Gary led Ash into one of the rooms at his clinic, his usual serious expression slipping into a smirk as he watched Ash fidget nervously. "Alright, Ashy-boy, let’s do a quick check-up. Nothing major today."

Ash made a face. "Yeah, sure, just a quick check-up. You know I don’t like all the doctor stuff."

Gary chuckled. "I’m not going to bite, I promise. Now sit down." He patted the examination table, and Ash sighed before sitting down reluctantly.

Gary grabbed the blood pressure cuff, wrapping it around Ash’s upper arm. Ash held still, but his eyes were darting around the room, clearly uncomfortable.

As Gary pumped the cuff, Ash tensed up, but stayed quiet. Gary was used to Ash’s constant nervous energy whenever he was in a medical setting, but this time, something felt different.

After a moment, the machine beeped. Gary removed the cuff and checked the reading, his brows furrowing. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm… that’s higher than I expected."

Ash slumped a little. "Is it bad?"

Gary nodded slowly. "Well, for a kid your age, yeah. It’s higher than it should be."

Ash sighed. "Great, just what I need." He leaned back against the wall, looking slightly defeated.

Gary looked at his best friend for a moment, his mind working. Something doesn’t add up, he thought. Ash was healthy, energetic, always on the go. There was no reason his blood pressure should be consistently high.

Then an idea hit him. "Alright, Ash," Gary said, "let’s try something. Stay right there." He walked over to the chair where he usually kept his lab coat, and without a word, he shrugged it off, tossing it onto the back of the chair. He turned to face Ash again, now dressed in his regular clothes: a black t-shirt and jeans. "Let’s see what happens if I’m just... me, instead of Dr. Gary for a moment."

Ash blinked. "Wait, what? You’re not gonna—"

Gary interrupted him, giving him a serious but playful look. "Just trust me."

Ash didn’t argue, though he was clearly confused. Gary wrapped the cuff around his arm again, trying to make the atmosphere as relaxed as possible. He took a deep breath before pumping the cuff once more.

The machine beeped, and Gary quickly checked the reading.

A grin spread across his face. "Well, well. Look at that." He turned the screen toward Ash. "It’s much lower now."

Ash frowned, trying to make sense of it. "What do you mean, lower? Why?"

Gary leaned against the counter with his arms crossed. "Because you, my dear Ash, have something called 'white coat syndrome.'"

Ash’s eyebrows furrowed. "White coat what now?"

Gary smirked. "White coat syndrome. It’s when someone’s blood pressure goes up just because they’re around doctors or medical stuff. And considering you’re usually on edge when you’re in this clinic... I think it’s safe to say that’s what's happening with you."

Ash blinked, trying to wrap his head around it. "So, you mean it’s just because of... you being in a lab coat?"

Gary shrugged. "Pretty much. You get all worked up just seeing me in a lab coat, don’t you?"

Ash groaned, slouching even more. "Are you serious? That’s just… ridiculous."

Gary laughed, but softened his tone. "Hey, don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s actually pretty common. But now we know it’s not anything medically wrong with you. It’s just your nerves kicking in whenever you see the doctor gear."

Ash let out a deep sigh. "Well, that’s one more thing to add to the list of weird things about me."

Gary shook his head. "Hey, don’t worry about it. I’ll just make sure to keep the lab coat off from now on. I’ll even come in wearing my casual clothes next time. I think you’ll be just fine."

Ash gave a small, appreciative smile, though it was clear he was still processing the idea. "I guess that could work."

Gary ruffled his hair affectionately. "See? No big deal. And hey, now you know it’s just the white coat making you nervous. You’ll do better next time."

Ash grinned, though he still looked a little embarrassed. "Thanks, Gary. I guess you’re right."

Gary chuckled, grabbing a nearby clipboard. "Anytime, Ash. Now, let’s get back to the rest of your check-up, okay?"

Ash groaned but reluctantly agreed. "Yeah, yeah. Let’s get it over with."

Gary led Ash into one of the examination rooms in his clinic, a calm, neutral-colored space that was all too familiar to Ash. As Ash sat down on the examination table, Gary got to work gathering the equipment.

"Alright, Ashy-boy, just a quick check-up today," Gary said, placing the blood pressure cuff on the counter.

Ash grumbled but sat up straight. "Yeah, yeah, I know the drill," he muttered, his eyes darting around the room as if looking for an escape.

Gary couldn't help but chuckle at Ash's antics. "You act like you haven't been through this a hundred times already."

"I have been through it a hundred times," Ash shot back, trying to hide his discomfort.

Gary smiled to himself. He was used to Ash's usual reactions, but there was something different about his friend today. Ash was jittery, fidgeting with his fingers and tapping his feet nervously. It wasn’t unusual for Ash to be a little uneasy, but today it felt more intense.

"Alright, kiddo, just sit back and relax. This’ll be over before you know it," Gary said, grabbing the cuff and wrapping it around Ash's arm.

Ash shot him a skeptical look but didn’t argue. He rested his hand on his lap, but Gary noticed how stiff and tense his fingers were.

"You're really not gonna relax, huh?" Gary asked, watching Ash’s arm carefully as he began inflating the cuff.

Ash just gave a small shake of his head, clearly uncomfortable. "I don’t like this part."

Gary gave him a knowing smile. "Most people don’t, but you’ve done this plenty of times before. Just focus on breathing, okay?"

The cuff tightened around Ash’s arm, and after a few moments, the machine beeped, and Gary checked the reading.

"Interesting," Gary muttered to himself.

Ash raised an eyebrow. "What? Is something wrong?"

Gary didn't immediately respond, instead checking the numbers again. He wasn’t entirely surprised, but it was still concerning.

"Well, your blood pressure is a bit higher than usual," Gary said, eyeing the numbers. "And for a kid your age, that's a little abnormal. It’s higher than it should be."

Ash stiffened. "I knew it," he muttered, almost under his breath. "I’ve always had high blood pressure in these exams."

Gary raised an eyebrow. "That's true. It happens every time we do this. But I think I know what’s going on."

Ash, clearly frustrated, looked away. "I knew you were gonna say something’s wrong."

Gary held up a hand. "Relax, Ash. It’s nothing serious."

Ash looked back at him skeptically. "Then why’s it always so high?"

Gary walked around the table, eyeing Ash as he thought. "You know," he said, "I’ve been reading up on a condition that might explain this." He began undoing his lab coat, which had always been his trademark while working at the clinic.

Ash blinked at him. "What are you doing?"

Gary casually draped the coat over the back of a chair. "Just taking off my coat."

Ash just stared. "So? What’s that got to do with my blood pressure?"

Gary smiled. "I want to test something."

"Test what?" Ash asked, clearly confused.

Gary quickly put on his usual casual clothes, a t-shirt and jeans. "Alright, now let’s try this again."

Ash raised his eyebrows. "Are you messing with me, Gary?"

"Nope. Let’s see what happens when you’re not seeing me in a lab coat." Gary wrapped the blood pressure cuff around Ash's arm again.

Ash was still a bit puzzled but didn’t protest. He sat back, though the nervous energy in his body hadn’t fully left. The cuff inflated again, and after a few seconds, the machine beeped again.

Gary checked the results, then grinned. "Well, well. Look at that."

Ash leaned forward. "What is it?"

Gary looked at him and chuckled. "Your blood pressure is much lower than before."

Ash blinked. "No way."

Gary nodded. "Way. It’s much lower, Ash. I think you might have something called white coat syndrome."

Ash tilted his head, clearly still confused. "White coat... what?"

Gary grinned. "It’s when people get nervous and their blood pressure rises just because they’re in a medical setting, especially when they see someone in a white coat, like me. Looks like you might be one of those people."

Ash let out a breath, rubbing the back of his neck. "Great. So, I’m basically a walking blood pressure mess when I see you in your fancy doctor clothes?"

Gary chuckled. "Seems like it. But don’t worry, Ash. It’s pretty common."

Ash sank back into the chair, his shoulders slumping. "That... explains a lot."

Gary leaned on the counter, smiling softly. "I told you, it’s nothing serious. Now we know the trick. No white coat, and we can keep things nice and normal for you."

Ash smiled weakly. "I guess that’s a relief."

"Good." Gary grinned. "Now you know, Ash. Next time, I'll leave the coat in the closet, alright?"

Ash nodded, a small chuckle escaping him. "Thanks, Gary. You're weird, but I guess I’ll take it."

Gary laughed. "Hey, we’ve been best friends for years. You should know that by now."