Ash and Gliscor exchanged a grin.

Then Gliscor's eyes widened. " Gli?"

Ash blinked. " What's wrong?"

" Scor!"

" Pikachu!"

Ash looked at his sleeve

The white fabric was red.

He shrugged. " Eh. It happens."

Gary shook his head, walking to Ash and grabbing the arm. " No, Ash, it does not ' just happen'."

Brock crossed his arms. " That doesn't look like berry juice..."

" Because it's not." Gary replied firmly, rolling Ash's sleeves up more. " It's blood."

Dawn gasped. " Blood?! What did team Rocket do to you?!"

Ash shook his head. " Nothing. They just locked me and Gligar up."

" Then why are you bleeding?" Gary asked.

" Because I tried to break the metal with my shoulder."

They all stared at him.

" ... What..?" Gary whispered.

Ash seemed unfazed. " Hey, if anyone needs the help it's Gliscor. He used X scissor on the metal and his arms hurt."

Gary's grip tightened. " Ash, Gliscor has pincers. He's made for these types of things. You're not!"

Ash shrugged, his expression nonchalant despite the blood soaking his sleeve. “Eh, it wasn’t a big deal. I just wanted to help.”

Gary’s frown deepened as he inspected the bloodstains on Ash’s sleeve. He could feel his heart rate increase slightly as he fought the urge to snap at his best friend. “You don’t help by hurting yourself, Ash. This is serious.”

Brock stepped forward, his usual calm demeanor replaced with a touch of concern. “Gary’s right. That looks like it could’ve been a lot worse than just a little scratch.”

“Yeah, and Gliscor's fine, right?” Ash asked, glancing at his Pokémon with a slight grin.

Gliscor looked back at him, a bit groggy but otherwise standing strong, the sharp red of his X-Scissor attack still evident on the metal surface they had been trying to break through. The Pokémon gave a nod, though there was still a tinge of discomfort in his eyes.

Gary took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. “Stop. You are not invincible, Ash. And neither is Gliscor.” He gently pulled Ash’s arm up further, revealing the cut. It was jagged, a scrape from the metal surface, but not deep enough to cause any immediate danger—still, it looked painful.

Dawn, her hands clasped together in worry, took a step forward. “I don’t understand. You’re hurt and you’re just acting like it’s nothing?”

Ash rubbed the back of his head, looking embarrassed but not truly concerned. “It’s fine, I’ve been hurt worse.”

Gary shot him a sharp look, his voice firm. “No, you haven’t, Ash. You’ve had scratches, but this... this needs to be treated.”

Brock frowned. “You’ve had cuts before, but this one’s a little more serious. We can’t just let it go.”

Ash shook his head. “I’ll be okay.”

Gary let out a frustrated sigh. “That’s not the point, Ash. It’s not about being okay or not. You could get an infection or worse. I need to clean it up and make sure it doesn’t get worse. Let me help.”

Ash opened his mouth to protest, but something in Gary’s voice made him stop. He knew his best friend wasn’t going to let it go.

“Fine,” Ash grumbled, but his tone held a bit of reluctance. He watched as Gary carefully rolled his sleeve up more and began rummaging through his bag, pulling out some bandages, antiseptic, and cotton swabs.

“Don’t you dare move,” Gary warned, his voice soft but serious as he started to clean the wound.

Ash winced as the antiseptic touched the cut, but Gary kept a steady hand, gently cleaning it. “I know it stings, Ash. But you’ve gotta be careful next time. Trying to break metal with your shoulder? That’s not smart, buddy.”

“Didn’t think it’d hurt this much...” Ash mumbled, watching Gary work on him with an odd mix of gratitude and frustration. “I just wanted to help Gliscor...”

“And you will help him, but you have to stay in one piece first.” Gary’s voice softened a little, but the underlying concern was still there. “You can’t be strong for your Pokémon if you’re hurt yourself.”

Ash’s shoulders slumped a little, but he didn’t say anything. He just watched as Gary continued to clean the blood and apply a bandage to the wound.

“Okay,” Gary said after a few moments, securing the bandage. “You’re good. Just... next time, Ash, think before you act. Please.”

Ash didn’t reply immediately, but after a moment, he gave a small nod, his usual bright expression returning. “Thanks, Gary. I’ll try to be more careful next time.”

Gary gave him a small smile, but it was mixed with a little worry. “Good. You don’t have to be reckless to prove you’re strong, Ash.”

“I know.” Ash said, his voice softening. “I’ll do better.”

Gary ruffled Ash’s hair affectionately. “Good. Now, let’s make sure Gliscor is okay.”

Turning to the Pokémon, Gary knelt beside him, giving him a thorough check. Gliscor tilted his head, showing no signs of injury but still a little stiff from the rough task they had been working on. Gary checked his pincers and claws, ensuring they were still intact and hadn’t suffered too much strain.

“Alright, you’re good too,” Gary murmured, patting Gliscor on the head. “Just a little rest, and you’ll be good to go. And Ash?” He looked back at his friend, who was now standing by, watching the two of them.

“Yeah?” Ash asked, still nursing his injured arm.

“You don’t have to be a superhero. You’ve already got plenty of people who care about you. Let us help when you need it.”

Ash hesitated for a moment before he nodded slowly, a small, thoughtful look on his face.

Gary offered a genuine smile this time. “Good.”