Gary had seen Ash in rough shape before. The guy had a habit of throwing himself headfirst into danger like a Tauros on a sugar rush. But today, something was off.

Ash sat on the edge of the exam table, his usual easy-going grin missing. His arms were crossed—not in his usual stubborn way, but in a way that looked…protective. Gary noticed how his shoulders tensed every time he shifted, and—more importantly—how he barely breathed.

Gary narrowed his eyes. "Alright, spill it."

Ash blinked. "Huh? Spill what?"

"Don’t play dumb with me, Ashy-boy," Gary said, crossing his arms. "You’re acting weird."

Ash scoffed. "I always act weird. That’s what makes me charming."

Gary wasn’t having it. He stepped closer, watching the way Ash instinctively curled in on himself just slightly. Then he saw it—Ash flinched when Gary reached for his stethoscope. A tiny movement, barely noticeable, but for someone like Ash, who usually let himself get poked and prodded without a second thought? Yeah, that was suspicious.

Gary’s eyes sharpened. "Ash."

"…What?"

Gary sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "If you tell me what’s wrong now, I might go easy on you."

Ash grinned, but it was strained. "I’m fine."

Gary wasn’t buying it.

"Lie down," Gary ordered, already pushing Ash back gently but firmly.

Ash immediately resisted, gripping the sides of the table. "W-whoa, hey, what’s with the sudden—"

"Ash, I know something’s wrong, and if you don’t cooperate, I will find out the hard way," Gary warned. "And trust me, you don’t want that."

Ash hesitated but eventually gave in, albeit stiffly.

The moment Gary pressed his fingers gently along Ash’s ribcage, Ash flinched hard. His muscles tensed like a coiled spring, and he sucked in a sharp breath.

"Bingo," Gary muttered. He pressed just a little more, and Ash immediately clamped a hand over the spot, glaring. "Ash, what happened?"

"Nothing!"

"Ash."

"…I don’t know," Ash mumbled, looking anywhere but at Gary.

Gary exhaled, rubbing his temples. "You don’t know how you messed up your ribs?"

Ash shrugged weakly. "I fell? Maybe? Who knows?"

Gary shot him a deadpan look. "You should know."

But Ash wasn’t giving him anything else. Fine. Gary would figure it out himself.

He carefully worked his hands along Ash’s ribs, feeling for anything out of place. The second he reached the left side, Ash jerked violently and grabbed Gary’s wrist.

"Okay, okay, stop!"

Gary’s frown deepened. "Ash."

Ash was definitely protecting that area. Too much. Too obvious. That meant…

Gary gently but firmly pried Ash’s hand away and pressed down lightly—

Ash let out a strangled yelp, his breath catching.

Gary’s stomach dropped. "Ash."

"—’M fine," Ash gritted out, but his entire body was trembling.

Gary’s tone turned serious. "No, you’re not. You dislocated a rib piece."

Ash stiffened. "…So?"

"So," Gary said slowly, trying to keep his patience, "if I don’t pop it back into place right now, it’s going to get worse. And by worse, I mean your lung could get irritated, or worse, punctured. Do you want a collapsed lung, Ash? Because that’s what we’re looking at if you keep being an idiot about this."

Ash swallowed. He was still gripping the sides of the exam table like his life depended on it.

And that’s when it hit Gary.

Ash knew.

He knew this was going to hurt.

And that was why he was refusing.

Gary sighed. "Ash… I know you don’t want me to do this."

Ash still wouldn’t look at him.

"But you need me to," Gary continued. "I don’t like seeing you hurt either, you know. But if we don’t fix this now, it’s only going to get worse."

Silence.

Then, very slowly, Ash turned to look at him. And for the first time, Gary saw it—genuine fear in those usually fearless eyes.

Gary’s expression softened.

"Alright," he said gently, sitting beside Ash on the table. "You can hold onto me if you need to. Just this once."

Ash blinked up at him, wide-eyed. "…Seriously?"

"Yeah, yeah, don’t make a big deal out of it," Gary muttered.

Ash hesitated, then slowly reached out and hugged Gary’s arm, squeezing it tightly.

Gary gave him a moment before speaking again. "Okay, deep breath in—"

Ash sucked in a shaky breath.

"And out."

Ash exhaled.

And then, in one smooth movement, Gary pressed down and snapped the rib piece back into place.

Ash yelped, his grip on Gary tightening for dear life. His entire body shook as he gasped for breath.

Gary didn’t move, letting Ash ride it out. "Shh, shh. Breathe, Ashy-boy. It’s done. You’re okay."

Ash hiccupped slightly, his breath still shaky. He was definitely not crying. (Or at least, that’s what he’d claim later.)

Gary sighed and ruffled Ash’s hair. "See? That wasn’t so bad."

Ash, still clinging to his arm, gave him a half-hearted glare. "I hate you."

Gary smirked. "I know."

Gary had been dealing with Ash’s stubbornness for years. Whether it was refusing to rest, avoiding proper medical treatment, or just plain being reckless, Ash Ketchum had a special talent for making Gary’s job as a doctor ten times harder.

But this time? This time was different.

Gary knew something was wrong the moment Ash walked into his clinic.

"Hey, Ashy-boy," Gary greeted, flipping through some files without looking up. "What’s the damage this time?"

"Nothin’."

Gary frowned. He finally looked up, narrowing his eyes at the way Ash stood—too stiffly, his arms folded too tightly across his chest. He was favoring his right side, his movements just a little too calculated. And then there was Pikachu, sitting anxiously at Ash’s feet, his ears twitching every time Ash took a breath.

Gary sighed and set his files down. "You’re a terrible liar."

Ash huffed. "I’m fine."

Gary ignored him. Instead, he stood up, arms crossed. "Okay, then take a deep breath for me."

Ash hesitated. Just for a second. Then he took in a breath—and winced.

Bingo.

Gary’s eyes sharpened. "You’ve got chest pain, don’t you?"

Ash immediately looked away. "It’s not that bad."

Gary took a step closer. "Let me see."

Ash, predictably, took a step back. "I don’t need—"

Gary grabbed Ash’s wrist before he could escape. "Sit."

"Gary—"

"Sit down, Ketchum."

Grumbling under his breath, Ash sat on the exam table. But the way he moved—so carefully, so deliberately—set off even more alarms in Gary’s head.

Gary rolled up his sleeves. "Lift your shirt."

Ash’s hands clamped down over his ribs. "I said I’m fine."

Gary raised an eyebrow. "You’re guarding your ribs like a wild Pokémon guards its egg. You wanna try lying again?"

Ash scowled. "I don’t want you to touch it."

"Why?"

"Because I know what you’re gonna do," Ash snapped, eyes narrowing. "You’re gonna pop it back in, and that’s gonna hurt."

Gary sighed, rubbing his temples. "Ash."

"Nope. Not happening."

Gary crossed his arms. "Ashy-boy."

Ash shook his head furiously. "I’ll just walk it off!"

Gary pinched the bridge of his nose. "You dislocated a rib, didn’t you?"

Ash’s silence was confirmation enough.

Gary cursed under his breath. "If we don’t pop it back in now, it’s gonna mess with your breathing. You’ll be in way worse pain later."

"Sounds like a future Ash problem," Ash muttered.

Gary gave him a flat look. "Future Ash is gonna be hospitalized if we don’t fix this now."

Ash’s grip on his ribs tightened. "…I don’t want to."

Gary sighed, softening just a little. He knew Ash wasn’t good with pain. For all his recklessness in battle, when it came to medical stuff, he was one of the worst patients Gary had ever had.

"Alright," Gary said after a moment. "I won’t do it yet."

Ash blinked, clearly suspicious. "…You won’t?"

Gary shook his head. "Nope. But I will let you hold onto my arm when I do it."

Ash hesitated. His fingers twitched slightly against his ribs.

"You have to let me fix it," Gary said gently. "But I’ll make it as easy as I can. You trust me, right?"

Ash’s jaw clenched. Then, reluctantly, he reached out and gripped Gary’s arm.

"…This better not hurt as bad as I think it will," he muttered.

Gary just gave a small smirk. "Don’t worry, Ashy-boy. You’ll survive."

Then, without warning—

POP.

"AAAAAARRRRGH—GARY I HATE YOU—"

Gary winced as Ash crushed his arm in a vice grip. "Ow, okay, okay, breathe, Ash—"

Ash let out a string of curses that Gary was pretty sure would get him banned from the Pokémon League. But after a few seconds, his grip loosened. He was still breathing heavily, his forehead pressed against Gary’s shoulder, but…

The worst of it was over.

Gary sighed, rubbing Ash’s back. "See? All better."

Ash groaned weakly. "You’re the worst."

Gary smirked. "Love you too, Ashy-boy."

Gary had seen Ash act reckless, stubborn, and downright ridiculous plenty of times before. But today? Today, Ash was acting off.

Something was wrong.

The trainer had walked into his office, all smiles, as if nothing was wrong. But Gary had noticed the small things—the way Ash held his side when he thought no one was looking, the way his posture was stiff, like he was guarding something. Even Pikachu, usually energetic, was sticking closer than usual, ears twitching anxiously.

Gary narrowed his eyes as Ash plopped into a chair. “Alright, Ashy-boy, spill it.”

Ash blinked. “Spill what?”

Gary crossed his arms. “Don’t play dumb. You’re acting weird.”

Ash scoffed. “I’m always weird.”

Gary pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fine. Let me rephrase—what part of your body are you hiding from me this time?”

Ash flinched. It was small—barely noticeable—but Gary noticed.

“…Dunno what you’re talking about.”

Gary sighed and took a step forward, watching as Ash instinctively shifted in his seat. Protective. Guarding his ribs.

Bingo.

Gary’s voice softened. “Ash. Let me take a look.”

“I’m fine.”

Gary gave him a flat look. “Yeah, and I’m a Jigglypuff.”

“I mean, you are annoying like one.”

“Uh-huh. You’re deflecting.”

Ash huffed. “I don’t wanna be here all day, man. Can we just—”

He winced.

That was all Gary needed.

Before Ash could react, Gary moved swiftly, pressing a gentle but firm hand against Ash’s ribs. Immediately, Ash yelped and shot backward, nearly knocking over his chair.

“Ow!”

Gary’s eyes darkened. “Yeah. That’s what I thought.”

Ash scowled, clutching his side. “It’s nothing, Gary. Just a little—”

“Dislocated rib.”

Ash froze.

Gary crossed his arms. “It’s out of place. I can see it. And if you don’t let me fix it, it’s gonna start messing with your breathing. You need it popped back in.”

Ash, now suddenly looking very interested in the ceiling, muttered, “Yeah, uh… that’s not gonna happen.”

Gary raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“I’m not doing it.”

Gary stared. “Ash.”

“Nope.”

“You have to.”

“I don’t have to do anything.”

“You literally do, or you’ll be in worse pain later.”

Ash scowled, hugging his arms around his ribs. “It’s fine the way it is.”

Gary groaned. “Ash.”

Ash suddenly stood up. “Anyway, I think it’s time I go—”

Gary tackled him.

“WHAT THE—”

Ash hit the exam table with a yelp, face smushed into the pillow as Gary pinned him down with a knee on the bed beside him, arms crossed.

“You are not leaving until your rib is back in place.”

“This is exactly why I don’t tell you things that have to do with my body!” Ash whined, squirming.

Gary sighed, shaking his head. “Ash, I get that you don’t want this, but it’s gotta happen.”

“No, it doesn’t.”

Gary rubbed a hand down his face. “Look, I know it’s gonna hurt, but it’ll be over in a second. You trust me, right?”

Ash hesitated.

Gary softened his tone. “Come on, Ashy-boy. Let’s just get this over with.”

Ash still wasn’t convinced.

Gary sighed again, then held out his arm. “Here.”

Ash blinked. “What?”

“Hug my arm. If it helps, just… hold onto it.”

Ash looked between Gary’s face and the offered arm, clearly debating his options. Finally, with a grumble, he reached out and clung onto it, squeezing tight.

Gary nodded. “Okay. Deep breath in.”

Ash inhaled.

“And—” POP.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHH!”

Pikachu practically leapt off the chair in alarm as Ash let out a scream loud enough to wake the entire region.

Gary winced. “Okay, that might have been a little louder than necessary.”

Ash slumped against him, groaning. “I hate you so much right now…”

Gary grinned. “Hate me all you want, Ashy-boy. But at least you can breathe properly now.”

Ash grumbled something unintelligible, still clutching onto Gary’s arm.

Gary rolled his eyes and ruffled Ash’s hair. “You big baby.”

Ash swatted at him half-heartedly, still sulking.

Gary just smirked. “Next time, just tell me when something’s wrong, huh?”

Ash huffed. “Yeah, that’s not happening.”

Gary sighed. “Figures.”

Gary had seen Ash act reckless, stubborn, and downright ridiculous plenty of times before. But today? Today, Ash was acting off.

Something was wrong.

The trainer had walked into his office, all smiles, as if nothing was wrong. But Gary had noticed the small things—the way Ash held his side when he thought no one was looking, the way his posture was stiff, like he was guarding something. Even Pikachu, usually energetic, was sticking closer than usual, ears twitching anxiously.

Gary narrowed his eyes as Ash plopped into a chair. “Alright, Ashy-boy, spill it.”

Ash blinked. “Spill what?”

Gary crossed his arms. “Don’t play dumb. You’re acting weird.”

Ash scoffed. “I’m always weird.”

Gary pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fine. Let me rephrase—what part of your body are you hiding from me this time?”

Ash flinched. It was small—barely noticeable—but Gary noticed.

“…Dunno what you’re talking about.”

Gary sighed and took a step forward, watching as Ash instinctively shifted in his seat. Protective. Guarding his ribs.

Bingo.

Gary’s voice softened. “Ash. Let me take a look.”

“I’m fine.”

Gary gave him a flat look. “Yeah, and I’m a Jigglypuff.”

“I mean, you are annoying like one.”

“Uh-huh. You’re deflecting.”

Ash huffed. “I don’t wanna be here all day, man. Can we just—”

He winced.

That was all Gary needed.

Before Ash could react, Gary moved swiftly, pressing a gentle but firm hand against Ash’s ribs. Immediately, Ash yelped and shot backward, nearly knocking over his chair.

“Ow!”

Gary’s eyes darkened. “Yeah. That’s what I thought.”

Ash scowled, clutching his side. “It’s nothing, Gary. Just a little—”

“Dislocated rib.”

Ash froze.

Gary crossed his arms. “It’s out of place. I can see it. And if you don’t let me fix it, it’s gonna start messing with your breathing. You need it popped back in.”

Ash, now suddenly looking very interested in the ceiling, muttered, “Yeah, uh… that’s not gonna happen.”

Gary raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“I’m not doing it.”

Gary stared. “Ash.”

“Nope.”

“You have to.”

“I don’t have to do anything.”

“You literally do, or you’ll be in worse pain later.”

Ash scowled, hugging his arms around his ribs. “It’s fine the way it is.”

Gary groaned. “Ash.”

Ash suddenly stood up. “Anyway, I think it’s time I go—”

Gary tackled him.

“WHAT THE—”

Ash hit the exam table with a yelp, face smushed into the pillow as Gary pinned him down with a knee on the bed beside him, arms crossed.

“You are not leaving until your rib is back in place.”

“This is exactly why I don’t tell you things that have to do with my body!” Ash whined, squirming.

Gary sighed, shaking his head. “Ash, I get that you don’t want this, but it’s gotta happen.”

“No, it doesn’t.”

Gary rubbed a hand down his face. “Look, I know it’s gonna hurt, but it’ll be over in a second. You trust me, right?”

Ash hesitated.

Gary softened his tone. “Come on, Ashy-boy. Let’s just get this over with.”

Ash still wasn’t convinced.

Gary sighed again, then held out his arm. “Here.”

Ash blinked. “What?”

“Hug my arm. If it helps, just… hold onto it.”

Ash looked between Gary’s face and the offered arm, clearly debating his options. Finally, with a grumble, he reached out and clung onto it, squeezing tight.

Gary nodded. “Okay. Deep breath in.”

Ash inhaled.

“And—” POP.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHH!”

Pikachu practically leapt off the chair in alarm as Ash let out a scream loud enough to wake the entire region.

Gary winced. “Okay, that might have been a little louder than necessary.”

Ash slumped against him, groaning. “I hate you so much right now…”

Gary grinned. “Hate me all you want, Ashy-boy. But at least you can breathe properly now.”

Ash grumbled something unintelligible, still clutching onto Gary’s arm.

Gary rolled his eyes and ruffled Ash’s hair. “You big baby.”

Ash swatted at him half-heartedly, still sulking.

Gary just smirked. “Next time, just tell me when something’s wrong, huh?”

Ash huffed. “Yeah, that’s not happening.”

Gary sighed. “Figures.”

Gary had seen Ash act stubborn before—many, many times—but today? Today was a whole new level.

At first, he didn’t even suspect anything. Ash had walked into his clinic like normal, plopping down in the chair across from Gary’s desk with Pikachu perched on his shoulder. He had been acting mostly the same—grinning, chatting, full of energy—but something was off.

Gary could tell because Ash was doing something very specific.

He was guarding his side.

It wasn’t obvious, not at first. But once Gary started paying attention, it was clear. Every time Ash moved, he winced just slightly. When Pikachu hopped off his shoulder, Ash’s entire torso stiffened, and his arm hovered protectively over his ribs.

That was when Gary knew.

He folded his arms and leaned back in his chair, staring at Ash, who was still chatting away about some gym battle. “Alright, Ashy-boy,” he said, cutting him off. “Tell me what’s wrong with your ribs.”

Ash froze mid-sentence. His whole body stiffened. “Wha—what?”

Gary smirked. Gotcha.

“Don’t play dumb,” he said, standing up and walking over. “You’ve been holding your side like you got hit by a Machamp. What happened?”

Ash immediately leaned away from him, eyes darting toward the door. “Nothing! I’m totally fine! Super fine! Best I’ve ever been!”

Gary didn’t believe that for a second.

His eyes narrowed. “Uh-huh. And you expect me to believe that?”

“Yep!” Ash grinned too wide. “Completely, one-hundred percent—AH!”

Gary had poked just lightly against Ash’s ribs, and the reaction was instant—Ash flinched hard, sucking in a sharp breath, his face contorted in pain.

Gary sighed. “Yeah, definitely fine.”

Ash immediately scooted back. “Okay, maybe I’m a little sore, but it’s not a big deal! I can handle it!”

Gary grabbed his clipboard. “Mhm. Take off your shirt.”

Ash’s face turned pale. “No way.”

Gary arched a brow. “Ash—”

“Nope!” Ash shook his head violently, standing up. “Not happening!”

Gary didn’t have time to react before Ash suddenly turned and bolted for the door.

“Oh, for Arceus’ sake—”

Gary lunged forward and tackled him.

Ash let out a startled yelp as they hit the ground, Gary pinning him in place.

“You’re not leaving until I fix this, you stubborn idiot!” Gary snapped.

Ash squirmed. “This is exactly why I don’t tell you anything about my body!”

Gary rolled his eyes. “Because you know I’ll actually do something about it? Yeah, real shocking.”

Ash tried to push him off, but Gary wasn’t budging. He was stronger, and he wasn’t about to let Ash walk out of here with whatever injury he was trying to hide.

“Ash,” he said more seriously, his voice softer now. “Let me see.”

Ash bit his lip, clearly torn, but after a long moment, he sighed and finally stopped struggling.

Gary sat up, letting Ash do the same. Ash hesitated before finally, reluctantly, pulling off his jacket and lifting his shirt just enough for Gary to see his ribs.

And yep—there it was.

Gary’s expression darkened. “Ash,” he said slowly, “you dislocated a rib.”

Ash winced. “It’s not that bad—”

“Yes, it is!” Gary pinched the bridge of his nose. “If I don’t put it back now, it’s gonna get worse.”

Ash immediately tensed. “Nope.”

“Ash—”

“Nope!” He shook his head violently. “I know that’s gonna hurt!”

Gary sighed, rubbing his temples. “Okay, look—I know it’s not gonna be fun, but trust me, it’s way better than leaving it like this.”

Ash still looked unconvinced. His whole body was practically screaming that he was about to bolt again.

Gary thought for a moment, then sighed and sat back.

“…Alright,” he said. “You can hold my arm if you need to.”

Ash blinked. “…What?”

Gary rolled his eyes. “You heard me.” He held out his arm. “If it makes you feel better, hold onto me. Just let me fix this before you make it worse.”

Ash stared at him.

Then, after a long moment, he hesitantly reached out and gripped Gary’s arm.

“Alright, Ashy-boy,” Gary murmured. “On three.”

Ash swallowed hard. “O-Okay.”

Gary counted.

“One… two—”

He popped the rib back into place on two.

Ash let out a strangled gasp, gripping Gary’s arm hard. His whole body tensed, but after a moment, the worst of the pain started to fade.

“…It’s done,” Gary said quietly.

Ash took a shaky breath, his grip slowly loosening.

“…That sucked,” he muttered.

Gary snorted. “Yeah, well, next time, don’t run away when you’re hurt, genius.”

Ash didn’t respond immediately. He just sat there, still holding onto Gary’s arm.

After a long moment, he mumbled, “Thanks…”

Gary sighed and ruffled Ash’s hair. “Yeah, yeah, don’t get all mushy on me now, Ashy-boy.”

Ash just huffed, but he didn’t let go of Gary’s arm for a while longer.