feat. But you need to take care of yourself too, okay? You won’t be able to give it your all if you’re not in good shape."

I nodded slowly, feeling like a chastised kid in school. "Yeah… I guess you’re right."

Gary crossed his arms. "And you still have to battle me, by the way. You’re not getting out of it by throwing yourself out a window."

I groaned dramatically. "WHY DO YOU WANT TO DESTROY ME SO BADLY, GARY?!"

He smirked. "Because it’s fun to see you squirm."

Lance chuckled. "At least she’s honest about her fear. Most trainers just pretend they’re ready."

I shot Lance a glare. "You’re not helping, Dragonite-man."

He just laughed harder.

I groaned and leaned against the wall. " I'm too tired to deal with any of you...."