Professor Rowan glanced up at the clock, then at Ash. " Shouldn't your girlfriend have been here by now?"

Ash's face reddened. " For the last time, she's a friend and she's a girl, but she's not my girlfriend."

Brock and Gary exchanged knowing looks.

Then the lab's front door burst open, and heavy steps went through the hall, approaching the room. The door burst open, and Wisty stood there, panting heavily.

" Wisty!" Ash exclaimed, jumping from his seat and running to his sister. " What happened?"

Wisty panted. " It's.... Misty....."

Ash's eyes widened. " What?! What happened to her?!"

Wisty didn't reply.

Ash's stomach dropped. " Wisty....."

Wisty looked away. " There's no easy way to say it."

" Say what?" Brock broke in.

Wisty took a deep breath. " Misty was supposed to be here but she fell from her diving board because she had a show and she hit her head and she dove into the water and she's okay but she inhaled a bunch of water and now she's in the hospital."

Ash blinked.

Then he screamed, " WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!'

Wisty winced slightly. " Yep. Bu-"

Ash grabbed her hand and pulled her out. " Come on chop chop we have to go!"

Ash burst into the Cerulean city Hospital.

It was crowded with nurse Joys.

Ash ran to the front desk. " Which room is Misty Waterflower in?"

Nurse Joy blinked and flipped though the pages. " 157. Why?"

But Ash was already off.

" Wait!" The Nurse Joy's yelled. "You need to check in!"

But Ash didn't hear. He ran through the hall, skidding in front of the room 157.

" Misty!" He exclaimed as he burst in.

The redhead looked up, frowning.

But when she saw Ash, it disappeared. " Ash!"

Ash ran to the hospital bed and threw his arms around her. " Misty j was so worried! Why didn't your sisters call me or anything?"

Misty froze

" You didn't tell them, did you?" Ash asked softly.

Misty looked away and shook her head. " No."

Ash gently kissed her cheek. " Well it doesn't matter. I'm here, and you're okay. But how did you fall?"

Misty grimaced. " I slipped from my mermaid tail."

" Oh."

There was a comfortable silence before the Nurse Joy's burst in.

" There he is!" One yelled. " The intruder!"

" Hey!" Argued Ash as he crossed his arms. " I'm not intruder!"

" Then what are you?" A nurse Joy asked suspiciously.

Misty stood up, wobbling.

" Misty!" Ash yelped as he steadied her. " You need to rest!"

Misty gave him a look. " And why should I do that?"

Ash took Misty's hand and showed her a finger. " This is why."

The Nurse Joy's gasped

It was an engagement ring.

Ash had given Misty an engagement ring.

Misty leaned into his chest. " But I'm not weak!*

" And I didn't say you were." Ash countered. " Look, I'm not going to boss you around, okay? It's just gonna be how it always was before. But I need you to rest, Misty. Please."

Misty looked at Ash. She could see the pleading look.

She sighed. " Oh fine."

Ash grinned. " Good girl."

Nurse Joy walked in, carrying her medical tools. " How is she?" She asked, setting the tools on the side table.

" She's doing good." Ash replied. " But she was coughing a few minutes ago."

The Nurse Joy nodded, taking her stethoscope out. "Let me check her lungs to make sure there's no lingering fluid." She gently helped Misty sit up straighter and pressed the stethoscope to her back. "Take a deep breath for me, Misty."

Misty complied, inhaling deeply and exhaling. Ash watched nervously, his hand still resting on Misty's shoulder.

Nurse Joy listened intently and then gave a small nod. "Everything sounds clear for now, but you'll need to rest for a few days. No swimming, no performances, and definitely no diving boards."

Misty groaned. "No swimming? But that's my life!"

Ash crossed his arms. "And almost losing you would’ve been the end of mine! So, no swimming until Nurse Joy says you’re good to go."

Misty pouted, crossing her arms in defeat. "Fine. But only because you asked."

Ash chuckled. "Thanks, Misty. I owe you one."

The Nurse Joy smiled at their banter, but then her gaze fell on Ash. "Now, about that little... stunt you pulled earlier."

Ash blinked. "What stunt?"

"Running through the hospital without checking in, barging into a patient’s room without permission, and causing a scene," Nurse Joy listed, hands on her hips.

Ash scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Oh... yeah, sorry about that. I was just—"

"In love," Misty interrupted with a grin. "And panicking. Cut him some slack, Nurse Joy."

The Nurse Joy softened. "Fine. Just don’t make it a habit, okay? Hospitals have rules for a reason."

Ash saluted. "Got it! No more rule-breaking. Unless Misty's in trouble again."

"ASH!" Misty groaned, but she couldn’t help laughing.

Suddenly, the door burst open again, and Brock, Gary, and Wisty piled into the room, each looking frazzled.

"There you are!" Brock exclaimed. "You disappeared so fast, we barely caught up."

Gary smirked. "Ashy-boy being dramatic again, huh?"

Wisty crossed her arms. "He dragged me here like his life depended on it."

Misty blushed. "Well, I guess I should be flattered?"

Brock glanced between Misty and Ash, then his eyes caught the sparkle on Misty’s hand. His jaw dropped. "Wait a second... Is that an engagement ring?"

Gary leaned in for a better look. "Whoa, Ash, when did that happen?"

Ash rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. "I, uh... kind of proposed a while ago. I just hadn’t given her the ring yet."

Misty held up her hand with a small smile. "He figured this was the perfect time to finally do it."

Brock’s jaw dropped further. "You’re telling me you had an engagement ring just lying around, and you waited for her to land in the hospital to give it to her?"

Gary burst out laughing. "Classic Ashy Boy!"

Wisty sighed. "You’re such a dork, big bro."

Ash threw up his hands. "Hey, it’s not like I planned it this way!"

Misty laughed softly, reaching for Ash’s hand. "It’s okay. It was... kind of sweet, in a weird Ash-like way."

Brock rolled his eyes. "Only you could make a hospital proposal work, Ash."

Ash grinned, holding Misty's hand tightly. "What can I say? I guess I’m just lucky she puts up with me."

Misty smiled. "Always."

Night had fallen, and everyone was asleep.

Everyone except one- Ash

He sat in the seat next to Misty, holding her hand tightly. He felt his eyelids fighting to droop, but he wouldn't let them.

He had almost lost Misty.

He wasn't gonna let it happen a second time.

Misty groaned and shifted in bed. Panic spread out into Ash's body. " Misty?! A- are you okay? Do you n-"

Misty turned to Ash. " What are you still doing awake? It's not like you to not sleep."

The ten year old boy sighed. " Well it's just.... Whenever I close my eyes I see you-" he didn't finish the sentence.

Misty scooted over. " Come on."

Ash blinked. " Huh?"

Misty pulled Ash onto the bed. " Come on. Sleep with me."

Ash's eyes widened. " B... Bu-"

Misty had already snuggled in next to Ash. " Please?"

Ash sighed. " Oh fine."

As the first crack of dawn struck, Nurse Joy walked into Misty's room.

But then she froze in the doorway.

Because Ash was pacing around the room, looking worried. Dark circles were under his eyes, and he looked like he hadn't slept for more than two hours.

Nurse Joy took a deep breath and stepped into the room. "Ash? What are you doing pacing around this early?"

Ash stopped mid-step and turned to her. "I couldn't sleep... I just keep thinking about what could’ve happened if I wasn’t there for Misty."

Nurse Joy frowned sympathetically. "Ash, Misty’s stable. She’s going to be okay. You need to rest, too."

Ash shook his head. "I can’t rest while she’s like this. What if something happens while I’m asleep?"

Joy glanced at Misty, who was still soundly sleeping, and then at Brock, Gary, and Wisty slumped in chairs. She placed a hand on Ash’s shoulder. "You won’t do Misty any good if you’re exhausted. She’d want you to take care of yourself, too."

Ash hesitated, glancing at Misty. His voice was quiet. "I just… I can’t stop thinking about losing her. She’s always been there, you know? Even when we argue, even when we’re apart… she’s just always been there."

Nurse Joy softened at his words. "Ash, that’s normal. It means you care deeply for her. But she needs you strong—mentally and physically. Why don’t you sit down and try to relax, even if you can’t sleep?"

Ash sighed, his hands balling into fists before relaxing. "Okay, I’ll sit." He slumped into the chair next to Misty’s bed, his eyes never leaving her face.

As the room fell silent again, Wisty stirred awake. She rubbed her eyes groggily and looked at Ash. "Ash, you’re still awake? You’re gonna keel over at this rate."

Ash ignored her comment, his focus unwavering. Wisty groaned and stretched. "Fine, be stubborn. But Misty’s gonna yell at you for looking like a zombie when she wakes up."

At that moment, Misty groaned softly, her eyes fluttering open. "What... what’s all the noise?" she mumbled.

Ash shot up from his chair. "Misty! Are you okay? Do you need water? Or a nurse? Or—"

Misty gave him a tired smile, cutting him off. "Ash, I’m fine. Calm down."

Wisty smirked from her seat. "See? She’s fine. Now can you finally rest?"

Misty turned her head toward Ash and frowned. "Wait... Did you even sleep last night?"

Ash looked sheepish, scratching the back of his head. "Uh... not really."

Misty narrowed her eyes. "Ash Ketchum, you look worse than I do, and I’m the one in the hospital."

"But—" Ash started.

"No buts!" Misty interrupted, pointing at the chair. "Sit down, close your eyes, and rest."

Ash looked like he wanted to argue, but the stern look on Misty’s face left no room for debate. He sighed and sat back down, leaning his head against the chair.

"Good," Misty said softly. "Now stay like that."

Within moments, Ash’s exhaustion caught up to him, and his breathing evened out as he fell asleep. Misty smiled gently, brushing a strand of hair out of his face. "Stubborn idiot," she murmured fondly.

Nurse Joy, watching from the doorway, chuckled quietly. "Looks like someone finally got through to him."

Misty nodded, her hand reaching out to hold Ash’s. "Yeah. And now, I’ll take care of him, just like he took care of me."

At breakfast, Brock, Gary, and Wisty sat at a small table in the hospital cafeteria, chatting about how Misty seemed to be recovering well. They assumed Ash had just decided to eat in Misty's room.

But back in the room, Ash was sitting silently by Misty's bed, his head down as Nurse Joy wheeled in a tray of food for them.

"Good morning," Nurse Joy greeted cheerfully, setting down two plates. "I brought you both some breakfast. Pancakes and berries, Misty—your favorite."

Misty smiled. "Thanks, Nurse Joy! It smells amazing."

Ash glanced at his plate but didn’t reach for it. Instead, he picked it up and set it on the tray next to Misty's plate. "You can have mine, Misty," he said quietly. "I’m not hungry."

Misty paused, fork halfway to her mouth. "Ash, you didn’t eat dinner last night either. You need to eat."

Ash shook his head, his eyes downcast. "I’m fine. You need it more than I do. Just eat, okay?"

Misty frowned, her concern growing. She pushed her plate to the side and leaned forward. "Ash, what’s wrong? You’ve been acting weird since last night."

Ash didn’t respond immediately. He fiddled with the edge of the blanket on her bed, his shoulders slumped. "I just… I can’t stop thinking about what happened. About how close I came to losing you."

Misty’s heart ached at his words. She placed her hand on top of his. "Ash, I’m okay now. You saved me. You don’t need to keep punishing yourself."

Ash shook his head. "You don’t get it. What if I hadn’t been there? What if something like this happens again and I can’t save you next time? I… I don’t know what I’d do, Misty."

Misty gently squeezed his hand, her voice soft. "Ash, look at me."

Reluctantly, he raised his eyes to meet hers, and she was startled by how tired and sad they looked.

"You’re not responsible for everything that happens to me," Misty said firmly. "Yes, you saved me, and I’m so grateful for that. But you can’t stop bad things from happening, Ash. All you can do is be there for the people you love when they need you. And you did that."

Ash didn’t reply, his gaze falling back to his lap. Misty sighed, trying a different approach. "If our roles were reversed, would you want me to stop eating and sleeping because I was worried about you?"

Ash blinked, then shook his head. "No…"

"Exactly," Misty said, smiling gently. "So promise me you’ll eat something. For me."

Ash hesitated but eventually nodded. "Okay. I promise."

Misty smiled in relief. She pushed his plate back toward him. "Good. Now, let’s eat together, okay?"

Ash managed a small smile, picking up his fork. As they ate, Misty kept an eye on him, still worried but relieved to see him taking small bites. She made a silent vow to herself: as soon as she was out of the hospital, she was going to make sure Ash took better care of himself—no matter how stubborn he was.

Two hours later, Nurse Joy walked into Misty’s room to check on her patient, but her attention was immediately drawn to Ash. He was sitting slumped in the chair beside Misty’s bed, his head resting on the edge of the mattress. His face was pale, the dark circles under his eyes even more pronounced, and his usually vibrant energy was completely gone.

Wisty, who had just returned with Gary and Brock, took one look at her brother and froze. "Ash," she said, alarmed, "when was the last time you even ate?"

Ash mumbled something incoherent, barely looking up.

Misty, her own concern etched all over her face, answered for him. "The last time you guys saw him eat."

Gary blinked, his brows knitting together. "But that was yesterday. At breakfast!"

Wisty’s jaw dropped. "Are you serious? Ash, you’ve been skipping every meal since then? You don’t even want a rice ball or something?"

Ash shook his head weakly. "I’m fine, Wisty. I’m not hungry."

That response set off a red flag for everyone in the room. Wisty marched over to her brother, crouching down so she could look him in the eye. "Ash, you always want a rice ball. If you’re turning one down, something’s really wrong. What’s going on with you?"

Ash avoided her gaze, his hands gripping the arms of the chair tightly. "I just… I don’t feel like eating, okay? I’m just worried about Misty."

Misty frowned, sitting up a little despite her own weakness. "Ash, you promised me you’d eat something earlier! Why didn’t you?"

"I did eat!" Ash protested, though his voice was quiet and unconvincing. "A few bites, at least…"

Wisty sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Ash, this isn’t about just Misty anymore. Look at yourself—you’re falling apart. You can’t help anyone if you’re running on empty."

Gary crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. "She’s right, Ash. You look worse than Misty does, and she’s the one in the hospital bed."

Brock, ever the practical one, stepped forward. "Ash, sit down and eat something right now. I’ll go grab some food from the cafeteria."

Ash opened his mouth to argue, but Misty grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly. "Ash, please. For me," she said softly.

Her words seemed to break through his stubbornness. Ash sighed, his shoulders slumping further. "Fine. I’ll eat something."

Brock started to get out of the room, but Wisty stopped him, pulling out a box of their mom's rice balls.

" Mom wanted me to give these to you." She said, handing them to her brother.

He just stared at them.

Wisty sighed. " Do you want.... Mom's deep dish pizza curry.... Whatever you call it?"

Ash shook his head

Wisty sighed heavily. " Okay that's it I'm getting Bayleef."

Ash turned to Wisty. " Bayleef? Why-"

Wisty smirked as she stepped aside, revealing Ash’s loyal Bayleef bounding into the room. The Grass-type Pokémon’s eyes lit up as she spotted her trainer.

"Bay! Bayleef!" she chirped, trotting over to Ash and nuzzling him with her leaf collar.

Ash blinked in surprise. "Wisty, why did you bring Bayleef?"

Wisty crossed her arms. "Because Bayleef knows how to handle you better than anyone else. She won’t let you skip eating, even if you try."

Bayleef tilted her head, glancing from Ash to the untouched rice balls in Wisty’s hands. She let out a determined cry and gently but firmly nudged Ash toward the bed with her snout.

"Okay, okay!" Ash protested, holding his hands up in surrender. "I get it, Bayleef!"

Misty chuckled weakly from the bed, watching the scene unfold. "Looks like you’ve got no choice now, Ash."

Gary smirked from the corner of the room. "Man, even your Pokémon know when you’re being stubborn. That’s a special kind of dense, Ashy-boy."

Ash glared at him but didn’t argue. Bayleef gave him another nudge, this time with a little more force, and Ash sighed, picking up one of the rice balls from the box.

"Fine, I’ll eat," he muttered, taking a bite.

Bayleef let out a satisfied cry, wagging her leaf collar happily as Ash chewed. Wisty grinned. "See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?"

Ash swallowed, still looking reluctant but noticeably less pale already. "I’m only eating because Bayleef’s watching me."

"Whatever gets you to eat," Brock said with a shrug, leaning against the wall. "But you’re gonna finish that whole box before you leave this room, understand?"

Ash groaned, but the warm, familiar taste of his mom’s rice balls helped ease his reluctance. Misty smiled softly, her heart warming as she saw a bit of color return to Ash’s face.

"You’re lucky to have so many people who care about you," she said quietly.

Ash looked at her, his gaze softening. "I guess I am," he admitted, taking another bite as Bayleef settled at his feet, clearly satisfied with her work.

Wisty watched Ash pacing back and forth, his arms crossed and his brow furrowed in deep thought. He looked better after eating, but his nervous energy hadn’t gone away.

"Hey," Wisty said, stepping in front of him to stop his endless pacing. "You wanna call Professor Rowan? Let him know everything’s alright with Misty?"

Ash stopped, blinking as if Wisty’s words had pulled him out of a daze. "Oh... yeah. He’s probably worried since we left in such a hurry."

Wisty gave him a small smile. "Exactly. Let him know Misty’s okay and that you’re okay too." She eyed him carefully. "And you are okay now, right?"

Ash hesitated, glancing toward Misty, who was watching him from her bed with a soft expression. He gave a small nod. "Yeah, I’m okay."

"Good," Wisty said, shoving his Pokégear into his hands. "Go on, make the call."

Ash glanced at the device, then back at Wisty, and finally at Misty. Misty gave him a small nod of encouragement. Taking a deep breath, Ash stepped into the hallway to make the call.

Professor Rowan picked up after a couple of rings, his familiar stern but kind face appearing on the screen. "Ash! It’s good to see you. Is everything alright? You left in quite the rush."

Ash scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, uh, sorry about that. It was... an emergency with Misty. She had an accident, but she’s okay now. She’s recovering at the hospital."

Professor Rowan’s eyebrows furrowed in concern. "An accident? I hope it wasn’t too serious."

"It was," Ash admitted. "But she’s doing a lot better now. I just wanted to let you know everything’s under control."

Rowan nodded slowly, his expression softening. "I’m glad to hear she’s on the mend. And what about you, Ash? You look a bit... worn out."

Ash winced. "Yeah, I guess I’ve been a little worried. But I’m fine now," he said, though his sister’s voice echoed in his mind about him skipping meals.

Rowan gave him a knowing look but decided not to press further. "Take care of yourself, Ash. Misty will need you at your best."

Ash nodded. "I will. Thanks, Professor."

Rowan smiled. "Keep me updated. And give my regards to Misty."

"Will do." Ash ended the call, feeling a small weight lift off his shoulders.

When he returned to Misty’s room, Wisty was waiting with a raised eyebrow. "So? Did you tell him?"

"Yeah," Ash said, managing a small smile. "He said to give you his regards, Misty."

Misty smiled back warmly. "That’s sweet of him. And you," she added, reaching out to take Ash’s hand, "should sit down and take a break. You’ve been running around like a Tauros all morning."

Ash hesitated but finally sat down beside her bed. "Alright, alright. I’m sitting. Happy?"

"Very," Misty teased, her fingers squeezing his. Wisty smirked from the corner, clearly satisfied with herself.