Gary smirked, watching Ash fumble with his words, his fingers twisting the hem of his jacket. "N-Nervous? Pfft, no way," Ash stammered, though the tremble in his voice betrayed him.

Gary chuckled, crossing his arms. "Ashy-boy, your leg is bouncing so fast it looks like you're trying to hatch an egg with sheer determination."

Ash immediately pressed his foot flat against the floor, glaring at Gary. "Am not!"

"Uh-huh. And I suppose your hands are shaking because you're just so excited to be here?" Gary teased, raising an eyebrow.

Ash quickly stuffed his hands into his lap, but that only made it worse—now his fingers were gripping his knees like a lifeline. His heart pounded so loudly he was sure Gary could hear it.

"Alright, alright, enough teasing," Gary said, finally softening. He stepped closer, resting a hand over Ash’s trembling one. "Hey. You're gonna be okay. It's me, Ashy."

Ash blinked, looking up at Gary's face. His friend’s expression wasn’t smug anymore; it was calm, reassuring. And for a second, just a second, Ash felt like he could breathe.

Then Gary stepped back, clapping his hands together. "Alright, buddy, let's get this over with before you faint on me."

Ash swallowed hard and nodded. "Yeah. Sure."

Gary pulled on a pair of gloves and grabbed a small flashlight. "First, let's check those eyes. Look at me, Ashy-boy."

Ash sat up straighter, blinking as Gary shined the light into his eyes. "Follow it," Gary instructed, moving the beam side to side. Ash’s pupils reacted normally, but his breathing was still erratic.

"Eyes look good," Gary said, clicking the flashlight off. "Now your ears." He tilted Ash’s head slightly, peering inside with practiced ease. "No ear infections, no weird gunk. You're all clear."

Gary moved on, checking Ash’s mouth and throat next. "Say 'ahh' for me, buddy."

Ash hesitated, then opened his mouth. Gary smirked. "Wow, you actually listened? I should be a doctor more often."

Ash huffed, but the moment he tried to speak, Gary gently pressed his tongue down with a depressor. "Throat looks fine. No signs of infections or anything gross. You do brush your teeth, right?"

"Of course I do!" Ash snapped the moment Gary removed the depressor.

Gary laughed. "Just checking, Ashy-boy. Okay, next up—heart and blood pressure. Deep breaths, alright?"

Ash tensed. Oh no.

Gary grabbed the stethoscope, looping it around his neck before pressing the chest piece against Ash’s ribs, just under his lifted shirt. "Breathe in."

Ash inhaled shakily.

"Breathe out."

His breath came out in a stutter.

Gary frowned slightly. "Ash, I need you to calm down a little."

"Trying," Ash muttered, clenching his fists.

Gary sighed. Without a word, he sat down beside Ash on the table, wrapping an arm around his best friend’s shoulders. Ash stiffened at first, but after a moment, he let himself lean slightly against Gary, his breathing slowing just a bit.

"Better?" Gary asked.

"...A little."

Gary nodded and listened again, waiting until Ash’s heartbeat was steady enough to move on. He then grabbed the blood pressure cuff, wrapping it around Ash’s arm. "Alright, let’s see what we’re working with here."

The cuff tightened. Ash bit his lip, his foot bouncing again.

A few seconds later, the machine beeped.

Gary’s eyes widened. "Four hundred and what?!"

Ash flinched. "Uh… is that bad?"

Gary turned to him, looking extremely unimpressed. "Ash. That is beyond bad. That’s ‘how are you not exploding’ bad."

Ash gave a nervous laugh. "Oops?"

Gary sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You are so lucky I’m here."

Ash frowned. "Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?"

"It means you need to calm down before you give yourself an actual problem," Gary muttered. He exhaled, shaking his head. "Alright. We're gonna sit here until that number comes down, got it?"

Ash pouted. "That’ll take forever."

Gary smirked. "Guess you're stuck with me, then."

Ash groaned, slumping against Gary, who only tightened his grip around his best friend. "Yeah, yeah, you big baby," Gary muttered. "Just breathe, Ashy-boy. I got you."

Ash swallowed hard, his fingers twisting nervously in the hem of his jacket. "N-Nervous? Pfft, no way," he stammered, though his voice cracked slightly.

Gary smirked, arms still crossed as he leaned casually against the doorframe. "Ashy-boy, your leg is bouncing so hard you’re about to launch off that table."

Ash immediately clamped a hand down on his knee, forcing it to stop. "I-I'm fine," he insisted, though the slight tremor in his voice betrayed him.

Gary sighed, stepping closer. "Come on, buddy. It’s just me," he said, his voice dropping to something softer, something more familiar. "You’ve been through worse than a check-up."

Ash’s heart was pounding in his chest, so fast and hard he thought it might burst. He remembered the last time Gary had been with him for a check-up—they were four, and it had been a disaster. The second the doctor brought out a needle, Ash had screamed so loud that he nearly shattered the windows, and Gary, being Gary, had tried to fight the doctor to "protect" him. It took three nurses and Professor Oak to separate them.

Now, here they were again. Only this time, Gary was the one holding the clipboard.

Gary pulled on a pair of gloves and grabbed a small flashlight. "Alright, let’s start simple. Eyes first," he said, stepping in front of Ash. "Look straight at me, Ashy."

Ash swallowed and did as he was told, though his fingers gripped the table tightly.

Gary flicked the light on and waved it in front of Ash’s eyes. "Follow it," he instructed. Ash’s pupils reacted normally, but his gaze kept darting away.

"Eyes look good," Gary noted, turning off the flashlight and tugging off the gloves. "Now, let’s check your ears." He tilted Ash’s head slightly and peered inside. "No weird infections or anything. You’re all clear there, too."

Ash was still trembling, his hands now clutching his own arms. Gary sighed.

"Alright, open up," Gary said, grabbing a tongue depressor.

Ash hesitated. "Do I have to?"

Gary gave him a deadpan look. "Yes, Ash. You do."

Reluctantly, Ash opened his mouth. Gary quickly checked his throat, making sure there were no signs of swelling or infection. "Looks fine," he said, tossing the depressor away.

Ash exhaled shakily, but his body was still tense. Gary noticed immediately.

"Okay, now I need to check your heart," Gary said, grabbing his stethoscope. He hesitated, then softened his tone. "Ashy, I need you to take a deep breath for me, alright?"

Ash nodded weakly, barely registering the words. His mind was racing. He could feel his own pulse hammering against his skin, his breathing short and shallow.

Gary lifted Ash’s shirt just slightly, enough to place the stethoscope against his chest. The moment the cold metal touched his skin, Ash flinched.

"Whoa, easy," Gary said, adjusting the stethoscope. He pressed it lightly against Ash’s chest and listened. His brow furrowed slightly.

"Ash, your heart’s going a mile a minute," Gary said, concern slipping into his voice. "You need to calm down, buddy."

Ash didn’t respond. He was too caught up in his own nerves, his own spiraling thoughts.

Gary sighed and did something he hadn’t done in years—he sat down next to Ash on the table, wrapped an arm around his shoulders, and pulled him into a loose hug. "Hey," he murmured, resting his chin lightly on Ash’s head. "You’re gonna be okay, Ashy. It’s just me."

Ash tensed for a moment, but after a few seconds, he let out a shaky breath and leaned into the embrace—just a little.

Gary waited a moment before pulling back. "Alright, blood pressure next," he said, keeping his voice steady and calm.

He wrapped the cuff around Ash’s arm and started pumping. The moment the numbers appeared, Gary frowned.

"What the-" he muttered, eyes widening. "Your blood pressure’s in the 400s!"

Ash blinked. "Uh… is that bad?"

Gary gaped at him. "YES, it’s bad!" He quickly deflated the cuff, rubbing a hand down his face. "No wonder your heart’s racing—you’re freaking out so much your BP’s through the roof!"

Ash bit his lip, suddenly feeling even more anxious.

Gary exhaled through his nose and stood up. "Alright, no more exams for now. First, you need to calm down."

He sat back down next to Ash, letting the stethoscope hang loosely around his neck. "Look, buddy, I know you hate check-ups. I remember what happened when we were kids." He nudged Ash lightly. "But I’m not gonna let anything happen to you, alright?"

Ash didn’t say anything, but his leg had stopped bouncing. His hands weren’t trembling as much.

Gary took that as a win.

He gave Ash’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "We’ll take it slow. Just breathe, Ashy-boy. I got you."

Ash swallowed hard, gripping the edge of the examination table as Gary smirked at him. His fingers trembled, his leg bouncing uncontrollably as his heart pounded in his chest. He could feel the sweat forming at the back of his neck, making his collar stick to his skin.

Gary stepped closer, placing a hand on Ash’s shoulder. “Hey, you’re gonna be okay. It’s me, Ashy.” His voice was calm, steady, the teasing edge gone for a brief moment.

Ash tried to force a chuckle, but it came out shaky. “Yeah… yeah, I know.”

Gary sighed, shaking his head. “Man, you are way more nervous than you should be.” He squeezed Ash’s shoulder reassuringly before pulling on a pair of latex gloves with a loud snap. “Alright, let’s start simple.”

He picked up a small flashlight and gestured for Ash to sit up straight. “Eyes first.”

Ash sucked in a breath, his fingers digging into his jeans as he forced himself to sit still. Gary held up the flashlight, flicking it on with a small click. “Follow the light, Ash,” he instructed, moving it slowly from side to side.

Ash’s eyes darted after it, his breath shallow.

“Good,” Gary murmured. “Now up and down.”

Ash complied, but he felt like his vision was swimming. The bright light made his nerves feel even worse, like the whole world was closing in.

Gary clicked the flashlight off and sighed. “Pupils look fine. Now, let’s check your ears.” He grabbed the otoscope and gently tilted Ash’s head.

Ash flinched. “H-Hey, warn me next time!”

Gary snorted. “Relax, buddy, I’m not shoving a Beedrill in there.”

Ash let out a shaky breath as Gary examined his ears, humming thoughtfully before moving to the other side. “Alright, nothing weird. Let’s check your mouth. Open up, Ashy-boy.”

Ash hesitated.

Gary raised an eyebrow. “Come on. I promise I won’t find any stray Poké Puffs in there.”

Ash huffed but finally opened his mouth. Gary peered inside, pressing Ash’s tongue down with a wooden depressor. “Say ‘ahh.’”

Ash rolled his eyes but obeyed.

“Throat looks fine,” Gary concluded, tossing the depressor in the trash. “Now, the fun part—heart and blood pressure.”

Ash stiffened immediately. His fingers twitched against his jeans, his leg bouncing faster.

Gary noticed.

Sighing, he grabbed the stethoscope and sat down next to Ash on the examination table. Instead of making Ash face him, he just scooted close, shoulder to shoulder, and placed the chest piece lightly against Ash’s shirt.

“Hey,” Gary said quietly, his voice softer now. “Calm down, buddy. It’s just me. Just a stethoscope.”

Ash exhaled shakily as Gary lifted his shirt slightly, just enough to place the cold metal against his skin. He flinched at the chill.

“Deep breaths,” Gary instructed. “In and out.”

Ash tried, but his breath was coming in fast, uneven puffs.

Gary pressed the stethoscope to different areas, frowning. “Ashy, your heart’s racing.”

“No kidding,” Ash muttered.

Gary sighed and sat back, setting the stethoscope aside. “Alright. Blood pressure next.”

Ash’s fingers curled into fists as Gary wrapped the cuff around his arm and pumped it up. The pressure built, making Ash grit his teeth. He hated this part.

The monitor beeped.

Gary’s eyes widened. “Whoa.”

Ash blinked. “What?”

“Uh… buddy, your blood pressure is through the roof. Like, four hundred levels high.”

Ash’s stomach dropped. “Is that… bad?”

Gary exhaled, rubbing his temple. “Yeah, Ash, it’s bad.”

Ash started panicking again, his breath quickening. Gary saw the way his body tensed and immediately sat down next to him again, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

“Hey, hey, breathe,” Gary murmured. “You’re okay. Just gotta calm down.”

Ash was stiff, his fists clenched, but Gary tightened his hold slightly, offering steady warmth. Slowly, Ash let himself lean into it, though his body still trembled.

“See? No poison. No Beedrill attacks,” Gary teased lightly. “Just me.”

Ash let out a weak chuckle, still catching his breath. “Yeah… just you.”

Gary smirked, ruffling Ash’s hair. “We’ll sit here until you feel better, alright, Ashy-boy?”

Ash nodded, finally letting himself relax, if only a little.