I was still sitting there when it finally hit me. Heart could have stopped. The words echoed in my brain, and my panic bubbled up, faster than a bubbling cauldron. I shot to my feet, a wild scream erupting from me.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

Everyone jumped back as my voice cracked like thunder, and before anyone could even react, I was out the door like a rocket. My shoes barely touched the ground as I bolted toward Cerulean City, sprinting with a crazed energy that only a ten-year-old who just realized they were potentially in danger could have.

I’m going to die, I’m going to die, I’m going to die! The thought spiraled out of control in my head, and I couldn’t stop myself. I burst through Cerulean City’s gates, ran past people, dodged a confused Pidgey, and skidded to a halt right in front of Misty’s Gym.

Misty, standing by the door with a clipboard, looked up just as I barreled into the gym like a wrecking ball. She blinked in surprise. "Mia? What the—"

"I'M GOING TO DIE, MISTY!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, slamming my hands against the gym floor for dramatic effect. "THE ELITE FOUR SAID MY HEART COULD STOP!"

Misty’s face went blank for a second before she blinked rapidly, trying to process my words. "Uh... what?"

"THEY SAID MY HEART COULD STOP!" I repeated, as if saying it louder would make it more true. "I’VE BEEN TAKING MEDICATION AND NOW I’M GOING TO DIE AND I CAN'T BEAT GARY AND—"

At this point, Misty was already trying to calm me down, but it wasn’t working. She had a hand out like she was about to grab my shoulder, but I was on the move again.

"YOU'RE NOT HELPING! WHY IS EVERYONE SO CALM ABOUT THIS?!" I screamed, pacing back and forth like a mad scientist in a lab about to explode.

Misty let out a long breath and did what any sensible person would do when confronted with my level of hysteria: she turned to her Psyduck. "Psyduck, help her."

Psyduck, ever the helpful companion, just stared blankly at me, its eyes wide in confusion.

"Ugh!" I threw my hands up in frustration, spinning around to face Misty again. "Why isn’t Psyduck doing something?!"

Psyduck, as if on cue, twitched and slapped its head with its flippers in a dramatic motion, causing a small wave of water to splash on the gym floor.

"YES, MISTY! THIS ISN’T HELPING!" I shouted, pointing at the water puddle. "WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO DO?!"

Misty sighed. "Well, he tries."

I dramatically sank to the ground, sitting cross-legged in a huff. "If this is the end, I guess I’ll die sitting down." I leaned forward dramatically. "I never got to battle the Elite Four properly... oh, what a tragic fate."

Misty rubbed her temples. "Okay, Mia, you need to calm down. You’re not going to die, alright? You’re freaking out over nothing."

"But what if I do?!" I shot back, my eyes wide with panic.

"Then," Misty said, her voice dry, "at least you’ll die screaming at me instead of in some random forest with no one around."

Psyduck, still standing in the corner, nodded solemnly, as though it agreed with Misty’s philosophy of dealing with me.

I gasped, sitting upright. "Wait—did you just say 'at least you’ll die screaming at me'?!" I pointed an accusing finger at her. "You’re supposed to be calming me down, Misty, not helping me write my obituary!"

"Calm down!" Misty insisted, trying to keep her face straight as she rubbed Psyduck’s head. "You’re not going to die! You’re just... overly tired and stressed out, that’s all."

I threw my hands up again. "Well, maybe I wouldn't be stressed if I wasn’t taking every pill in sight! I should just start chewing on the walls! Maybe the chalk will help me stay awake."

Misty stared at me like I had just proposed we start a dance-off. "Uh... please don’t eat the walls, Mia. I just redecorated."

I froze, blinking at her in confusion. "Wait, you redecorated?!"

"Yes!" She nodded enthusiastically. "And I don’t want you making it worse with your wall-chewing habits."

Psyduck gave a small, slightly annoyed quack.

I stared at the Psyduck. "You... you get me. You understand the wall-chewing struggle."

Psyduck sighed, clearly exhausted by the sheer absurdity of my existence, but somehow that made me feel a little better. I slumped back against the gym wall.

Misty took a deep breath, her face softening. "Alright. Here’s the deal. We’re going to sit down, calm down, and... you’re going to explain to me exactly what’s going on. In a way that doesn't involve screaming. Agreed?"

I nodded weakly, feeling my breath start to slow. "Yeah, yeah. I guess... I guess I overreacted a bit. Just a bit."

Psyduck glanced at Misty, its eyes narrowing in an expression that seemed to say, You think?

Misty flashed a quick grin at Psyduck before returning her attention to me. "So, tell me everything, but this time, no yelling. Or, you know, I’ll have to call in the gym leader backup." She made a show of reaching for her phone, but I could tell she was just trying to lighten the mood.

I crossed my arms. "Fine. But only if Psyduck promises to stop pretending to be a therapist."

Psyduck simply put its flipper over its face, clearly done with the situation.

And that, somehow, was the calming moment I needed. Misty may have been my friend, but I quickly realized that the real hero of the day was Psyduck and its complete and utter indifference to my drama.