Ash sat on the couch, arms crossed tightly over his chest, looking unusually tense. He wasn't saying much, which was already weird, but what really made Gary suspicious was the way Ash flinched every time he moved—even just a little.

Gary had been watching him for a while, pretending to be busy with his notes, but his eyes flicked up every time Ash twitched, every time his fingers tightened around the fabric of his shirt. Something was off.

"Ashy-boy," Gary finally said, setting his notebook down. "You good?"

Ash jumped slightly, his fingers gripping his sides even tighter. "H-Huh? Yeah! Totally fine! Why wouldn't I be?" His voice was just a little too high-pitched, and the way he forced a grin made Gary even more suspicious.

Gary narrowed his eyes. "Uh-huh. That was the most unconvincing 'I'm fine' I've ever heard."

Ash shrugged, trying to act normal, but Gary didn't miss the way he barely moved his upper body. "I mean it! I'm just—uh, just a little sore from training. Y'know, Pikachu's been getting stronger, so I gotta keep up! Haha..." He trailed off awkwardly.

Gary didn't laugh. Instead, he stood up and walked over to Ash, who instantly stiffened.

"Okay, kiddo," Gary said, crossing his arms. "If you're so fine, let me check you out real quick."

Ash immediately leaned away. "No need! Nope! No checking! I feel great, really!"

Gary's eyes narrowed. "Ash." His voice was firm. "You're acting really weird, and I don't like it. What's going on?"

"Nothin'!" Ash insisted, still hugging himself.

Gary let out a sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Alright, fine. Let's try a different approach." He leaned in slightly, looking Ash straight in the eyes. "Why are you guarding your ribs like they're made of glass?"

Ash flinched.

Gotcha.

Gary's expression softened, but he didn't let up. "You're in pain, aren't you?"

Ash hesitated, then shook his head quickly. "Nope! Nuh-uh! Not in pain at all!"

Gary raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?" Before Ash could react, he reached out and pressed lightly against Ash's side.

Ash yelped and practically jumped off the couch. "GAH! GARY! DON'T DO THAT!"

Gary stepped back, hands on his hips. "Uh-huh. Not in pain, huh?"

Ash grumbled, turning away. "It's not that bad..."

Gary sighed. "Ash, you're literally curling in on yourself like a hurt Pidgey. Let me take a look."

Ash shook his head stubbornly. "No way. I already know what you're gonna say. You're gonna poke and prod and then you're gonna—"

Gary sat down next to him, his tone gentle. "Ash, I think you dislocated a rib."

Ash went silent.

"I've seen this before," Gary continued. "The way you're moving, the way you're holding yourself—it all lines up. If that's what happened, I need to pop it back in. Now."

Ash stiffened. "No."

"Ash—"

"No way, Gary!" Ash shot him a desperate look. "That's gonna hurt! Bad!"

Gary sighed. "Yeah, it's gonna suck. But if we don't do it now, it's gonna get worse. You won't be able to breathe right, and you'll be in way more pain later. Do you really wanna deal with that?"

Ash clenched his jaw. "I just... I don't want it to hurt..." His voice was small, almost embarrassed.

Gary softened. Ash could be stubborn, but this was different. He was scared.

"Hey, Ashy-boy," Gary said gently, holding out his arm. "Here. You can hold onto me if you need to."

Ash blinked. "What?"

"I mean it," Gary said. "You can squeeze my arm, grip my sleeve, whatever you need. I won't make fun of you for it."

Ash hesitated, then, very slowly, reached out and wrapped his arms around Gary's forearm, gripping tightly. His hands trembled slightly. "...Okay."

Gary nodded. "Good. Now just breathe for me, alright? Slow, deep breaths."

Ash inhaled shakily.

"That's it. Just keep breathing." Gary placed his hands carefully along Ash's side, feeling for the displaced rib. The moment his fingers pressed over the wrong spot, Ash tensed and whimpered.

Gary winced. "Yeah... that's definitely out of place. Alright, Ash. I'm gonna count to three. On three, I'm popping it back in."

Ash's grip on his arm tightened. "Okay..."

"One."

Ash's breath hitched.

"Two."

His fingers dug into Gary's sleeve.

"Three."

Gary moved swiftly, pressing the rib back into place with a quick, precise motion.

Ash gasped—then cried out, his whole body jerking from the sharp pain. His grip on Gary's arm tightened so much it hurt, but Gary didn't say a word. He just let Ash hold on, waiting as his friend trembled through the pain.

After a few seconds, Ash let out a shaky breath, eyes squeezed shut. "That... was awful..."

Gary placed a hand on Ash's back, rubbing in slow, comforting circles. "I know, buddy. I know."

Ash sniffled, face scrunched up in pain. His arms were still locked around Gary's, like he wasn't ready to let go just yet.

Gary didn't push him. He just sat there, letting Ash hold onto him for as long as he needed.

Finally, Ash whispered, "...Thanks, Gary."

Gary ruffled Ash's hair. "Anytime, kiddo. Just... don't wait so long to tell me when something's wrong next time, alright?"

Ash sniffed. "No promises."

Gary groaned. "You're impossible."

Ash finally let out a weak chuckle. "You'd be bored without me."

Gary smirked. "Yeah, yeah. C'mon, let's get you some ice for that. You earned it."

Ash, still sniffling, grinned. "Ice cream?"

Gary rolled his eyes but smiled. "Fine. Ice cream."

And just like that, the worst was over.