Ash winced, biting his lower lip as he sat slouched on his couch, massaging his aching leg with both hands. The pain shot up from his ankle, wrapping around his calf like an iron band. It wasn't sharp—more of a deep, throbbing ache that refused to let up. It had been like this for the past month, and he knew exactly why.

Sprained it... probably should've stayed off of it, he thought grimly, leaning back and trying to shift to a more comfortable position. But every time he moved, that familiar pulse of pain reminded him of how not healed it was.

But it was fine. Totally fine.

At least, that's what he kept telling himself.

Sure, walking had turned into limping. And sure, every morning the stiffness was getting worse, not better. But the important thing was that Gary wasn't around to see him like this.

Thank Arceus, Ash thought, grimacing as he rubbed his ankle.

Gary was currently at Professor Rowan's lab in Sinnoh, busy with some research project that, luckily, kept him far, far away from Kanto for the time being. Otherwise, Ash knew exactly how this would go down:

The moment Gary saw him limping, he'd get that look on his face—part doctor, part worried best friend—and then the lecture would begin.

"Ash, you should've told me sooner."
"Ash, you need to stay off of it."
"Ash, you're making it worse."
"Ash, sit down before I make you."

No thank you.

Ash was perfectly fine handling this on his own. He just needed to rest it... eventually. He couldn't afford to slow down right now. There were battles to train for, Pokémon to take care of, and adventures that didn't wait for a "minor" injury to heal.

"Pika?"

Ash glanced to his side, where Pikachu sat, ears flicking in concern. The little electric mouse had been watching him like a hawk for days, ever since the limp became too obvious to hide.

"I'm fine," Ash said quickly, forcing a smile. "Really."

Pikachu didn't look convinced. His tail twitched, and he let out a soft, disapproving "Chuuuu..."

Ash sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Look, it's not a big deal. It's just a sprain. I'll be fine."

As if on cue, another wave of pain throbbed through his ankle, making him clench his teeth and squeeze his eyes shut for a second.

Okay... maybe not "fine" fine...

But Pikachu's skeptical glare only deepened, and Ash swore his Pokémon was silently channeling Gary in that moment.

"Don't give me that look," Ash grumbled, shifting to try and prop his leg up on the coffee table. Even that small movement made him wince again.

Pikachu, of course, didn't stop staring.

"I told you, I'm—"

Riiiiiiiing.

Ash's phone vibrated loudly on the table. He leaned over, grabbing it with his free hand, and saw the name flashing on the screen:

Gary Oak.

"Ah, great..." Ash muttered.

He hesitated. If Gary saw him like this—heard that faint edge of pain in his voice—he'd know. Gary always knew.

Ignore it? Tempting. But... Gary would just keep calling. And then calling again.

With a reluctant sigh, Ash answered. "Hey, Gary."

"Hey, Ashy-boy," Gary's familiar, teasing voice came through the speaker. "What's up?"

"Oh, you know. Same old, same old," Ash replied, keeping his tone light, though he shifted awkwardly to keep from groaning aloud.

There was a pause. Just long enough to make Ash nervous.

"...You okay?" Gary asked, the teasing edge suddenly gone.

Arceus, he knows already...

"Yeah! Fine! Totally fine!" Ash said, way too quickly, plastering on a grin that Gary couldn't even see.

"Uh-huh..." Gary's skeptical tone was loud and clear. "You sound a little off."

Ash forced a chuckle. "Nah, just tired. Long day of training."

"Hmm..." Another pause.

Ash could practically feel Gary narrowing his eyes through the phone.

"Alright," Gary said slowly, though he clearly didn't believe him. "Well, don't overdo it, okay?"

"Me? Overdo it? Never!" Ash joked, desperately trying to steer the conversation elsewhere.

Gary snorted. "Sure, Ashy-boy. I'll be back in a few days. Try not to destroy yourself before then."

"Psh, as if," Ash laughed. "I'm good!"

"Mm-hmm," Gary said, still unconvinced but letting it go. For now. "I'll check in tomorrow."

"Cool, talk to you then!" Ash hung up, letting out a long, relieved sigh.

That was close.

Pikachu crossed his arms, giving him the same unimpressed look.

"What?" Ash said innocently. "He doesn't need to know."

"Pika."

"I'm fine," Ash insisted. "Besides, I'll be better before he's even back!"

But deep down, Ash knew he was lying—to Pikachu, to Gary... and to himself. And, judging by the burning ache still pulsing through his leg, he was running out of time before someone found out the truth.