Gary washed his hands, wiped them, and reached out to put his gloves on before turning to his dear dear Ashy Boy, who was sitting stiffly on the examination table.

" Okay, Ashy Boy." Gary said seriously as he got the things he needed. " Today's the day we figure out why in the world your teeth hurt when you run."

Ash blinked. " ... What?"

Gary raised an eyebrow as he snapped his gloves on. "You heard me, Ashy Boy. We're finally going to solve the great mystery of why your teeth hurt when you run."

Ash frowned. "That's... I mean, it's not that weird, right?"

Gary gave him a deadpan stare. "Ash. Do my teeth hurt when I run?"

Ash hesitated. "Uh... no?"

"Exactly," Gary said, crossing his arms. "So, either you've got some weird trainer-exclusive condition, or there's something going on that we need to check out."

Ash huffed. "It's probably nothing."

Gary rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, humor me. Now, open up."

Ash gave him a wary look. "Do I have to?"

Gary gave him the look. "Unless you want me to get Tessa to hold you down while I check, yeah, you have to."

Ash pouted but finally, reluctantly, opened his mouth.

Gary moved closer, shining a light inside. "Alright, let's see what we're working with here... Hmm. Teeth look fine, no obvious cavities..." He gently pressed against Ash's jaw. "Any pain here?"

Ash shook his head.

Gary moved his fingers up toward Ash's sinuses, pressing lightly. "What about here?"

Ash flinched. "OW GARY GARY STOP!"

Gary smirked. "Ah-ha. There's the culprit."

Ash blinked. "My... my face?"

Gary chuckled, pulling off his gloves. "Not just your face, genius. Your sinuses."

Ash looked utterly baffled. "My sinuses are making my teeth hurt?"

Gary nodded. "Yep. When you run, you're bouncing up and down, right? And if your sinuses are inflamed or congested, that movement can make the pressure worse—which sometimes feels like tooth pain."

Ash's eyes widened in horror. "Wait. So you're saying—"

Gary smirked. "Yup. Congratulations, Ashy Boy. You're the proud owner of a possible sinus infection."

Ash groaned, slumping against Pikachu. "Ughhhhhh."

Gary patted his shoulder. "Hey, at least now we know. I'll write you something for the inflammation, and you should be good in a few days."

Ash pouted. "This is so unfair."

Gary chuckled. "Welcome to adulthood, Ashy Boy. Now, stop looking so betrayed. It's just sinuses, not a death sentence."

Ash just groaned again. Pikachu patted his trainer's hand sympathetically.

Gary gave Ash a pointed look as he snapped on his gloves. "You heard me, Ketchum. You've been whining about your teeth hurting when you run, and I, being the incredible doctor that I am, have decided to get to the bottom of it."

Ash shifted uncomfortably on the table, glancing at Pikachu, who sat beside him with an equally skeptical expression. "I wasn't whining—"

Gary cut him off with a smirk. "Oh, please. 'Gary, my teeth feel all weird when I run! Do you think I'm dying?' Sound familiar?"

Ash flushed. "I—I never said that—"

"You absolutely did."

Pikachu let out a small "Pika," which suspiciously sounded like agreement.

Ash groaned. "Okay, fine, but it's weird! Teeth aren't supposed to hurt from running, right?"

Gary hummed, grabbing a small flashlight. "Depends. Open up, Ashy Boy."

Ash tensed. "...Wait, what?"

Gary gave him an unimpressed look. "What do you mean, what? How else am I supposed to check your teeth? Through telepathy?"

Ash made a face but hesitated, his fingers gripping the edge of the table. His discomfort didn't go unnoticed.

Gary sighed. "Ash. It's just a quick check. I'm not gonna yank your teeth out, geez."

Ash still didn't open his mouth.

Gary crossed his arms. "Do I need to bribe you?"

Ash shot him a glare. "I'm not a kid, Gary."

Gary smirked. "Fine, but if you don't cooperate, I will start talking about how you cried in my office last time."

Ash's eyes widened. "You wouldn't."

Gary leaned in, grin widening. "Try me."

Ash groaned dramatically before finally sighing and opening his mouth. "Happy?" he mumbled.

Gary grinned. "Ecstatic." He turned on the flashlight and leaned in. "Alright, let's see what's going on in there—"

A moment passed as Gary examined Ash's teeth. His brows furrowed. "Huh."

Ash blinked, mouth still open. "Hhuh?"

Gary ignored him, gently pressing on Ash's upper jaw near his sinuses. "Does this hurt?"

Ash jolted slightly. "Ow—yes! What was that?!"

Gary leaned back, rubbing his chin. "Interesting. I think your problem isn't actually your teeth."

Ash blinked. "...What?"

Gary smirked. "You, my dear Ashy Boy, might just have sinus issues."

Ash looked horrified. "...What does that mean?"

Gary shrugged. "Basically, your sinuses are probably getting inflamed when you run, and since they're right above your upper teeth, it makes it feel like your teeth hurt."

Ash looked betrayed. "That's a thing?!"

Gary snorted. "Yup. Ever had a cold and felt like your teeth were sore? Same idea."

Ash groaned. "You mean I've been freaking out about sinuses this whole time?"

Gary patted his shoulder. "Yup. But hey, at least you're not dying."

Ash pouted. "I told you I never thought I was dying."

Gary winked. "Sure, buddy. Sure." 

Gary snapped on his gloves with a crisp snap and turned to face Ash, who was still staring at him like he had just spoken a foreign language.

"You heard me, Ashy-boy," Gary said, picking up a small flashlight. "You've been complaining about your teeth hurting when you run, right?"

Ash fidgeted, rubbing the back of his head. "Well... I mean, yeah, but I didn't think it was that big of a deal..."

Gary raised an eyebrow. "Your teeth shouldn't hurt when you run, doofus."

Ash crossed his arms, still looking skeptical. "I just thought it was, y'know... normal?"

Gary sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Arceus help me... Ash, no. It's not normal. And if something's off, we gotta figure out why."

Ash grimaced. "Does this mean you're gonna poke at my mouth?"

Gary smirked. "Oh, definitely."

Ash immediately tensed, gripping the edge of the examination table. "O-okay, but, uh... what if we, um, don't do that?"

Gary snorted. "Yeah, nice try. Open up, Ashy-boy."

Ash made a face. "Garyyyyyy—"

"Ashhhhh," Gary mocked right back, already moving closer with the flashlight. "Come on, don't make this harder than it needs to be. Just open your mouth."

Ash hesitated, gripping his knees like his life depended on it. "What if I say no?"

Gary smirked. "Then I'll tell Pikachu you're being difficult."

Pikachu, who had been lounging beside Ash, perked up at this. "Pika?"

Ash gasped in betrayal. "You wouldn't dare—"

Gary turned to Pikachu. "Hey, buddy. Did you know that your trainer here is totally ignoring a very real medical issue—"

"OKAY, OKAY, OKAY!" Ash yelped, throwing his hands up in surrender. "I'LL DO IT!"

Gary grinned triumphantly. "Knew you'd see reason."

Grumbling under his breath, Ash reluctantly opened his mouth. Gary leaned in, using the flashlight to inspect his teeth and gums.

"Hmm..."

Ash twitched. "'Hmm'?! What does 'hmm' mean?! That's not a good sound, Gary!"

Gary ignored him, tilting Ash's head slightly. "Relax, I'm just looking. No cavities, no swelling... but your gums look a little sensitive."

Ash tried to talk, but it just came out as a garbled, "Whaaa dii dat meee?"

Gary sighed. "It means, you might have some nerve sensitivity or sinus pressure messing with your teeth when you run." He straightened, taking off his gloves. "Have you had a cold recently?"

Ash blinked. "Uh... maybe? I dunno. I was sneezing a lot last week, but that was probably just from running through a bunch of Oddish pollen."

Gary deadpanned. "...Ash. That's literally a cold."

Ash pouted. "Oh. Well. Uh. Oops?"

Gary exhaled slowly. "Arceus give me strength..." He rubbed his temples before looking back at Ash. "Alright, nothing looks serious, but you might have some sinus inflammation messing with the nerves in your upper jaw. It happens sometimes."

Ash perked up. "So I'm not dying?"

Gary rolled his eyes. "No, you drama queen. But you are gonna take it easy for a few days, drink plenty of water, and maybe—I dunno—avoid running headfirst into clouds of Oddish pollen?"

Ash grinned sheepishly. "Heh... no promises?"

Gary groaned. "Unbelievable."

Gary arched an eyebrow, pulling on his gloves with a snap. "You heard me, Ashy-boy. You said your teeth hurt when you run. That's not exactly normal."

Ash shifted uncomfortably on the exam table, Pikachu sitting protectively in his lap. "I dunno, Gary. It's not that bad—"

"Ash." Gary leveled him with a look. "You literally limped in here last time holding your jaw like you'd taken a Thunderbolt to the face."

Ash winced. "It wasn't that bad..."

Gary crossed his arms. "Uh-huh. So tell me, when exactly does it start hurting? The second you start running, or after a while?"

Ash hesitated, looking down at Pikachu, who gave him an encouraging "Pika!"

"Um... usually after a while," Ash admitted. "Like, if I'm running for a long time or really fast, my teeth start aching."

Gary hummed thoughtfully, rolling over a stool and plopping down in front of Ash. "Open up. Let's take a look."

Ash immediately clamped his mouth shut.

Gary sighed, rubbing his temples. "Ash. Don't make this difficult."

Ash frowned. "You're not gonna do anything weird, right?"

Gary smirked. "Define weird."

Ash shot him a glare.

Gary held up his hands in mock surrender. "Relax, Ashy-boy. I'm just checking. I'm not gonna yank a tooth out or anything—unless you want me to."

"NO."

Gary chuckled. "Alright, alright. Just open up already."

Ash hesitated a second longer before finally cracking his mouth open, albeit very reluctantly. Gary leaned in, his gloved fingers gently tilting Ash's chin up as he examined his teeth.

"Hmm..." Gary muttered, poking around carefully. "No cavities... no broken teeth... gums look fine..."

Ash, still holding his mouth open, mumbled something that sounded vaguely like "told you so."

Gary rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. But your teeth hurting when you run isn't normal, Ash." He pulled back slightly, tilting his head. "Do you clench your jaw a lot?"

Ash blinked. "Uh... I guess?"

"Do you get headaches after running?"

"Sometimes?"

Gary sighed. "Okay, I think I know what's up."

Ash perked up. "Really? What is it?"

Gary pulled off his gloves and tossed them into the bin. "You, my dear Ashy-boy, are probably clenching your jaw way too hard when you run, which is putting stress on your teeth and making them ache."

Ash blinked. "...Huh?"

Gary snorted. "Basically, you're running around like a stressed-out Tauros, clenching your teeth the whole time. That's why they hurt."

Ash frowned. "I don't do that."

Gary raised an eyebrow. "Ash. I've known you since we were kids. You clench your jaw when you concentrate, when you battle, when you argue, and now apparently when you run." He poked Ash's forehead. "Your brain's probably doing it automatically."

Ash made a face. "That's stupid."

Gary smirked. "No, you're stupid."

Ash huffed. "Okay, so what do I do about it?"

Gary leaned back against the counter. "Try to be mindful of it. When you run, focus on relaxing your jaw instead of clenching it. If it still happens, I might have to fit you for a night guard or something, 'cause if you're clenching this much during the day, you're definitely doing it in your sleep."

Ash made a horrified noise. "You mean those things that make you look like you have a mouth full of gum?"

Gary laughed. "Yeah, those."

"No way."

"Then learn to relax your jaw, genius."

Ash groaned, slumping back against the table. "This is the worst diagnosis ever."

Gary patted his shoulder with mock sympathy. "I dunno, Ashy-boy. Could be worse. I could've told you that you need braces."

Ash's eyes widened in horror. "DON'T EVEN JOKE ABOUT THAT."

Gary burst out laughing. "Alright, alright, drama queen. Just take it easy, focus on your jaw when you run, and for the love of Arceus, stop getting yourself hurt every time I see you."

Ash huffed, crossing his arms. "No promises."

Gary sighed, shaking his head. This guy is gonna give me gray hair.

Gary raised an eyebrow at Ash's confusion. "You heard me, Ashy Boy. You did say your teeth hurt when you run, didn't you?"

Ash hesitated, looking a little sheepish. "Uh... yeah?"

Gary gave him a look. "Then we're figuring it out. Now, lie down."

Ash tensed instantly. "W-wait, why do I have to lie down for that?!"

Gary rolled his eyes. "Because I need to check you properly, genius." He patted the examination table. "C'mon, hop to it."

Ash still looked reluctant, but Pikachu nudged him with a small "Pika," as if telling him to listen for once. Huffing, Ash finally lay back, though he still looked suspicious.

Gary smirked. "Good boy."

"Don't say that," Ash grumbled, crossing his arms.

Gary ignored him, pulling on his gloves with a snap. "Alright, let's take a look." He reached for Ash's jaw, gently tilting his chin to the side. "Tell me when something hurts, got it?"

Ash gave a small nod, though his muscles were already stiff. 

He really hates this, huh?  Gary thought.

Gary's fingers pressed lightly along Ash's jawline, feeling for any tension or swelling. "Okay, so no obvious bruising... No swelling..." He moved his fingers up toward Ash's temples, then down near his sinuses. "Any pain here?"

Ash shook his head. "Not really."

Gary hummed in thought before running his fingers along the sides of Ash's neck, checking for tension. "You're stiff as a board, Ashy Boy. You been stressing out?"

Ash scoffed. "Me? Stress? No way."

Gary deadpanned. "Uh-huh. And I'm the Pokémon League Champion."

Ash snickered. "You wish."

Gary smirked but stayed focused. He placed a thumb gently under Ash's chin. "Alright, open up."

Ash hesitated. "Uh—"

"Ash."

Ash sighed dramatically but obeyed, parting his lips.

Gary leaned in slightly, examining his teeth and gums. "Huh. No cavities, no obvious tooth decay..." He poked lightly at Ash's molars with a gloved finger. "This part hurt?"

Ash shook his head.

Gary moved toward the front teeth and applied a bit of pressure. Ash flinched.

"There it is," Gary muttered. He tapped the teeth again, watching how Ash's jaw twitched. "It's in your front teeth?"

Ash gave a tiny nod. "Yeah... It's like, this weird ache. Like... I dunno, like something's pulling on them?"

Gary pulled back slightly, thinking. "Ash, do you clench your jaw a lot?"

Ash blinked. "Uh... I dunno? Maybe?"

Gary raised an eyebrow. "You don't know?"

Ash scratched his cheek. "I mean, I do get kinda tense when I battle, or when I'm running a lot, or when I'm thinking really hard..."

Gary sighed. "Ash, that's literally all the time."

Ash grinned sheepishly. "Eh-heh."

Gary shook his head and leaned back against the counter, pulling off his gloves. "Well, I think I know what's going on."

Ash sat up slightly. "Really? What is it?"

Gary crossed his arms. "You're clenching your jaw while you run, and probably grinding your teeth without realizing it. That pressure is making your front teeth ache, especially when you're moving fast."

Ash blinked. "Oh." He frowned. "Wait, that's it?"

Gary rolled his eyes. "You sound disappointed."

Ash scratched his head. "I dunno... I kinda thought it'd be something more dramatic."

Gary snorted. "Sorry to ruin your action-hero moment, but nah. You just need to relax your jaw when you run." He smirked. "And maybe, just maybe, learn how to chill out for once in your life."

Ash groaned. "Oh, come on."

Gary grinned. "Hey, I'm just saying—"

But before he could finish, Ash shot up from the table, grinning. "Alright! Thanks, Gary! Gotta go train!"

Gary's eye twitched. "Did you listen to anything I just said?"

Ash was already grabbing his hat. "Yeah, yeah, relax my jaw, don't stress, whatever—got it!"

Gary sighed heavily as Ash practically bolted for the door. This kid's gonna be the death of me.

Pikachu turned to Gary with a knowing look before following Ash out.

Gary groaned and flopped into his chair. "Arceus save us all."

Ash blinked at Gary like he had just been told Pikachu had learned to speak fluent human. "...What?"

Gary sighed, adjusting his gloves with a snap. "You heard me, Ashy-boy. Your teeth. Hurting. When you run." He shot Ash a knowing look. "You've mentioned it multiple times, but, typical you, you just brushed it off like it was nothing—which, spoiler alert, it isn't."

Ash scratched his cheek, looking everywhere but at Gary. "I mean, it's not that bad—"

"Ash." Gary cut him off, arms crossed. "You wince every time you jog—and don't even get me started on how you react when you go full speed. Pikachu's literally looked at me like he wanted me to fix it, and you know that means something."

"Pikapi..." Pikachu nodded solemnly from his spot on the counter.

Ash groaned, slumping forward. "Et tu, Pikachu?"

Gary smirked. "Pikachu knows what's up. Now, come on, lie back for me." He gestured to the exam table.

Ash hesitated, suddenly looking a whole lot warier. "Uh, why do I need to lie down? It's my teeth, not my stomach."

Gary arched a brow. "Do you want me to try checking your teeth while you're sitting up? You know you'll move."

Ash opened his mouth to argue—then promptly shut it, realizing Gary had a point. He did tend to fidget a lot.

With a dramatic sigh, Ash flopped back onto the table, staring at the ceiling. "Happy now?"

"Ecstatic," Gary deadpanned. He rolled his stool over and snapped on a headlamp. "Alright, open up and say 'ahh.'"

Ash groaned. "I hate this already."

Gary gave him a look. "Would you rather I stick a thermometer in your ear?"

Ash's mouth opened immediately.

Gary chuckled, leaning in to get a good look. "Atta boy."

Ash stared at the ceiling as Gary inspected his teeth, his fingers carefully pressing along his jawline. "Okay, so any specific tooth hurting more than the others?"

Ash tried to answer, but it came out as an incoherent "Aaaaaahhh—"

Gary rolled his eyes. "Alright, tap my finger with your tongue if it hurts when I press down, got it?"

Ash made a vaguely agreeable noise.

Gary started gently pressing along his gums, watching Ash's reaction closely. He was fine at first—but the moment Gary reached the upper right side, Ash flinched hard, nearly chomping down on Gary's glove.

Gary pulled back instantly. "Bingo."

Ash groaned, rubbing his jaw. "Ugh. That felt weird."

Gary hummed, rolling back slightly. "You got any sensitivity to cold stuff? Like ice cream?"

Ash blinked. "...Wait. Now that you mention it, yeah, kinda."

"And when you bite down hard?"

Ash hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah, sometimes it's kinda sharp."

Gary leaned back, frowning thoughtfully. "Could be a sinus issue messing with your upper teeth, or maybe you've got a hidden cavity—or a cracked tooth from all the ridiculous stuff you eat."

Ash huffed. "My food is fine."

"Yeah, yeah," Gary waved him off, already reaching for a dental mirror. "I need a closer look. Stay still."

Ash tensed the moment Gary moved back in with the mirror, his fingers gripping the edges of the exam table. He didn't say anything, but Gary saw the way his breathing changed—the way his shoulders hunched just slightly.

Gary sighed inwardly. White coat syndrome kicking in again.

Without making a big deal of it, he placed a hand on Ash's shoulder and rubbed it soothingly. "Relax, Ashy-boy. You're fine. You trust me, right?"

Ash swallowed, glancing up at him.

Gary smirked. "C'mon. I just gave you a shot without you even noticing. You know I got skills."

Ash let out a breath and, slowly, his shoulders eased. "...Fine. But if you do anything sneaky, I'm outta here."

Gary chuckled. "Noted. Now open up again."

Ash did, and Gary got to work, carefully checking each tooth. As he worked, he kept talking to keep Ash's mind off things.

"You know, this reminds me of when we were kids. Remember when I told you not to eat that Pokemon food, and you did anyway?"

Ash mumbled around the mirror. "Ith wath wort ith."

Gary laughed. "No, it wasn't. You couldn't eat properly for days!"

Pikachu snickered from the counter.

Gary continued his inspection, humming thoughtfully. "Alright... yeah, looks like we've got some gum inflammation, and—aha. There's the culprit."

Ash blinked. "Whaf?"

"You've got a tiny crack in your molar. Nothing major, but when you run, the impact probably sends little vibrations through your jaw, making your teeth ache."

Ash groaned. "Great. So what now? You gotta fix it, right?"

Gary nodded. "Yep. And don't worry, it's way easier than you think."

Ash narrowed his eyes. "Is this gonna involve needles?"

Gary smirked. "Nah. Just a quick sealant. No pain, no stress."

Ash exhaled, relieved. "Oh. Okay. Cool."

Gary rolled away, prepping the materials. "See? Not every visit ends in doom, Ashy-boy."

Ash muttered, "Yet."

Gary just chuckled. Same old Ash.