Gary, Silver and Ethan were casually eating their food when they heard three screams.

Screams each boy could recognize instantly.

" Lyra!" Silver exclaimed, jumping up and running to the hall.

" Mia!" Gary yelled, running after Silver.

" Kris! What happened?!" Ethan added as he followed the two.

Me, Kris and Lyra were having a... Problem.

" WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR CLOTHES?!" Kris and Lyra screamed while I mutely stood there.

Silver burst into the room, followed by Ethan and Gary. " What happened?!"

I turned, eyes wide, and pointed to our clothes. " someone came in at night and ruined the clothes!"

Gary blinked. "... You mean the ones you wear everyday?"

" What other clothes do you think I mean, Pikachu's?"

"Pika!" She said from my shoulder.

" I can't find my shirt!" Kris said, her voice muffled because she was peeking into the cabinet.

" And where's my hat?!" Lyra added, ransacking through the clothes.

I was the only one silent.

Gary approached me gently. " ... Mia?"

"What."

"... Why are you standing there?"

"... Gary they took all my clothes. Even my cards."

My eyes widened, and I quickly grabbed my phone. " I need to call the bank to shut my card!"

Ethan blinked. “Wait—they stole your wallet too?!”

I nodded, frantic. “And my ID! My Champion ID! What if they impersonate me?! What if they try to declare war on Johto?! What if they file taxes under my name?”

Silver narrowed his eyes. “Okay. Who was on watch last night?”

Everyone paused. Then slowly… everyone turned to Ethan.

“Hey!” Ethan cried, pointing at himself. “It wasn’t me! I fell asleep for, like, two seconds!”

Kris stood, now wrapped in a bath towel like a toga. “You were drooling on the couch for three hours, Ethan!”

Silver groaned, pacing. “So someone broke in, stole three girls’ entire wardrobes—and Mia’s identity?”

Lyra flopped onto the bed in defeat. “My hat, Silver. My signature hat. How am I supposed to be Lyra without it?”

“Be hatless,” Silver said, rubbing his temple.

“Hatless?! Hatless?! I might as well show up to the dance barefoot with no sparkles!”

“Guys,” Kris cut in, holding up a shoe. “This is the only thing left. One shoe. For three girls.”

“I’m going to jail,” I whispered. “I don’t know what for, but it’s happening. They’ll find tax evasion, I just know it.”

Gary knelt beside me, placing a hand on my shoulder. “You’re not going to jail.”

“You don’t know that,” I said hollowly. “They’ll trace it to my League card. Next thing I know, I’m in a cell with someone named Brutus who thinks Champion Pikachu is a snack.”

“Pika?!”

Silver was at the door already. “I’m checking security cameras. Ethan, you’re with me. Gary, stay with them.”

Ethan groaned. “Can I at least eat first—?”

“No.”

Silver practically dragged him down the hall.

Lyra curled up under a blanket. “This is a crime against fashion.”

Kris stared at her shoe. “And symmetry.”

Gary glanced at me. I hadn’t moved.

“…Mia?”

“…I only had one sweater,” I said weakly. “ONE.”

He took my hand gently. “We’ll find the culprit. And your sweater. And your cards.”

“Even the snack card?”

Gary sighed. “Even the snack card.”

“…Okay. I trust you.” I slumped into him, defeated. “But if I end up in Kanto prison—you’re defending me.”

“I’ll bring Pikachu as a character witness.”

“Pika!” she chirped proudly.

“Deal,” I mumbled, eyes closing. “I want a new sweater.”

“First thing we buy,” Gary whispered, brushing my hair from my face. “Just hold on, Mia.”

“Okay…” I breathed, eyes fluttering shut as Lyra dramatically announced she would never wear socks again out of protest.

It was going to be a long day.

Silver stormed back into the room, Ethan trailing behind him, out of breath and carrying what looked suspiciously like a crumpled sock.

“We saw someone,” Silver said sharply.

I sat up instantly. “What?!”

Ethan nodded, huffing. “Yeah—some guy in black, lurking around the east wing. He bolted the second he saw us!”

“What was he wearing?” Lyra asked, clutching a pillow like it was a security blanket.

“Black hoodie, black pants, some kind of mask,” Silver said. “Couldn’t see his face, but he had your hat, Lyra.”

Lyra screamed. “MY HAT?! You mean it’s out there just—roaming free?! Like a wild Pokémon?!”

“I think he also had Kris’s tank top,” Ethan added. “It was over his shoulder. Kinda flappy.”

Kris blinked. “Flappy?! Flappy?! That’s imported silk, you shoe-brained Slowpoke!”

Silver ignored the chaos and turned to me. “And he had your bag. I saw the Pokéball keychain on it.”

My heart stopped. “He has my cards.”

Gary’s grip on my hand tightened. “What direction?”

“Back toward the woods. Probably hiding in the old ranger station.” Silver’s eyes were cold. “We can catch him.”

“I knew I should’ve put a tracker in my bag,” I muttered, flopping back in defeat. “But nooo, Red said that was ‘paranoid.’ Who’s paranoid now, Red?!”

Ethan held up the sock. “This was all he dropped. One sock. Pink. Glittery.”

Kris snatched it. “That’s mine.”

Silver pointed toward the hallway. “We’re heading out. Ethan, gear up. Gary, stay here.”

“I’m coming too,” Gary said firmly, standing up.

“Wait—” I started, but he looked at me gently.

“I’ll bring your cards back, Mia.” His voice softened. “You just rest. Keep Pikachu close.”

“Pika!” she saluted.

“Be careful,” I mumbled, hugging my knees. “If he tries to use my ID at a gas station, tackle him.”

Gary winked. “Tackle first, talk later.”

Silver was already walking. “Let’s go.”

As they vanished down the hall, Kris and Lyra huddled beside me, eyes wide.

Lyra whispered, “This is war.”

Kris nodded solemnly. “Operation Sparkle Vengeance is a go.”

I sighed. “I just want my snack card back.”

“Priorities,” Lyra agreed.

As the door creaked open softly, I looked up from where I sat curled in a blanket burrito, Pikachu resting on my lap and Kris and Lyra half-asleep beside me.

Ash stepped in first, his hat slightly crooked. “Hey…”

Behind him, Red followed silently, eyes immediately locking with mine.

“Ash?” I blinked. “Red?”

Ash offered a sheepish grin. “We heard what happened. Thought you could use some backup.”

Red didn’t speak, as usual, but the way he walked straight over and sank down beside me, gently tugging the blanket so he could slide under it too—that said enough.

Ash flopped down on my other side and leaned against me, arms casually draping over my shoulder like it was instinct. “Like old times, right?”

I bit back a wobbly smile, nodding. “Yeah. Just like when we were little.”

Red’s presence was solid and quiet next to me, warm and steady. His hand brushed mine once, barely, then settled beside me, unmoving. I leaned slightly into him. He didn’t move away.

Ash nudged me. “Still remember that one time you cried ‘cause Red wouldn’t share the last rice ball?”

I huffed, cheeks puffing. “He stared at it for ten minutes and then ate it anyway!”

Red actually blinked. Then he mumbled, so low I almost didn’t catch it: “…I was hungry.”

My jaw dropped. Ash gasped like he’d seen a legendary. “He talked.”

Pikachu clapped her paws.

“I can’t believe you remember that!” I laughed softly, for the first time all day, and the knot in my chest loosened just a little. “I missed this.”

Ash leaned his head against mine. “Me too. Kinda sucks we only cuddle when someone steals all your stuff, though.”

Red nodded once, then pulled the blanket more snug around the three of us.

I exhaled, the tension melting with every passing second. With my brothers at my sides, for the first time in hours… I felt safe.

No matter what the thief took, this—us—was something no one could steal.