It started like any other routine check-up.

At least, that's what Gary thought.

"Ashy-boy, come on," Gary sighed, arms crossed as he stood in the doorway of the clinic's blood pressure room. "It's not a big deal, you just sit down, and I wrap the cuff around your arm. Simple."

Ash, standing a few feet away, fidgeted. His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides, his weight shifting from one foot to the other like he was ready to bolt. "D-Do I really need to?" His voice was quieter than usual, and he avoided looking at the intimidating medical equipment.

Gary rolled his eyes but gave him an encouraging grin. "Yes, you do. Unless you want me to carry you over there."

Ash stiffened. "You wouldn't-"

Gary raised an eyebrow.

Ash gulped and hurried to sit down before Gary could make good on his threat. He planted himself in the chair, his back stiff as a board, arms pressed tightly to his sides.

Gary chuckled. "Relax, Ash. You act like I'm about to operate on you or something."

Ash didn't respond.

Shaking his head, Gary grabbed the blood pressure cuff and gently wrapped it around Ash's upper arm. The boy was trembling slightly, his muscles tense beneath the fabric of his sleeve. Gary ignored it for now, focused on inflating the cuff. The machine beeped, the pressure squeezing Ash's arm tighter and tighter as it read his blood pressure.

Gary expected something normal, maybe slightly elevated because Ash tended to stress out over medical things.

Instead, the numbers that appeared on the screen made him freeze.

459 over 100.

Gary blinked. "What the-"

Ash flinched. "What? What is it? Am I dying?!"

Gary immediately masked his concern. "No, no, nothing like that. Just... uh... wow, Ash, that's a record. Didn't know you could break a blood pressure machine."

Ash scowled at him. "GARY."

Gary chuckled, but inside, his brain was racing. That was ridiculously high. Dangerous, even. He looked at Ash, who was now chewing his lip and drumming his fingers on his knee anxiously. He wasn't having a heart attack. He wasn't short of breath. He wasn't collapsing.

Something wasn't adding up.

Gary narrowed his eyes and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Let's try something."

He grabbed the cuff again and adjusted it. But before pressing start, he took a step back.

Then, in one smooth motion, he shrugged off his white doctor's coat. Underneath, he was just wearing his normal clothes-his casual black t-shirt and jeans.

Ash blinked. "What are you doing?"

Gary smirked. "Testing a theory."

He started the machine again. The cuff tightened. Ash winced, shifting in his seat. The beeping filled the room as the numbers calculated.

Then the new numbers popped up.

560 over 180.

Gary felt his stomach drop.

"...Huh."

Ash paled. "What?! Is it worse?! AM I DYING NOW?!"

Gary quickly waved him off. "No, no, you're fine. You're just..." He trailed off, his mind working fast.

It wasn't the teasing. It wasn't a sudden health crisis. It wasn't even the clinic itself.

It was him.

Or rather, it was what he was wearing.

Gary sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Alright, Ash. I think I get it now."

Ash looked at him with wide, anxious eyes. "Get what?"

Gary gave him a small smile. "Your blood pressure spikes through the roof when I look like a doctor. But let's test this somewhere else."

________

A few hours later, Gary showed up at Ash's house.

Delia greeted him warmly, as always, and Ash... well, Ash wasn't thrilled.

"Why are you here?" Ash groaned, slumping onto the couch.

"Because," Gary said, taking out a small blood pressure machine from his bag. "I wanna check something."

Ash groaned louder. "Haven't I suffered enough?"

Gary smirked but didn't tease this time. "Just humor me, alright?"

Ash huffed but extended his arm. "Fine. But if this thing explodes, I'm blaming you."

Gary chuckled and wrapped the cuff around Ash's arm. No coat this time, no clinic, no medical setting. Just them, sitting in Ash's living room.

He pressed start. The machine beeped. The cuff inflated.

Gary watched Ash carefully. He wasn't trembling. He wasn't gripping the couch for dear life. His fingers weren't twitching, and his breath wasn't coming out in short little gasps.

The numbers appeared.

118 over 72.

Perfectly normal.

Gary let out a breath and leaned back. "Well. That explains everything."

Ash frowned. "Explains what?"

Gary grinned. "Ashy-boy, you have white coat syndrome."

Ash blinked. "...What?"

Gary smirked and leaned in. "Basically? You freak out when you see doctors. Or when you think you're getting a medical procedure done. That's why your blood pressure was sky-high at the clinic. Your brain goes into panic mode just from seeing someone in a white coat."

Ash opened his mouth, then closed it. His face scrunched up in frustration.

Then, without warning-

His eyes welled up with tears.

Gary's smirk disappeared instantly. "Whoa-hey-"

Ash turned away, rubbing furiously at his eyes. "Of course something's wrong with me. Again." His voice wobbled. "It's just one more stupid thing on the list."

Gary winced. "Ash-"

"It's always something! I can't even sit through a blood pressure test without messing up! Why am I like this?!"

Gary sighed. Okay. Teasing time was over. He scooted closer, placing a firm hand on Ash's back.

"Hey. Listen to me."

Ash sniffled but didn't pull away.

Gary gave his shoulder a small squeeze. "White coat syndrome isn't some big, scary disease. It just means you get nervous at the doctor's office. Tons of people have it. It's not wrong with you."

Ash didn't answer, just wiped his eyes again.

Gary smirked a little. "And if it makes you feel better, I can totally ditch the coat from now on. If it helps you not freak out, I'll just show up in my normal clothes and pretend I'm not a doctor."

Ash peeked at him, still looking uncertain. "...You'd do that?"

Gary shrugged. "I mean, yeah. You think I like seeing you turn into a trembling mess every time I take out a blood pressure cuff?"

Ash let out a weak chuckle. "...I really freaked out that much?"

"Oh, way worse," Gary said dramatically. "It was like handling a scared Pichu times a billion. I swear, if you'd trembled any harder, you would've vibrated out of the chair."

Ash sniffled but smiled a little. "You're the worst."

Gary grinned. "You love me."

Ash rolled his eyes but didn't argue.

Gary ruffled his hair. "Alright, c'mon, crybaby. Let's go get some food. No more doctor stuff today."

And with that, he let Ash escape the conversation, already plotting how to help his best friend handle his fears.

Even if it meant ditching the coat for good.

Ash had always been a bit jittery when it came to anything medical, but today, Gary was determined to show him there was nothing to be afraid of. He led Ash into the small, quiet blood pressure room of the clinic, a space that smelled faintly of disinfectant and was lit with those stark fluorescent lights that made everything feel just a bit too clinical.

"Alright, Ashy-boy, sit down," Gary said, patting the chair as he grabbed the blood pressure cuff. "Let's get this over with before you start freaking out over nothing."

Ash frowned but plopped into the chair, rubbing his arm as if expecting pain. "I'm not freaking out," he muttered, though his voice lacked conviction.

Gary smirked but didn't push it. He wrapped the cuff snugly around Ash's arm, securing the Velcro and making sure it fit properly. "This is gonna inflate," he warned, starting the machine. "Just stay still, don't squirm, and don't go thinking it's squeezing your arm off."

Ash tensed instantly, his fingers gripping the armrest. The moment the cuff started to inflate, his breathing hitched. He swallowed hard, eyes darting around as if searching for an escape.

Gary watched the screen as the numbers climbed. His teasing smile faded.

459/100.

His eyebrows shot up. "What the-?"

Ash was frozen, his breath coming in shallow, rapid puffs.

Gary stared at the absurdly high number, blinking in disbelief. That wasn't possible. If Ash's blood pressure were really that high, he'd be unconscious-or worse. But there Ash was, very much awake, just looking like he wanted to bolt out of the chair.

Gary frowned and checked the cuff. Maybe it was on wrong? Too tight? He repositioned it and took another reading.

Still 459/100.

Gary leaned back, crossing his arms. "Okay, what's up with you?"

Ash fidgeted. "I-I dunno! It's just... it's a doctor thing, I guess?"

"A doctor thing?" Gary repeated, skeptical. "I'm barely even a doctor. I mean, I am, but come on, I'm just me. This is just me taking your blood pressure, not some scary old guy with a giant needle."

Ash's only response was biting his lip, looking anywhere but at Gary.

Gary exhaled through his nose, thinking. Then, an idea struck him.

"Hold on a sec," he said, shrugging off his white coat and tossing it onto the counter. Underneath, he was just in his regular clothes-a simple t-shirt and jeans, nothing remotely medical-looking. He turned back to Ash. "Alright, let's try this again."

Ash eyed him warily. "What does your coat have to do with anything?"

"Just humor me."

With hesitation, Ash let Gary wrap the cuff around his arm again. He was still tense, but Gary noticed the way his shoulders seemed just a little less stiff now that the coat was gone.

The machine beeped. Gary checked the screen.

560/180.

His jaw nearly hit the floor.

"Okay, what the actual-," Gary muttered under his breath. He rubbed his face, staring at the absurd numbers.

Ash swallowed, eyes wide. "T-That's bad, right? Like, really bad?"

Gary let out a slow breath, running a hand through his hair. "It's... weird. And I don't think it's actually accurate. You'd be dead if this were real." He glanced at Ash, who still looked terrified. "So unless you're a ghost and you forgot to tell me, I'm guessing something else is going on here."

Ash exhaled shakily. "I don't feel like a ghost..."

Gary studied him, then suddenly snapped his fingers. "I think I got it," he said. "White coat syndrome."

Ash blinked. "White coat... what?"

Gary gestured at himself. "You're scared of doctors, genius. Your brain freaks out just from seeing me in my coat, and it makes your blood pressure go nuts. It's called white coat syndrome. Some people get super stressed in medical settings, and their body reacts like it's in danger-even if nothing bad is happening."

Ash's face twisted in confusion. "So... I'm scared of you?"

Gary smirked. "Well, I always knew I was intimidating."

Ash scowled, but his cheeks burned red. "Shut up."

Gary chuckled but soon turned serious again. "No, but really. This is probably what's happening. And I bet if I check your blood pressure later-somewhere outside of this place-it'll be totally normal."

Ash still looked skeptical, so Gary made a plan. "Tell you what," he said. "I'll come over to your place later, and we'll check it there. No doctors, no clinics, no scary machines. Just me and you hanging out. Sound good?"

Ash hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah... I guess."

______

That evening, Gary showed up at Ash's house with his blood pressure monitor. Ash was curled up on the couch in his usual sweats, looking much more at ease now that he wasn't in the clinic. Pikachu was napping on his lap, completely oblivious to the stress of earlier.

"Alright, let's test my theory," Gary said, rolling up his sleeves. "Give me your arm, Ashy-boy."

Ash groaned. "Do you have to call me that?"

"Yep. Now quit stalling."

Ash sighed but held out his arm. Gary wrapped the cuff around it again and started the machine. Ash didn't look nearly as tense as before. His shoulders weren't hunched, his hands weren't clenched, and he was breathing at a normal pace.

The machine beeped. Gary checked the screen.

120/80.

Gary smirked and turned the screen toward Ash. "See? Normal. Completely normal. You don't have high blood pressure. You just have doctor-induced panic mode."

Ash blinked at the screen, then at Gary.

And then, to Gary's utter shock, Ash's face crumpled. His shoulders started shaking, and suddenly, he was sobbing into his hands.

"H-Hey, whoa!" Gary panicked, setting the machine down. "Ash, what-why are you crying?!"

Ash sucked in a shaky breath. "B-Because-!" He wiped his eyes furiously. "Because I'm so freaking stressed all the time! And now you're telling me my own dumb brain is making me even more stressed?! I-I already feel like there's something wrong with me, and now I have some weird syndrome on top of it! I-I don't wanna be like this, Gary!"

Gary's chest tightened. He hadn't expected this.

Sighing, he sat down next to Ash and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Hey... I didn't tell you this to make you feel worse, you idiot. I told you so you'd know you're not actually sick. You're just stressed. And honestly? You've got a lot on your plate. So it's no wonder your body freaks out when you think you're in a doctor's office."

Ash sniffled, his fingers clenching Pikachu's fur. "But what if I can't stop it? What if I just... always panic?"

Gary squeezed his shoulder. "Then we figure out ways to help. You're not alone in this, Ashy-boy. I got you."

Ash peeked up at him, still teary-eyed. "...You mean that?"

Gary smirked. "Of course, I do. You think I'd go through all this trouble if I didn't care?"

Ash let out a watery chuckle, rubbing his eyes. "You're such a jerk sometimes, y'know?"

Gary grinned. "Yeah, but I'm your jerk."

Ash rolled his eyes, but for the first time that day, he actually looked a little lighter.

Gary led Ash into the clinic's blood pressure room, his usual smirk plastered across his face as he motioned to the chair. "Alright, Ashy-boy, take a seat. Let's see if that heart of yours is still working after all those years of Pikachu's Thunderbolts."

Ash groaned, slumping into the chair with a dramatic sigh. "You don't have to say it like that, Gary..."

Gary just chuckled as he grabbed the blood pressure cuff and wrapped it snugly around Ash's arm. "Relax, buddy. Just a quick squeeze, and we're done." He began inflating the cuff, watching the numbers climb.

His smirk faded.

459 over 100.

Gary blinked. That wasn't right. That was definitely not right.

He slowly lowered the cuff, pressing his lips together as he glanced at Ash. The guy was sitting stiffly, his shoulders hunched, his fingers gripping the chair's arms so tightly his knuckles had turned white. His leg bounced uncontrollably, and his breathing was fast-too fast.

Gary frowned. "Ash... are you okay?"

Ash swallowed hard, nodding rapidly. "Y-Yeah! Totally fine! Just... y'know, gotta get this over with."

Gary narrowed his eyes. He'd teased Ash plenty of times before, but this? This was different.

"Let's try that again," Gary said, keeping his voice casual, but his mind was racing. He secured the cuff around Ash's arm once more and inflated it.

560 over 180.

"Whoa, okay-what's going on, Ash?!" Gary exclaimed, his tone half-joking but mostly alarmed.

Ash flinched. "I-I don't know!"

Gary ran a hand through his hair. This was insane. These numbers were dangerous. If Ash's blood pressure was actually that high, he'd be in the hospital right now, not sitting here looking like a nervous wreck.

Something wasn't adding up.

Then, an idea struck him.

Without a word, Gary unbuttoned his lab coat, shrugged it off, and tossed it onto the counter. He was now just in his usual black T-shirt and jeans. He looked at Ash and gave him a reassuring smile. "Alright, let's try something, buddy."

Ash gave him a confused glance but nodded hesitantly.

Gary wrapped the cuff around Ash's arm again, inflating it carefully.

132 over 85.

Gary froze. That's normal.

Ash blinked at him. "Uh... is it bad?"

Gary stared at the monitor, then back at Ash. He looked over at his white coat, then back at Ash again.

Then it hit him.

White coat syndrome.

Gary let out a breath and leaned against the counter, crossing his arms. "Ashy-boy... you're scared of doctors."

Ash furrowed his brows. "What? No, I'm not!"

Gary gave him a knowing look. "Dude. Your blood pressure was through the roof when I had my coat on. I took it off, and suddenly, you're fine. That's called white coat syndrome-it happens when people get nervous around doctors, so their blood pressure skyrockets."

Ash's eyes widened. "Wait... so I don't actually have high blood pressure?"

Gary shook his head. "Nope. You're just scared out of your mind every time you walk into a clinic."

For a moment, Ash sat there, taking it all in. His lip quivered. His shoulders shook.

Then-

He burst into tears.

Gary's eyes widened. "Whoa, whoa, Ash-hey, hey, buddy, it's okay!" He quickly sat beside Ash, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

Ash hiccupped, rubbing his eyes furiously. "I-I just-I don't know what's wrong with me anymore! First, I get all freaked out about check-ups, then the stupid blood pressure thing-now I have a condition?!"

Gary softened. Oh, Ash...

"Hey, hey," Gary murmured, rubbing soothing circles on Ash's back. "Listen to me. This isn't something wrong with you, okay? It just means you get nervous around doctors. It's not dangerous, and it doesn't mean you're sick. It just means we gotta work on helping you relax."

Ash sniffled, still visibly shaken. "B-But what if it never goes away? What if I freak out every time I have to see a doctor?"

Gary smirked, squeezing his shoulder. "Then I'll just have to be there every time to remind you that you're not actually dying."

Ash let out a wet laugh, still hiccupping but a little calmer now. "You're such a jerk, Gary."

Gary chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, but I'm your jerk, Ashy-boy."

He let Ash cry it out, holding him close until the tension finally drained from his body.

He'd figure out a way to help Ash. No matter how long it took.