Ash sat on the edge of the Pokémon Center bed, his arms wrapped around himself, staring at the floor. He wasn't acting like himself. Normally, he'd be chatting Gary's ear off, either bragging about a recent battle or whining about how much he hated checkups.

But today, he was quiet. Too quiet.

Gary stood across from him, arms crossed, watching him carefully. Something wasn't right.

"Alright, kiddo, spill. What's wrong?"

Ash flinched. It was subtle, barely noticeable, but Gary caught it. His eyes narrowed.

"I dunno what you're talkin' about," Ash mumbled, keeping his voice steady.

Gary sighed. "Ashy-boy, you're the worst liar I've ever met. Even Pikachu could do a better job."

Pikachu, who was perched on the nightstand, let out a little, "Pika..." as if agreeing with Gary.

Ash let out a weak chuckle, but it was forced.

Gary wasn't buying it. "You're holding your side."

"No, I'm not."

Gary gave him a deadpan look. "You're literally hugging yourself, genius."

Ash shifted uncomfortably. "I'm just tired."

Another lie. Another flinch.

Gary stepped closer, resting a hand on Ash's shoulder. "C'mon, buddy. What's going on?"

"I said I'm fine," Ash muttered, trying to sound annoyed.

Gary didn't miss the slight wince in his voice. Then it hit him.

Ash was protecting his ribs.

Gary's stomach tightened. "Ash. Look at me."

Ash hesitated but eventually lifted his head. His face was pale, his eyes darting away nervously.

Gary inhaled sharply. "How long have you been hurting?"

Ash swallowed. "...I dunno."

Gary's jaw clenched. "You do know. Don't lie to me."

Ash hesitated again. "...Since yesterday."

Gary ran a hand through his hair, exasperated. "Ash! And you didn't say anything?! What if it's serious?"

Ash hunched his shoulders. "I didn't wanna make a big deal about it."

Gary pinched the bridge of his nose. "You are a big deal, you idiot." He exhaled slowly, regaining his composure. "Okay. I need to check your ribs."

Ash immediately stiffened. "No, I'm fine."

Gary gave him a pointed look. "You literally just admitted you've been in pain since yesterday. Sit back."

Ash didn't move.

Gary sighed, his tone softening. "Ashy, I need to figure out what's wrong so I can help you. Please."

Ash hesitated, then reluctantly lay back against the pillows.

Gary sat on the edge of the bed and rolled up his sleeves. "Alright, I'm just gonna feel around. Tell me if anything hurts, okay?"

Ash nodded but was visibly tense.

Gary started with gentle palpations over Ash's stomach and ribs. At first, Ash didn't react much, but the moment Gary's fingers pressed on the lower left side of his ribcage—

"Gah—!" Ash gasped, his body jerking.

Gary's heart sank.

"That bad?" he asked, keeping his voice calm.

Ash bit his lip and nodded.

Gary pressed again, just a little, feeling the way the rib shifted awkwardly beneath his fingers.

It wasn't broken. But it was definitely dislocated.

And that meant one thing.

Gary had to pop it back in.

Now.

His stomach twisted. He hated this part. He really hated this part. But if he didn't fix it immediately, it could get worse—affect Ash's breathing, mess with his other organs. There was no waiting.

But Ash wasn't going to like this.

Gary pulled off his gloves and placed a firm hand on Ash's arm. "Listen to me, okay?"

Ash blinked at him, his expression nervous.

Gary took a deep breath. "Your rib is dislocated."

Ash stiffened. "...Okay?"

Gary squeezed his arm. "I have to pop it back in."

Ash's entire body froze. His face paled.

"No way."

Gary sighed. "Ash—"

"No. Nope. Not happening." Ash scrambled to sit up, but Gary gently pushed him back down.

"Ash, listen."

"I don't wanna listen," Ash shot back, his voice rising in panic. "That's gonna hurt! I don't want it!"

Gary felt a pang in his chest. Of course Ash didn't want it. Of course he was scared. But there was no other choice.

He placed both hands on Ash's shoulders, grounding him. "I know it's gonna hurt. I know. But if I don't fix it, it's gonna get worse. You have to let me do this."

Ash shook his head wildly. "No, no, no, no—"

Gary's heart clenched. He hated seeing Ash like this.

So he did the only thing he could think of.

"Okay," Gary said suddenly. "You can hold onto me."

Ash blinked up at him. "...What?"

Gary offered his arm. "Here. You can hug my arm if you need to."

Ash looked at it like it was some kind of foreign object. "You never let me do that."

Gary smirked, trying to lighten the mood. "Yeah, well. Consider it a limited-time offer."

Ash hesitated, then, slowly—shakily—wrapped both arms around Gary's arm and clutched it tightly against his chest. His grip was firm, his body tense.

Gary gave him a reassuring squeeze. "I've got you, Ashy-boy. Just hold on, okay?"

Ash buried his face against Gary's sleeve, nodding. "...Okay."

Gary took a deep breath. "On three. Ready?"

Ash whimpered but nodded again.

"One..."

Gary tightened his grip on Ash's rib.

"Two..."

He positioned his fingers carefully.

"Three—"

He pushed.

A sharp, sickening pop echoed through the room.

Ash let out a strangled cry, his whole body arching off the bed. Tears immediately spilled from his eyes as he clenched Gary's arm, his nails digging into the fabric.

Gary winced at the force of Ash's grip but didn't pull away.

Ash was shaking. Gasping. His breaths were uneven, his chest rising and falling erratically.

Gary immediately wrapped an arm around him. "Hey, hey—deep breaths, buddy. I know, I know it hurts. I'm right here."

Ash whimpered, his whole body trembling. "G-Gary... it h-hurts..."

"I know, Ashy-boy," Gary whispered, rubbing slow circles on Ash's back. "I know. But it's back in place now. It's over."

Ash let out a few shaky sobs, still gripping Gary's arm like a lifeline. "D-Don't let go yet..."

Gary's heart ached. "I won't," he promised. "I won't let go."

They stayed like that for a long time—Ash clinging to Gary, his face buried in his sleeve, while Gary kept his arm wrapped securely around him, murmuring reassurances.

Finally, Ash's breathing started to even out. He sniffled, rubbing at his teary eyes.

"...That sucked."

Gary chuckled softly. "Yeah. It really did."

Ash shifted, still holding onto him, but looked up at him with a tired glare. "This never happened."

Gary smirked. "Oh, I'm definitely remembering this."

Ash groaned, burying his face in Gary's sleeve again. "You're the worst."

Gary ruffled his hair. "Yeah, yeah. But you love me anyway."

Ash mumbled something unintelligible.

Gary just smiled. "C'mon, let's get you some ice and a break from all this medical stuff. You've had enough for one day."

Ash peeked up at him. "...Can I get ice cream, too?"

Gary rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. You big baby."

Ash finally let go of his arm, leaning back against the pillows with a tired, relieved sigh.

Gary stood up, shaking his head with a smirk.

"That was so worth letting you hug my arm."