“ Hey guys.” Ash said in a scratchy voice as he stepped onto Professor Rowan’s backyard. “ Why didn't you guys wake me?”

Gary turned from supervising. “ Because you don’t need to know how to beat gym leaders.” He replied, crossing his arms. “ Also you looked pale.”

Ash rolled his eyes, though it sent a whopper of a headache. “ I'm fine. If you guys need me I’ll be in the forest training!”

And with that, he disappeared through the trees, muttering about how he woke up so late.

A camper walked up to Gary. “ I thought you said he was sick?”

Gary sighed. “ He is, kid. He’s just too stubborn to say so.”

“ Then why didn't you stop him?”

Gary grinned. “ Because when he’s in this mindset there’s no stopping him. He’s almost as stubborn as his Tauros.”

__________________________________________

“ Starivia, use * cough* Ariel Ac *cough* ARIEL ACE ON THAT TREE!”

“ Staaaarivia?”

“ Yeah, I’m fine, Starivia. Pikachu, use Iron Tail on that old tree stump!”

Pikachu raised a brow.

“ Oh. You’re tired already?”

“ Pike Pi….”

Ash waved his concern off. “ Oh, Pikachu. I’ll be fi- * COUGH COUGH COUGH*!”

Ash dropped to the ground, hand over south as he tried to stifle his coughs. “ I’m…. fine….” He managed to cough out as he saw his Pokemon’s worried expressions.

He felt a hand rub his back. “ No you’re not.”

Ash didn’t even need to open his eyes. “ Gary?”

“ Yeah, buddy. It’s me. We can all hear your coughs. Come on. This isn’t normal. You’re going straight to bed.”

“ Bu-”

“ Pika piiiiii!”

Ash looked at his partner and sighed. “ Oh fine.”

_________________________

Ash groaned. “ Pikachu?”

“ Pi?”

“ Get me Starivia, would ya?”

“ Pika?”

“ No reason, buddy.”

Pikachu sighed but brought Ash his belt, and Ash took it. “ Thanks. Starivia, I choose you!”

“ Staaaaaariiiiiiiiiiiiivia1”

“ Starivia, you and Pikachu go out and work on your Ariel Ace and Iron Tail.”

“ Pika?!” Pikachu looked horrified.

“ What?”

“ Pika pika pi!”

“ Just because I have to stay here doesn’t mean you do! Go out and train.”

Pikachu jumped onto the bed. “ Pika pika!”

Ash sighed, leaning onto the bedframe. “ Pikachu, I mean it.”

“ Staaaaaaaaaaaaarivia!”

Ash groaned. “ Oh, fine. Stay here. But you’d better train.”

Pikachu rolled his eyes but sighed.

“ Okay, Pikachu. See that electricity router there?” Ash pointed to a socket.

“ Pika?”

“ Do a controlled thunderbolt and zap it.”

Pikachu stared at him.

“ No, I know what I’m saying. This router only affects my room, so it’s fine. Do it, Pikachu.”

“ Piiika… CHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!”

Ash turned to Starivia. “ Use Gust on the fan and make it turn.”

“ Staaaaaaaaariiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiivia.”

“ Okay, now let’s work on your speed. Run around from the door to the chair five times. Then try to get there in one jump, got it? Starivia, turn that fan on and try to fly against it. The wind’s gonna be pushing you away, but I want you to push it! With enough force you might be able to bend it.”

“ Pika Pi!”

“ Staarivia!”

“ Go, guys! No time to waste!”

Gary entered the room to see a cheering Ash and two training Pokemon.

“ I thought I told you to rest,” He said, raising a brow as he closed the door and dodged his friend’s running Pikachu.

“ I am.”

“ You’re training.” He commented, easing Ash down on the bed and gently placing a damp cloth on Ash’s h
ead while feeling his neck.

“ No, they’re training.”

Gary gently shone a light in Ash’s eyes. “ Mhm. Right.”

Gary sighed as he observed Ash’s flushed face and glassy eyes. His temperature was definitely up, and that persistent cough hadn’t let up either. “Ash, I don’t think you understand what ‘resting’ means.”

Ash leaned back against the pillows, trying to keep his tone light despite the rasp in his voice. “I am resting. See? I’m not moving.”

Gary snorted, crossing his arms as he glanced at Pikachu and Staravia, who were dutifully following Ash’s instructions. Pikachu was sprinting from the door to the chair while Staravia flapped its wings furiously against the artificial wind of the fan.

“This isn’t resting, Ash. You’re basically running a training session from your bed,” Gary said, grabbing his stethoscope from his bag. “And what’s this about you telling Pikachu to zap a router? Are you trying to blow the circuit?”

Ash grinned sheepishly. “It’s just for practice. Gotta work on Pikachu’s precision.”

Gary gave him a look. “Unbelievable. You’re literally burning yourself out and risking the house’s wiring. Now, sit up straight. I need to check your lungs.”

Ash groaned but complied, propping himself up. “You’re worse than Mom, you know that?”

“Yeah, yeah, and I’m also the one keeping you from making yourself sicker,” Gary shot back, placing the stethoscope on Ash’s chest. “Deep breaths for me.”

Ash inhaled, but it quickly turned into a coughing fit. Gary frowned, moving the stethoscope to Ash’s back. “Again.”

Ash tried, managing a shaky inhale and exhale before breaking into another series of coughs.

Gary sat back, his brows furrowed in concern. “Your lungs sound rough, Ash. You’re not just dealing with a cold—you might have bronchitis or something worse. You need to take it easy.”

Ash waved him off, though the motion was sluggish. “I’ll be fine, Gary. It’s just a little cough.”

Gary leaned forward, placing a firm hand on Ash’s shoulder. “Ash, this isn’t up for debate. Your body needs to recover, and pushing yourself like this isn’t helping. You’re already pale, your breathing’s strained, and your fever’s not coming down. Do you want me to call your mom and have her lock you in this room?”

Ash blinked, his face flushing even more—though Gary wasn’t sure if it was embarrassment or the fever. “Alright, alright, I’ll rest. But what about Pikachu and Staravia?”

Gary glanced at the two Pokémon, who were now watching the exchange with worried expressions. “They can take a break too. They’re just as worried about you as I am.”

“Pikapi!” Pikachu cried, jumping onto Ash’s lap and nuzzling his chest.

Staravia perched on the windowsill, letting out a soft coo.

Ash sighed, slumping back into the pillows. “Fine. I’ll rest. But only because you’re all ganging up on me.”

Gary smirked, packing up his tools. “Good. And if I catch you training from your bed again, I’ll have Professor Rowan come in here and lecture you for an hour.”

Ash chuckled weakly, closing his eyes. “You wouldn’t dare…”

Gary stood, pulling the blanket up over Ash’s shoulders. “Try me, Ashy-Boy. Now get some sleep.”

As Gary left the room, he glanced back to see Pikachu curled up beside Ash and Staravia settling down on the windowsill. He shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips.

“Stubborn idiot,” he muttered. “But that’s just Ash.”

Gary shook his head as he examined Ash. “You’re unbelievable, you know that?”

Ash gave him a lopsided grin, though his flushed face and hoarse voice made it far less convincing. “What can I say? I don’t want them slacking off just because I’m stuck here.”

Gary sighed, placing his stethoscope against Ash’s chest. “Breathe in for me, Ashy-Boy.”

Ash inhaled sharply, though it turned into a series of rattling coughs that made Gary frown even more. He adjusted the stethoscope and moved it to another spot. “Again. Deep breath.”

Ash obeyed, this time managing to take a full breath without coughing, but the wheezing sound in his lungs didn’t escape Gary’s notice.

“You’re wheezing like an old man,” Gary muttered, sitting back and crossing his arms. “You’ve got some kind of respiratory infection. Probably from running around in the forest half-drenched in sweat all the time.”

Ash rolled his eyes, though the movement made him wince. “You don’t know that.”

Gary raised an eyebrow. “Oh, don’t I?” He grabbed the thermometer from his bag and stuck it under Ash’s tongue before he could protest.

Ash glared at him but said nothing as Gary leaned against the wall, arms crossed. When the thermometer beeped, Gary checked it and let out a low whistle.

“101.7 degrees. Congrats, Ash. You’re officially sick,” Gary said, smirking faintly.

Ash groaned, slumping against the headboard. “It’s just a fever. I can still train—”

“Nope.” Gary cut him off, standing up and pressing a cool hand against Ash’s forehead to reinforce his point. “You’re not moving from this bed unless it’s to go to the bathroom. Got it?”

Ash tried to argue, but Pikachu hopped onto his chest, glaring at him with a determined “Pika!”

Gary chuckled. “Even your partner agrees with me. So, do us all a favor and rest for once, alright?”

Ash sighed in defeat. “Fine. But if I hear Pikachu slacking, I’m getting up.”

Gary smirked, tucking the blanket around him. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, Ashy-Boy. Just stay put. I’ll check on you later.”

As Gary left the room, he heard Ash mumbling something about “overbearing friends” and “too much fuss.” He smiled to himself, shaking his head.

“That guy,” Gary muttered, heading downstairs, “is going to be the death of me.”

Gary sighed as he examined Ash’s flushed face, shaking his head slightly. “You’re unbelievable, Ashy-boy. You’re lying here, clearly sick, but you can’t even take one day to rest without turning your room into a battlefield.”

Ash grinned weakly, coughing into his elbow before replying. “They still need to get stronger. Gym battles don’t wait for a fever to go away.”

Gary gave him a stern look, setting his tools aside. “Well, the fever’s not going anywhere if you keep pushing yourself like this. What’s your temperature earlier? You didn’t check, did you?”

Ash avoided his gaze. “Uh… I don’t think it’s that bad.”

“Yeah, sure,” Gary muttered as he pulled a thermometer from his bag. He popped it into Ash’s mouth, ignoring his groans of protest. “Don’t talk. I’ll handle everything for now.”

While waiting, Gary glanced at Pikachu and Staravia, who had paused their training to watch their trainer anxiously. “You two, take five. No more training for now. He’s sick, and honestly, you guys could use a break, too.”

“Pika…” Pikachu nodded, hopping onto the bed and curling up beside Ash. Staravia landed gracefully on the chair, tilting its head as it watched Gary work.

The thermometer beeped, and Gary’s expression hardened as he read it. “101.4. Ash, you’re not fine. You’ve got a solid fever.”

Ash gave a half-hearted shrug, his eyes a little glassy. “I’ve had worse…”

Gary pinched the bridge of his nose. “Yeah, and that’s exactly why I’m here. You don’t know how to take care of yourself. Now, no more arguing.” He stood and grabbed a small kit from his bag. “I’ll get you some medicine and soup. You’re staying in bed.”

Ash mumbled something under his breath as Gary adjusted the damp cloth on his forehead, but Gary just smirked. “What was that, Ashy-boy? Something about me being right?”

Ash huffed, closing his eyes. “Whatever. Just don’t stop them from training too long.”

Gary chuckled, pulling the blanket up over Ash. “Rest first, then worry about training. Don’t make me have to tie you to this bed.”

“Pika!” Pikachu gave a little laugh, while Staravia chirped in agreement.

Ash rolled his eyes but didn’t argue further. As his breathing evened out and he started to doze off, Gary turned to the two Pokémon. “Alright, guys. He’ll be okay, but it’s up to us to make sure he stays that way. Keep an eye on him while I get some supplies.”

Pikachu saluted, while Staravia gave a determined nod.

Gary sighed, glancing at the sleeping Ash one more time before leaving the room. “What would you do without me, Ashy-boy?” he muttered with a small smile.

Gary sighed as he checked Ash’s temperature with the back of his hand. “You’re burning up, genius.”

Ash groaned. “I feel fine.”

Gary rolled his eyes. “Yeah, sure. That’s why you’re sweating buckets and coughing like a Trubbish that inhaled too much smog.”

Pikachu huffed, crossing his arms. “Pika pika.”

Gary glanced at the Pokémon before looking back at Ash. “Even Pikachu agrees with me. You need rest, not boot camp for your team.”

Ash tried to sit up, but Gary immediately pressed him back down with one hand. “Nope. You’re staying put.”

“Gary, come on—”

“Ash,” Gary said in a firm voice, his sharp eyes locking onto Ash’s tired ones. “Your stubbornness is impressive, but it’s also really, really dumb sometimes. Your body needs rest. Do you want to get worse?”

Ash sighed heavily, looking at his worried Pokémon. Staravia tilted his head, clearly hesitating, and Pikachu looked like he was ready to zap Ash himself if he didn’t comply.

“…Fine,” Ash muttered, flopping back onto the bed. “But only for a little while.”

Gary smirked, placing the damp cloth back on Ash’s forehead. “Sure, sure. Whatever you say, Ashy-boy. But you’re not moving until that fever breaks.”

Ash muttered something about “bossy rivals,” but the warmth of the cloth and the weight of exhaustion pulled him down. As his eyelids grew heavier, he heard Gary’s voice—softer this time.

“Just rest, okay?”

Ash wanted to argue, but sleep had already won.