" ACHOOOO!"

Ash sniffed slightly as he took a small sip of his hot chocolate. Beside him, Misty was leaning on her boyfriend, shivering slightly.

" Think it was a bad idea to go in a storm?* Ash asked, his voice stuffy.

" We didn't know or else we would've avoided it." Misty croaked.

Ash looked at both Pokemon, who were blissfully unaware of the condition of their trainers. " At least the kids are happy."

Misty nodded as she wrapped herself tighter. " Yeah. That's what matters."

Nurse Joy walked over to them. " You should be fine in a few hours." She reassured them. " Though you should spend the night here."

Misty nodded. " Will do. Thank you."

Nurse Joy smiled warmly and walked away, leaving the couple on the couch.

" Wait, what did Professor Oak want us to find again?* Ash asked.

Misty blinked. " Uh.... It was a new Pokemon that lives in the tundra... Uh....."

" Bliateice, was it?" Ash suggested.

" That sounds about right. Though wasn't it Bearatrice?"

" Oh. Was it?"

Misty shrugged. " I don't know I was asking you."

Ash nodded slowly. " Let's go ask him if there's any new information."

Misty nodded, and they both walked to the phones and typed Oak's number.

While the phone rang, Misty gasped. " What are we going to tell Oak and Gary?"

But it was too late. The like connected, and both Gary and the Professor were on.

" What happened to you two?* Oak asked as he observed their sluggish looks.

" Well, you see...." Ash trailed off. " Well, uh....-"

" We accidentally sniffed water because a pokemon scared us." Misty cut in.

Ash gave her a surprised look but played along. " Yeah. No need to worry."

" Okay.... Why did you guys call?" Oak asked, confused.

" We wanted to- ACHOOO- Ask you- * sniff*- if there's any new info on - ACHOOOOO!- the Bearatrice."

Gary blinked. " Are you sure you're okay?"

Misty nodded. " Yeah! Totally!"

"Are you sure you're okay?" Gary's voice came through the phone, full of concern as he studied their flushed, stuffy faces.

"Yeah! Totally fine!" Misty answered quickly, though her voice was muffled by congestion. She sniffled, then cleared her throat. "Just a little cold, that's all."

Ash nodded vigorously beside her. "We're good! Just... uh... a little under the weather, you know? Nothing to worry about."

Professor Oak's voice was more serious. "Hmm... Well, it's a good thing you called. You both sound awful. I'd recommend resting and recovering before going any further. The tundra is no place to be sick, even if the Pokémon there are friendly."

"Yeah, listen to Grandpa, you two," Gary added, his tone surprisingly firm. "The last thing you want is to get worse out there and have to be rescued. You might think you're fine, but it can be a lot worse when you're out in the cold."

Misty groaned, not wanting to admit it. "But we wanted to find the Pokémon..."

Ash slumped against the wall. "Yeah, we still need to find it. We've already come so far!"

"I understand that, but you both need to focus on getting better," Professor Oak said, his voice kind but insistent. "Your health comes first. Bearatrice-no matter how rare-isn't going anywhere. The tundra will be there when you're well enough to go back."

Misty sighed deeply, glancing over at Ash. "You know, he's right. I don't think I can do much more out there in this state."

Ash pulled a face, still reluctant. "But we've been searching for so long. I don't want to give up now..."

"You can always come back later, Ash," Misty said, trying to comfort him despite her own frustration. "You're not going to find anything if you're too sick to function."

Gary chimed in again. "Besides, it'll be better to have a clear head and plenty of energy when you finally catch that Pokémon. No one's going to give you any points for pushing yourself and ending up in worse shape."

Ash groaned. "I hate it when you're right, Gary."

"Come on, Ash. Listen to me for once," Gary said, teasing. "You've had your fair share of getting sick on trips. I'm just saying that taking a break now might be the best way to speed up your recovery."

Professor Oak agreed. "It's only for a little while. Rest, take care of yourselves, and then head out to the tundra when you're in top condition. There's no rush. The Pokémon will be waiting."

Misty looked down at the ground for a moment, lost in thought. "Okay... Okay, I guess we'll stay put for now. It'll give us a chance to rest."

Ash let out a reluctant sigh. "Alright, alright. Fine. We'll take the break."

Gary's voice softened, as if he was trying to comfort them too. "You two really need this, trust me. It's not just about catching the Pokémon-it's about staying healthy for the long haul. Rest up."

"I'll let Nurse Joy know you're staying for the night," Professor Oak added. "Take care of yourselves, and feel free to check in if you need anything."

Misty nodded, her expression softening. "Thanks, Professor. We appreciate it."

Ash gave a small thumbs-up. "Yeah, thanks, Oak. And thanks, Gary. I guess you're right. A little rest never hurt anyone."

"Good," Gary said. "Now get some sleep. You'll be up and running tomorrow... just don't catch a cold again, okay?"

"Deal," Ash said, flashing a tired grin.

As the call ended, Misty leaned back on the couch, pulling the blanket tighter around her. "Guess we're staying in for the night, huh?"

Ash settled beside her, still looking a little disappointed but resigned. "Yeah, but I guess it's for the best. Let's just hope we don't have any more sneezing fits."

Misty snorted. "I don't think we can avoid those, Ash. I'm just glad we're getting some rest."

The couple sank into the warm, comfortable silence of the Pokémon Center, both of them finally accepting the fact that their pursuit would have to wait. For now, all they needed was to recover-tomorrow would come soon enough. And when it did, they'd be ready to face the tundra with full strength.

" Wake up."

Ash groaned as he opened an eye, then screamed when he saw the guy who was standing next to him, arms crossed.

" WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

misty blinked. " What ha-"

She looked at the person and jumped slightly. " Ash what's he doing here?"

Ash shook his head. " Never mind that. Is your grandpa here?!"

Gary raised a brow. " What do you think?"

Ash rubbed his eyes, still groggy, but the shock of seeing Gary standing over him quickly cleared his mind. "What's going on here?!" he exclaimed, still struggling to wake up fully.

Misty, sitting up from the couch, wiped her eyes and glanced between Gary and Ash. "What is he doing here? What happened?"

Gary didn't even flinch at their surprise. He just stood with his arms crossed, giving them a look that suggested he had expected this. "Nurse Joy called right after your call ended. She said you two were doing worse than you let on, so we decided to come check on you."

Ash groaned, pushing himself into a sitting position. "What? But we're fine! Really! Just a little... sneezy, that's all!" He immediately followed up with a massive ACHOOO!

Misty sniffled, trying to hide the redness of her nose. "Yeah, we're good. Just a little cold."

Gary raised an eyebrow, not buying it for a second. "A little cold? You two can barely keep your eyes open, and your noses are running like waterfalls. You're not fooling anyone."

Ash looked at him defensively. "We're fine!"

Just then, Professor Oak walked into the room, his expression more serious than usual. "I see you're both awake. I've heard about your condition, and honestly, this is bad. I know you want to push through, but you need to rest. The tundra can wait."

Misty winced, clearly embarrassed. "We're not trying to ignore it, Professor, but we've come so far..."

Gary shook his head. "That's exactly why you need to rest. You're both too stubborn to admit it, but this isn't the time to go out into the wilderness sick. You could make things worse for yourselves."

Professor Oak nodded in agreement. "Gary's right. I was hoping you'd rest before continuing, but now I'm seeing you've pushed yourselves beyond your limits. The Pokémon will still be there when you're well enough. You can't catch anything if you're too weak to even stand."

Ash let out an exaggerated sigh, flopping back on the couch. "Ugh, I hate this."

Misty leaned back too, though she looked a bit more resigned. "Guess it's for the best. We can't do anything if we're like this."

Gary crossed his arms again, this time with a slight smirk. "See? I told you. Sometimes the best thing to do is rest."

Ash glared at him but couldn't really argue. He knew Gary was right. "Fine, fine. I get it. We'll rest. But once we're better, I'm going straight back to the tundra!"

Professor Oak chuckled softly. "And we'll be waiting for you. Just make sure to get some sleep and take care of yourselves."

Misty yawned, her eyelids heavy. "Yeah, I think I'm about ready for that sleep."

Gary gave them a quick nod before turning to leave. "Good. Just don't make Nurse Joy send me back here again, alright?"

Ash shot him a look but smiled despite himself. "Fine, Gary. We'll behave."

Gary smirked and left the room, leaving Ash and Misty alone with their thoughts.

Misty sank deeper into the blankets. "I hate being sick..."

Ash chuckled softly, his voice hoarse. "Yeah, but at least we've got the rest we need. We'll be back on our feet in no time."

Misty smiled faintly. "Yeah, I guess so."

Professor Oak watched over them one last time, nodding in satisfaction before turning to leave as well. "Rest up, you two. I'll check in again soon."

The couple settled back into the warmth of the Pokémon Center, both now allowing themselves to relax, even if it was just for a little while. The journey would wait. Their health came first.