Gary sighed, pulling on his gloves with a snap before turning to face Ash, who was sitting on the examination table like he was waiting for a death sentence.

"Okay, Ashy Boy," Gary said, cracking his knuckles. "Today's the day we figure out why in the world your teeth hurt when you run."

Ash blinked. "What?"

"You heard me," Gary said, grabbing a small flashlight and a tongue depressor. "Something's up, and I don't like mysteries—especially not when it comes to you."

Ash shifted uncomfortably. "I mean... it's not that bad. It just, y'know, happens sometimes."

Gary raised an eyebrow. "Pain is never just 'happens sometimes,' Ash." He patted the exam table. "Lie down."

Ash hesitated, then, with a reluctant sigh, swung his legs up and lay down. Pikachu, who had been sitting on his lap, hopped onto a chair nearby, ears twitching as he watched Gary with suspicious eyes.

"Alright, let's start simple," Gary muttered, tilting Ash's chin up slightly. He ran his fingers along the sides of Ash's face, feeling for any swelling or tenderness. "Tell me if anything hurts."

Ash shook his head—then winced.

Gary narrowed his eyes. "That hurt?"

"...Maybe."

Gary rolled his eyes. "Brilliant. Sit up."

Ash groaned but obeyed. Gary tapped his cheek lightly. "Clench your teeth."

Ash did.

Gary watched him closely. "Now open your mouth all the way."

Ash tried—only for his jaw to make a faint click.

Gary frowned. "Did you hear that?"

"Feel that," Ash grumbled, rubbing his jaw.

Gary hummed, tilting Ash's head from side to side. "Weird. Alright, lie down again."

Ash groaned. "Make up your mind—"

"Lie. Down."

With a huff, Ash flopped back down.

Gary poked at his cheeks, feeling along his jawline, then up towards his temples. He pressed lightly, and Ash immediately winced again.

Gary's frown deepened. "That hurt too?"

"Yeah," Ash admitted, shifting uncomfortably. "Feels like pressure."

Gary sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Alright. This is getting weird."

Ash groaned. "You're telling me—"

"Sit up again."

"Gary, I swear—"

"Sit. Up."

Ash sat up with an exaggerated groan.

Gary grabbed his flashlight. "Okay, open wide. I need to check inside."

Ash gave him a suspicious look. "You're not gonna stick anything weird in my mouth, right?"

Gary smirked. "Nah. Unless you consider a tongue depressor 'weird.'"

Ash grumbled but opened his mouth.

Gary leaned in, scanning Ash's teeth and gums. Everything looked normal—no cavities, no broken teeth, nothing that screamed this is the cause of your pain. He pressed lightly on Ash's upper gums.

"Ow—"

Gary's eyes flicked to Ash's. "That hurt too?"

Ash nodded, grimacing.

Gary sat back, crossing his arms. "Alright. Now I'm confused."

Ash groaned and flopped back down on the table. "Great. So I'm just mysteriously in pain."

Gary tapped his chin. "Not necessarily. Your jaw did click earlier, and you're obviously tender around your temples. I have a theory, but I need to check something first."

Ash sighed. " What?"

Gary placed his fingers on either side of Ash's jaw. "Okay. I need you to open your mouth really slowly."

Ash did.

The click was louder this time.

Gary's eyes widened. "Whoa, okay. That's not normal."

"Great," Ash grumbled.

Gary pressed gently along the joint of Ash's jaw. "Does it ever lock up?"

Ash hesitated. "...Sometimes? Like, I have to move it around to get it to feel normal again."

Gary sighed. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

Ash frowned. "What?"

Gary pulled off his gloves, tossing them aside. "Ash, you have TMJ disorder."

Ash blinked. "T-M-what?"

"Temporomandibular joint disorder," Gary explained, rubbing his temples. "Basically, the joint in your jaw isn't working right. It can cause pain, clicking, even make your teeth hurt because the pressure affects the surrounding nerves."

Ash groaned. "That sounds annoying."

"It is annoying," Gary agreed. "And based on what I'm feeling..." He pressed lightly again. "I think your jaw might actually be dislocated."

Ash's eyes widened. "WHAT?"

"Relax," Gary said quickly, holding up his hands. "It's not bad, but it's definitely out of place. I can fix it, but it might be a little uncomfortable."

Ash's hands immediately clenched around the edges of the exam table. "Define uncomfortable."

Gary hesitated. "Uh... pressure."

Ash groaned. "I hate pressure."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Gary muttered. "But if we don't fix it, it's just gonna keep getting worse."

Ash groaned again, then sighed. "Fine."

Gary smiled slightly. "That's the spirit, Ashy-boy."

Ash scowled. "Don't call me that right now."

Gary chuckled. "Alright, alright. Just relax, okay?" He moved to stand behind Ash, placing his hands carefully along the sides of his jaw. "I need you to open your mouth really slowly."

Ash obeyed, jaw trembling slightly.

Gary took a breath. "Okay. On three, I'm gonna move it back into place."

Ash tensed. "Wait, wait—"

"One—"

"Gary—"

"Two—"

"GA—"

"Three."

Gary carefully but firmly shifted Ash's jaw back into place.

There was a quiet but distinct pop.

Ash froze.

Gary pulled his hands back. "How's that?"

Ash hesitated, moving his jaw experimentally. Then, slowly, his eyes widened.

"... It doesn't hurt?"

Gary smirked. "That's the idea."

Ash flexed his jaw a few more times, blinking in disbelief. "Whoa."

Gary ruffled his hair. "Told you I got you, kiddo."

Ash huffed, but he was smiling. "Thanks, Gary."

Gary smirked. "You are officially banned from falling out of trees again, though."

Ash groaned. "Oh come on—"

Ash gave Gary a blank stare. "...What?"

Gary snapped on his gloves with a crisp pop and turned to face his very confused patient. "You heard me, Ashy-boy. We're finally figuring out why your teeth hurt when you run."

Ash still looked baffled. "That's a thing? That can be a thing?"

Gary rolled his eyes. "Apparently, for you, it is. Now, be a good patient and lie down for me."

Ash hesitated. "Wait, wait, wait. Why do I need to lie down for a teeth problem?"

Gary raised a brow. "Would you rather stand?"

Ash frowned. "Well, no, but—"

"Then lie down."

Ash sighed dramatically but did as he was told, flopping back on the exam table with his arms crossed. Pikachu, who had been watching from the counter, twitched an ear as if trying to decide whether to intervene.

Gary grabbed Ash's chin lightly, tilting his face up. "Alright, open wide."

Ash made a face but complied. "Aaaah—"

Gary peered inside. "Hmm." He prodded Ash's jaw gently. "Any pain here?"

Ash flinched. "Ow—yeah!"

Gary hummed thoughtfully, pressing along his cheeks and jawline. "Okay, what about here?"

Ash winced. "Ow—dude!"

Gary pulled back, brow furrowed. "Interesting."

Ash sat up. "Interesting how?"

Gary ignored him, pressing along his sinuses, feeling along his nose and cheeks. Then he sat back. "Alright, sit up."

Ash groaned. "Dude—"

"Sit."

Grumbling, Ash sat up.

Gary immediately tilted his chin again. "Okay, now open—"

Ash smacked his hand away. "Why do I keep lying down and sitting up?"

"Because I'm confused," Gary admitted. "And when I'm confused, I check everything."

Ash groaned. "Great. Love that for me."

"Yeah, yeah," Gary muttered, poking at Ash's cheek again.

Ash swatted at him weakly. "Dude, warn me before you do that—"

"Okay, okay," Gary said, holding up a hand in surrender. "I think I figured it out."

Ash looked at him suspiciously. "...And?"

Gary sighed. "Well, you've got something called TMJ disorder—"

Ash blinked. "TMI disorder?"

"TMJ, you idiot," Gary corrected, rubbing his temples. "Temporomandibular joint disorder. Basically, your jaw joint's a mess, which is why your teeth hurt when you run. The movement probably stresses it out."

Ash frowned, rubbing his jaw. "Huh. I do chew a lot of tough stuff. And talk a lot. And yell a lot. And—"

"Yeah, no kidding," Gary muttered. "That's probably why you—"

He suddenly paused, his eyes narrowing.

Ash blinked. "Uh... Gary? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Gary didn't answer. Instead, he reached forward and pressed his fingers along Ash's jaw.

Ash immediately recoiled. "Ow! What the—?!"

Gary frowned. "Ash... when did you last move your jaw weirdly?"

Ash tilted his head. "Uh... I dunno? A while ago? It kinda locked up at one point, but I just—"

"You dislocated your jaw, you moron," Gary deadpanned.

Ash blinked. "...Oh."

Gary took a deep breath. "And it's still not in the right place."

Ash blinked again. "...Oh."

Gary pinched the bridge of his nose. "Lie down."

Ash paled. "Wait—why?"

"Because I need to fix it!"

Ash immediately grabbed his face. "Nope. Nope. Nope. Nooooope."

Gary groaned. "Ash, I have to—"

"Nope!" Ash shook his head, looking genuinely panicked. "That sounds painful! I don't want it! I'll just live with it!"

Gary exhaled sharply, running a hand down his face. "Ash—"

"Nope!"

Gary sighed before walking up to Ash, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Hey," he said, softer this time. "Look at me."

Ash hesitated before glancing up, still clutching his jaw.

Gary squeezed his shoulder. "I promise I'll be as gentle as possible. It won't take long. I just need you to trust me, okay?"

Ash swallowed, clearly still unsure.

Gary reached out and rubbed Ash's back soothingly. "Hey. You trust me, don't you?"

Ash bit his lip before nodding slowly.

Gary gave a small smile. "Alright. Then just breathe, okay?"

Ash took a deep breath, exhaling shakily.

"Good," Gary murmured. "Now, just relax your jaw as much as you can—"

Ash flinched as Gary placed his fingers on either side of his jaw.

"Shh," Gary soothed, rubbing his shoulder. "You're okay. Just keep breathing."

Ash trembled but nodded.

Gary worked quickly, guiding Ash's jaw back into place with a pop.

Ash froze.

Gary pulled back. "There. All done."

Ash sat there, processing, then cautiously moved his jaw. "...Huh."

Gary smirked. "Better?"

Ash blinked. "It actually... yeah. It is."

Gary rolled his eyes. "Yeah, no kidding."

Ash opened his mouth, then closed it again, looking vaguely amazed. "Dude. I think I forgot what it was supposed to feel like."

Gary patted his shoulder. "Well, congrats, Ashy-boy. You're finally put back together."

Ash huffed but gave a small smile. "Thanks, Gary."

Gary ruffled his hair. "Yeah, yeah. Just try not to break yourself again."

Ash laughed. "No promises."

Gary sighed. "Figures."

Gary tightened his gloves with a snap and turned back to Ash, who was still blinking at him like he had spoken in an entirely different language.

"My teeth?" Ash repeated slowly, as if the very idea was foreign. "What do my teeth have to do with running?"

Gary sighed and placed a firm hand on Ash's shoulder. "That's what I'm trying to figure out, genius. Now, lie down."

Ash hesitated, looking mildly suspicious. "This isn't one of those check-ups where you secretly give me a shot, right?"

Gary rolled his eyes. "No, Ashy-boy, your paranoia is showing. Just lie down."

Ash grumbled under his breath but finally lay back on the exam table. Pikachu, who had been sitting on his stomach, hopped off and perched on a nearby chair, watching Gary closely like a tiny yellow bodyguard.

"Alright," Gary muttered to himself as he gently tilted Ash's face side to side, inspecting his jaw. "Let's see what's going on here."

He pressed his fingers along Ash's cheeks, feeling for any swelling. "Does this hurt?"

"A little," Ash admitted, though his voice was more confused than pained.

Gary frowned. "And here?" He pressed along Ash's jawline.

Ash winced. "Ow! Yeah, yeah, that definitely hurts!"

Gary hummed in thought. He placed a hand under Ash's chin. "Open your mouth."

Ash hesitated. "...How big?"

"Just open it, Ash, I'm not asking you to unhinge your jaw like a Seviper."

Ash snorted but did as he was told. Gary peered inside, checking his teeth, gums, and the way his jaw moved. Everything looked fine, but something was definitely off.

"Hmm," Gary mused, placing a thumb on Ash's cheek and feeling along the joint. "Alright, close your mouth and bite down."

Ash did.

Gary watched carefully, feeling the slight click as Ash's jaw moved.

Then, an idea hit him.

"Ash, sit up."

Ash groaned. "Gary, I just got comfortable—"

"Up, Ketchum!"

Grumbling, Ash sat up.

"Now lie down again."

"What?"

"Just do it!"

Ash flopped back down dramatically.

Gary pressed against his jaw again, still frowning. "Alright... and sit back up."

"Gary!"

"Ash!"

"Why do I have to keep sitting up and lying down?!"

"Because I need to confirm something, now sit up again!"

Ash sat up, crossing his arms with a deep frown. "This is weird."

Gary ignored him, placing his fingers along Ash's jaw again. "Okay, open and close your mouth one more time."

Ash sighed but did it.

There it is again...

Gary pulled back slightly, rubbing his chin. "...Ashy-boy, I think I figured it out."

Ash blinked. "You did?"

"Yeah," Gary said, exhaling. "It's your TMJ."

"My what-now?"

"Temporomandibular joint disorder. Basically, your jaw joint is messed up."

Ash stared. "...Huh?"

Gary sighed, rubbing his temples. "You dislocated your jaw at some point, and it didn't heal properly. That's why your teeth hurt when you run—your jaw joint is out of alignment, and it's putting stress on your muscles."

Ash's eyes widened. "Wait... are you saying my jaw's been dislocated this whole time?!"

Gary nodded. "More like partially dislocated. Which explains why you weren't screaming in pain."

Ash groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Man, no wonder my face has been feeling weird..."

Gary nodded. "Yeah, and the only way to fix it is to—"

"—relocate it?" Ash guessed, grimacing.

Gary smirked. "Bingo."

Ash immediately paled. "Oh no. No, no, no—"

"Ash," Gary said firmly, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "It's not as bad as you think. I've done this before."

Ash still looked skeptical. "On me?"

Gary hesitated. "...Not yet."

"Gary!"

"Hey, hey," Gary soothed, squeezing Ash's shoulder. "I promise I won't do anything until you're ready, okay?"

Ash gulped, still looking nervous. Pikachu let out a worried "Pika..."

Gary softened a bit. He knew Ash was tough, but this? This was different. This wasn't some battle injury or a reckless stunt—this was medical, and Ash hated medical stuff.

With a sigh, Gary moved closer, gently rubbing Ash's back. "Shhh, it's okay, Ashy-boy. You're okay."

Ash exhaled shakily, gripping Gary's sleeve. "You sure this won't hurt?"

Gary hesitated. "It'll be uncomfortable, but I'll be gentle. And it'll feel way better afterward."

Ash bit his lip but nodded slowly.

Gary smiled reassuringly. "That's my boy. Now, just relax for me, alright?"

Ash tried to relax, but his entire body was tense.

Gary reached up, placing his fingers gently along Ash's jaw. "Okay, deep breath in..."

Ash inhaled.

"And out..."

Ash exhaled.

Gary moved quickly, shifting the joint back into place with practiced precision.

Click!

Ash's eyes widened.

Gary pulled back immediately. "There! Done!"

Ash blinked. "...Wait, that was it?"

Gary smirked. "Yep."

Ash moved his jaw carefully, then his eyes really widened. "Arceus, that actually feels better!"

Gary chuckled, ruffling Ash's hair. "Told ya, Ashy-boy."

Ash huffed, but there was clear relief on his face. "Man, that was weird..."

Gary grinned. "Weird, but effective. Now, let's not have you dislocate your jaw again, yeah?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah, yeah... Thanks, Gary."

Gary smirked. "Anytime, Ashy-boy."