It started as a completely normal day. At least, that's what Ash thought.

They were just hanging out, Ash lounging on Gary's couch while flipping through TV channels, half-eaten snacks scattered around them. Pikachu was curled up beside him, content and relaxed. Everything was fine. Peaceful, even.

And then Gary said, completely out of nowhere—

"Lie down."

Ash blinked. "Huh?"

Gary was already sitting up, cracking his knuckles like he was about to do something serious. "Lie down."

Ash narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

Gary sighed dramatically. "Because I want to check something."

"Check what?"

"Your stomach."

Silence.

Ash stared at him. "...Why do you want to check my stomach?"

Gary gave him a look. "Because I feel like it."

"That's not a real reason!" Ash yelped, clutching his midsection protectively. "What do you think is wrong with me?!"

"Nothing. Yet."

"YET?!"

Gary rolled his eyes. "Oh, for the love of—just lie down, Ash."

Ash huffed, crossing his arms. "You're not even a doctor yet. You can't just go poking around people's guts for fun."

"It's not for fun," Gary said, exasperated. "I just wanna check your digestion."

Ash squinted at him. "My digestion."

"Yes."

"Why?"

Gary groaned. "Because you eat like a trash compactor, Ash. Have you ever considered that maybe—just maybe—shoving down three cheeseburgers, two sodas, and an entire bag of chips in one sitting might be doing something weird to your insides?"

Ash frowned. "I mean... I feel fine."

"That's what you think," Gary muttered. "Now lie down before I make you."

Ash scoffed. "You can't make me—hey!"

Before he could protest further, Gary grabbed Ash's wrist and effortlessly pulled him down onto the couch, pressing a hand firmly against his chest to keep him there.

Ash flailed. "Gary! Personal space, bro!"

"Relax," Gary said, already pushing up Ash's hoodie. "I'm just checking your stomach, not performing surgery."

Ash huffed, glaring at the ceiling. "This is so weird."

"You're weird," Gary shot back. "Now shut up and let me concentrate."

Ash sighed dramatically but went still as Gary pressed his palms gently over his stomach, moving in slow, deliberate motions. His hands were warm, firm but careful. He pressed along Ash's abdomen, checking for any weird tightness or discomfort.

"Does this hurt?" Gary asked, pressing lightly just below Ash's ribs.

Ash shook his head. "Nope."

Gary moved lower. "How about here?"

"Nah."

Gary pressed a little firmer. "And here?"

Ash tensed slightly. "Kinda tickles."

Gary smirked. "Noted."

"Not noted," Ash grumbled, wriggling a little. "Seriously, how do doctors do this without their patients squirming all over the place?"

"Because most patients aren't you," Gary replied dryly, poking at Ash's side.

Ash yelped. "HEY!"

Gary just grinned. "Okay, well, nothing feels weird, which is shocking considering the garbage you eat." He gave Ash's stomach one last poke before letting his hoodie fall back down. "Still, I'd bet your digestion isn't exactly flawless."

Ash sat up, rubbing his stomach. "I digest just fine, thank you very much."

Gary raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that? You ever feel bloated? Get cramps? Any weird stomach noises?"

Ash opened his mouth to argue—then hesitated. "...Okay, sometimes my stomach makes weird noises. But that's just normal digestion, right?"

Gary squinted. "Define 'weird noises.'"

Ash scratched his cheek. "Like... gurgly? Sometimes it sounds like a Wailord crying."

Gary grimaced. "That's not normal, Ash."

Ash groaned, flopping back onto the couch. "Great. Now I'm gonna be thinking about my digestion all the time."

Gary clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Welcome to the real world, Ashy Boy."

It started as a normal day—normal by Ash's standards, which meant nothing was actually normal at all. One minute, he was lounging on Gary's examination table, kicking his legs idly while they chatted about absolutely nothing. The next thing he knew, Gary had rolled up his sleeves, slapped on some gloves, and was eyeing him like a science experiment.

"Lie down."

Ash blinked. "Huh?"

Gary patted the table. "Lie. Down."

Ash narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Why?"

Gary smirked. "Because I want to check something."

"Check what?" Ash asked, still unmoving.

"Your stomach."

Ash instantly sat up straighter, wrapping his arms around himself. "Uh. No thanks?"

Gary rolled his eyes. "Quit being dramatic. It's just a routine palpation."

"That sounds suspiciously like something I don't want to happen."

Gary sighed, already grabbing Ash's wrist and gently tugging him down. "You're making this weird. Just lie down already."

Ash groaned but flopped onto his back, arms still defensively wrapped around his torso. "Why do you even need to check my stomach? It's fine! I eat like a champ!"

"Yeah, and that's exactly why I'm checking," Gary muttered, reaching for his stethoscope. "The amount of garbage you inhale on a daily basis is downright criminal."

Ash pouted. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

Gary ignored him, pressing the cold diaphragm of the stethoscope against Ash's stomach.

Ash flinched violently. "GAH—COLD!"

Gary snorted. "Stop squirming, baby."

Ash scowled but forced himself to stay still, his face scrunching up when Gary moved the stethoscope around.

After a few moments of careful listening, Gary hummed. "Huh."

"Huh?" Ash echoed immediately, lifting his head. "What huh?"

Gary gave him a sideways glance. "Your digestion's loud."

Ash flopped back down. "Well, yeah. Gotta keep up with my eating habits."

Gary rolled his eyes and set the stethoscope aside. "Alright, time for palpation."

Ash squinted at him. "...Which means?"

Gary smirked. "Poking."

"What?!"

Before Ash could react, Gary pressed his hands gently against his stomach, applying light pressure with his fingers.

Ash immediately squirmed. "GAH!"

Gary grinned. "Oh? Someone's ticklish?"

"NO—I MEAN—SHUT UP—" Ash stammered, trying so hard not to writhe under Gary's touch. But every time Gary moved his hands, applying different levels of pressure, Ash twitched involuntarily. His hands instinctively shot down to grab Gary's wrists. "Dude, I swear—"

Gary just raised an eyebrow. "I swear what?"

Ash's face burned. "I swear this is cruel and unusual punishment!"

Gary chuckled but didn't let up, pressing a bit deeper as he worked his way around Ash's abdomen. "I'm checking for anything abnormal. Like bloating, tenderness, masses—"

Ash cut him off with an undignified noise when Gary pressed near his lower ribs. He jerked, face turning redder by the second. "STOP—"

Gary smirked. "Oh? Sensitive there?"

Ash practically curled up, gripping Gary's wrists tighter. "I hate you so much right now."

Gary grinned but continued his exam, methodically pressing along Ash's stomach while the younger boy twitched and whimpered. "Relax, you big baby. You're fine."

"Easy for you to say," Ash muttered through gritted teeth.

After what felt like forever, Gary finally pulled his hands back, looking satisfied. "Well, you seem fine. No issues with your digestion that I can tell."

Ash groaned, flopping dramatically against the table. "Great. Fantastic. Can I never do that again?"

Gary snickered, patting Ash's stomach one last time for good measure.

Ash yelped. "GARY—"

Gary grinned. "What? Just making sure!"

Ash glared daggers at him. "I hate you."

Gary just smirked and ruffled Ash's hair. "Love you too, Ashy Boy."