Yes that can happen and yes I've seen it happen before

The morning sun streamed through the window of Ash’s room, casting a warm glow over the scattered Pokémon memorabilia and half-folded clothes. Gary was already there, standing with his arms crossed, eyeing Ash with a mixture of amusement and concern. Ash sat slouched on the edge of his bed, one hand resting over his chest, his face pale and drawn. 

“So,” Gary began, stepping closer, “you finally admit that something feels off, huh?” 

Ash looked up sheepishly. “I mean… yeah. It’s not bad or anything, just… I dunno, kinda tight? And it feels like my chest is sore when I breathe deep.” 

Gary frowned slightly, kneeling in front of Ash to meet his eye level. “Why didn’t you say anything sooner, Ash? You know better than to keep stuff like this to yourself.” 

Ash shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. “I thought it’d go away… but it hasn’t.” 

Gary sighed, grabbing his stethoscope from his bag. “Alright, lay down on the bed. Let me take a look and see what’s going on.” 

Ash blinked, a little hesitant. “You’re not gonna… poke me with anything, are you?” 

Gary snorted. “No needles today, Ashy-Boy. Just a routine check. Now come on, scoot.” 

With a small groan, Ash shifted up onto the bed and lay flat on his back. Gary pulled over a chair and sat beside him, placing a hand gently on Ash’s shoulder. 

“Okay, first things first,” Gary said, slipping the earpieces of the stethoscope into place. “Breathe normally for me.” 

Ash nodded as Gary placed the cold metal disk against his chest. He flinched slightly at the chill but quickly settled as Gary began to listen. 

“Your heartbeat’s strong,” Gary murmured, moving the stethoscope to another spot. “That’s good. Now, I want you to take a deep breath in… and out.” 

Ash obeyed, though he winced slightly as he exhaled. Gary’s sharp eyes caught the reaction immediately. 

“Does it hurt when you breathe deep?” Gary asked, his voice calm but serious. 

Ash nodded. “A little. Not a lot, though.” 

Gary moved the stethoscope again, this time placing it on Ash’s back. “Alright, sit up for a second. I’m going to check your lungs. Same thing—deep breath in… and out.” 

Ash sat up, his hands gripping the edge of the bed as Gary worked. The process was slow and methodical, Gary’s focus unwavering. 

“Hmm,” Gary muttered after a few moments, leaning back and pulling the stethoscope from his ears. 

“What?” Ash asked, his voice tinged with worry. “Is something wrong?” 

Gary shook his head. “No, nothing serious. Your lungs sound clear, but it looks like you’ve strained the muscles around your ribcage—probably from overexerting yourself during training.” 

Ash sighed in relief, slumping slightly. “That’s it? Just sore muscles?” 

Gary smirked. “Yeah, but don’t think that means you can just ignore it. Muscle strain in your chest can be tricky if you don’t let it heal properly. You’ve gotta take it easy for a few days, alright?” 

Ash groaned. “Take it easy? But Gary—” 

“No buts,” Gary interrupted, poking Ash lightly in the chest. “You keep pushing yourself, and you’re going to end up making it worse. Do you want to be stuck in bed for a week?” 

Ash huffed, crossing his arms. “Fine, fine. I’ll rest.” 

“Good,” Gary said, his tone firm but teasing. “Now, one more thing—I’m going to feel around your ribcage to make sure there aren’t any tender spots. Let me know if anything hurts.” 

Ash nodded, lying back down as Gary’s hands began to gently press along his ribcage. The touch was careful and precise, Gary’s years of experience evident in the way he worked. 

“Anything here?” Gary asked, pressing lightly on Ash’s left side. 

“Nope,” Ash replied. 

“And here?” Gary moved to the right. 

“A little sore,” Ash admitted. 

Gary nodded, making a mental note. “That’s where the strain is. Nothing feels out of place, so it’s just a soft tissue issue. Like I said, rest and you’ll be fine.” 

Ash gave him a small smile. “Thanks, Gary. You’re pretty good at this, you know.” 

Gary grinned, ruffling Ash’s hair. “Of course I am. Someone’s gotta keep you in one piece, Ashy-Boy.” 

The warm afternoon sun streamed through the window as Ash lounged on the couch, Pikachu curled up beside him. Gary sat across from him, his stethoscope in hand and his medical bag on the coffee table.

"Alright, Ashy-Boy," Gary began, giving his friend a knowing look. "You’ve been complaining about your chest feeling weird. Let’s check it out."

Ash waved a hand dismissively. "It’s probably nothing, Gary. I’m fine."

Gary raised an eyebrow, smirking. "You always say that, and it’s never nothing. Let’s not take any chances, okay? Just humor me."

Ash sighed dramatically but sat up, muttering, "Fine, but make it quick."

Gary nodded, slipping the stethoscope into his ears. "Alright, lift your shirt just a little so I can check your lungs and heart."

Ash hesitated, fidgeting slightly before tugging his shirt up just enough to expose his chest and upper stomach. His face flushed faintly, but he avoided looking directly at Gary.

Gary leaned in, pressing the cold disk of the stethoscope against Ash’s chest.

"Deep breath in," Gary instructed.

Ash inhaled deeply, wincing slightly at the chill of the stethoscope.

"Good. Now exhale."

Ash let the air out slowly, and Gary moved the stethoscope to another spot.

"Again. Inhale… and exhale."

After a few more breaths, Gary shifted to press the stethoscope against Ash’s back. "Same thing. Deep breath in… and out."

Once finished, Gary looped the stethoscope back around his neck and gave Ash an approving nod. "Lungs are clear. That’s a good sign."

He then placed two fingers lightly on Ash’s wrist, feeling for his pulse, before gently pressing his hand against Ash’s chest, just over his heart.

"Relax, Ash," Gary said softly, noticing the tension in his friend’s posture. "It’s just me. Nothing to be nervous about."

Ash mumbled something under his breath but nodded, his heart still racing slightly.

Gary smiled faintly. "Your heart’s beating a little fast, but that’s probably because you’re all worked up. Let’s check for anything else."

He began to lightly press along Ash’s ribcage, moving methodically and carefully. "Let me know if anything feels tender."

When he pressed near Ash’s left side, Ash flinched slightly.

"Right there?" Gary asked, his tone turning serious.

Ash nodded. "Yeah, it’s a little sore."

Gary leaned in, his fingers gently probing the area. "Feels like you bruised the muscle. Did you take a bad hit or something?"

Ash sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I might’ve tripped over a rock yesterday while training… It wasn’t a big deal."

Gary groaned, shaking his head. "Ash, you need to be more careful. This is just a muscle strain, but it could’ve been worse."

He reached into his bag, pulling out an ice pack and handing it to Ash. "Use this on the sore spot for 10-15 minutes a few times a day. And no intense training for at least a week, got it?"

Ash grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, yeah. Got it. Thanks, Gary."

Gary smirked, ruffling Ash’s hair. "What would you do without me, Ashy-Boy?"

"Probably be in worse shape," Ash admitted with a chuckle, pressing the ice pack against his side.

Gary laughed, packing up his things. "Glad you’re finally catching on. Now take it easy for once, alright?"

Ash gave a mock salute, a playful grin on his face. "Yes, sir, Dr. Gary."

Gary rolled his eyes but couldn’t help the small smile tugging at his lips. "You’re impossible."

It was a calm, sunny day in Pallet Town, and Ash was sitting on the porch of his house, trying to catch his breath after a morning spent training with Pikachu. His chest felt tight, and every deep breath made him wince. He brushed it off as fatigue, but Gary—who had been passing by on his way to visit—immediately noticed something wasn’t right.

Gary stopped in his tracks, narrowing his eyes at Ash. “Ashy-boy, what’s up with you?”

Ash waved him off, forcing a grin. “I’m fine, Gary. Just… a little tired from training, that’s all.”

Gary crossed his arms, unimpressed. “Ash, you’re breathing like you just ran a marathon, and you’re holding your chest. That doesn’t scream ‘fine.’”

Ash shifted uncomfortably, avoiding Gary’s gaze. “It’s nothing. Seriously.”

Gary sighed, walking over to him. “Alright, buddy, let’s cut the act. Sit up straight—I’m taking a look.”

“What? Here? Now?” Ash asked, his voice pitching slightly.

“Yes, here and now,” Gary replied firmly. “You’re not collapsing on my watch.”

Reluctantly, Ash straightened up, and Gary crouched in front of him, pulling out his stethoscope from the bag he always seemed to have with him.

“Alright, first things first,” Gary said, slipping the stethoscope around his neck. “Let’s listen to that heart of yours. Take a deep breath and try to relax, okay?”

Ash nodded, though the slight tremor in his hands betrayed his nerves. Gary placed the cold metal disk against Ash’s chest, just below his collarbone.

“Deep breath in… and out,” Gary instructed, his tone calm and reassuring.

Ash obeyed, wincing slightly as he exhaled. Gary frowned, shifting the stethoscope slightly to listen from another angle.

“Your heart sounds fine,” Gary said after a moment, “but that wince tells me something’s going on with your ribs or lungs.”

Ash swallowed nervously. “It’s just sore. I think I might’ve taken a hit from Pikachu’s Iron Tail earlier…”

Gary’s frown deepened. “Ash, you can’t just shrug off stuff like that. If you’ve bruised or cracked a rib, it could get worse if you don’t take care of it.”

Gary moved the stethoscope lower, pressing it gently against Ash’s ribs. “Now breathe in deep again. I want to make sure your lungs are clear.”

Ash took another deep breath, flinching slightly as he did. Gary’s expression grew more focused as he listened, nodding slightly before removing the stethoscope.

“Your lungs sound clear, so that’s good,” Gary said, setting the stethoscope aside. “Now let me check your ribs.”

Ash tensed as Gary’s hands moved to his ribcage, fingers gently probing along the bones. “Let me know if anything hurts,” Gary said.

Ash winced when Gary’s fingers brushed against a spot on his left side. “There,” he muttered.

Gary nodded, pressing lightly around the area. “You’ve definitely got some bruising, but I don’t feel any fractures. Still, we’ll ice it to bring down the swelling and keep you from making it worse.”

Ash let out a relieved sigh. “So… I’m not broken?”

Gary smirked. “Not this time, but you’re pushing your luck, Ashy-boy. You need to take it easy for a few days.”

Ash groaned. “Easy? Gary, I’ve got battles to train for!”

Gary rolled his eyes. “You can’t battle if you’re hurt. Resting isn’t quitting—it’s making sure you’re strong enough to win later.”

Ash slumped back against the porch railing, grumbling under his breath. Gary just laughed, grabbing an ice pack from his bag and pressing it gently against Ash’s side.

“There. Hold this for 15 minutes, then take a break. And no training until you’re not wincing every time you breathe,” Gary said, his tone firm but caring.

Ash sighed but nodded. “Thanks, Gary.”

Gary ruffled Ash’s hair with a grin. “What are rivals for, huh? Just try not to get yourself beat up again. You’re giving me gray hairs.”

Ash chuckled weakly, clutching the ice pack against his ribs. “No promises.”