Tessa hesitated before opening the door, watching as Ash Ketchum strode in—well, stumbled in—with a grin that was far too bright for someone who looked like he had been dragged through a swamp, electrocuted, and then thrown into a blender for good measure. His clothes were torn, his face smudged with dirt, and one of his arms was held at an awkward angle. Pikachu, perched on his shoulder, looked significantly more concerned than its trainer.

"Hey, Gary!" Ash greeted, his voice a little hoarse but as chipper as ever. "Long time no see!"

Gary just stared. His eye twitched.

Tessa, standing by the door, looked between the two of them before turning to Gary. "Doctor, are we not going to address the fact that he looks like he lost a fight with a whole swarm of Beedrill? And he’s smiling?"

Gary sighed, rubbing his temples before giving her a tired look. "Tessa, this is Ash Ketchum. He always looks like this."

Tessa blinked. "Always?"

"Always," Gary confirmed, already standing up and walking over to Ash, who was swaying slightly. "This idiot could be half-conscious with a broken leg and still be grinning like he just won the Indigo League."

Ash pouted. "Hey! That’s not—okay, maybe a little true, but—" He swayed again.

Gary caught him by the shoulder before he could topple over and sighed. "Arceus, Ash, you reek of poison. How long ago did this happen?"

Ash scratched his cheek sheepishly. "Uh… maybe a couple of hours ago?"

Tessa gaped. "A couple of HOURS?!" She turned to Gary, looking mildly horrified. "He should be unconscious right now!"

Gary waved a dismissive hand. "Like I said, he’s always like this. His sheer stubbornness keeps him going longer than most people think is humanly possible." He then fixed Ash with a glare. "But that doesn't mean it's a good thing, idiot."

Ash grinned sheepishly. "Uh… so, check-up time?"

Gary pinched the bridge of his nose before motioning toward the exam table. "Sit. Now. Before you keel over in my office and make my day even worse."

Ash chuckled, though he did as he was told, hopping up onto the table. Pikachu climbed down and sat next to him, watching Gary carefully, its ears twitching anxiously.

Gary sighed, pulling on a pair of gloves. "Alright, let’s get this over with." He turned to Tessa. "Go prep an antidote for Koffing's poison, and get me some gauze. A lot of gauze."

Tessa nodded, but as she walked out, she muttered under her breath, "How is he still ALIVE?"

Gary, grabbing his stethoscope, just smirked. "Trust me, we’ve all been asking that for years."

Ash grinned. "Guess I’m just built different!"

Gary rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Now shut up and let me listen to your heart before it gives out from sheer stupidity."

The door swung open, and in staggered Ash Ketchum, looking absolutely terrible. His skin was unnaturally pale, a sheen of sweat glistening on his forehead. His clothes were scuffed and torn, probably from his fall, and one of his arms was wrapped around his stomach while the other clutched Pikachu, who looked equally distressed. And yet…

He was grinning.

"Hey, Gary! Long time no see!" Ash greeted cheerfully, as if he hadn't just been poisoned and taken a nasty tumble from a tree.

Tessa, standing beside him, looked utterly bewildered. "Doctor Oak, he—he looks awful, but he’s acting like nothing’s wrong! Shouldn't he be in more pain? He was poisoned, he fell, and he—"

Gary sighed heavily, rubbing his temples, he's still down. "Tessa, let me introduce you to Ash Ketchum. Walking disaster. Permanent optimist. This is completely normal for him."

Tessa gaped at him. "N-Normal?! This is normal?!"

Gary finally lifted his head from the desk and looked Ash up and down. "Arceus, Ash, you look like you should be unconscious right now."

Ash waved a dismissive hand. "Ah, it’s not that bad! Just a little Koffing poison and a tiny fall. Nothing I haven’t dealt with before!"

Tessa looked ready to faint. "A tiny fall?! You fell from the top of a tree!"

Ash shrugged. "Yeah, but I saved the Budew, so it’s fine!"

Gary pinched the bridge of his nose. "Arceus, give me strength…" He stood up, grabbing his stethoscope and medical kit. "Alright, Pikachu, hop off. I need to check your idiot trainer before he keels over."

"Pika…" Pikachu reluctantly leaped onto the examination table as Ash sat down, still grinning like this was just another day.

Gary didn’t even try to fight the headache forming. He just placed the diaphragm of his stethoscope against Ash’s chest and listened.

His expression immediately darkened. "Ash. Your heart’s beating way too fast."

Tessa’s face paled. "From the poison?!"

Gary nodded. "That, and probably the adrenaline from being Ash. He should be resting, but of course, he’s standing here grinning like an idiot."

"Hey!" Ash protested. "I’m fine!"

Gary shot him a glare. "Ash, your heart sounds like a Rapidash sprinting for its life. That is not fine."

Tessa took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "Okay, okay… what about his lungs?"

Gary moved the stethoscope up, pressing it against Ash’s chest again. "Breathe in."

Ash inhaled.

Gary frowned. "Again."

Ash obeyed.

Gary sighed. "Your lungs are a little raspy, but nothing severe. The poison hasn’t gotten to them too badly, but you’re definitely feeling it, aren’t you?"

Ash hesitated. "Uh… maybe a little?"

Tessa groaned. "Arceus, Ash, just admit you feel awful!"

Gary ignored them both and pressed the stethoscope against Ash’s stomach. Almost immediately, he frowned at the weird gurgling sounds coming from within. "Great. Your stomach’s a mess too."

Ash chuckled weakly. "Oh yeah, I kinda feel like throwing up, but I figured it’d go away on its own!"

Tessa smacked her forehead. "Unbelievable…"

Gary pulled off his stethoscope and crossed his arms. "Alright, Ash. You’re poisoned, you fell out of a tree, your heart’s going nuts, your breathing is strained, and your stomach is all kinds of messed up. You need to rest."

Ash grinned sheepishly. "Eheh… I can still stand, though!"

Tessa looked at Gary in disbelief. "How has he not died yet?!"

Gary sighed, shaking his head. "Because it’s Ash. He’s been struck by lightning, frozen solid, crushed, electrocuted by his own Pikachu on a daily basis, and somehow keeps going. His sheer stubbornness keeps him alive."

Ash grinned wider. "See? I’m fine!"

Gary groaned. "You are not fine, you stubborn idiot! You’re staying here while we treat the poison, rehydrate you, and make sure you don’t actually collapse!"

Ash pouted. "Aww, but I—"

"Ash," Gary interrupted, pointing at the bed. "Lay. Down. Now."

Ash blinked at the sheer authority in Gary’s voice. "Oh. Uh. Okay." He flopped onto the bed without further protest, Pikachu hopping onto his chest.

Tessa let out a sigh of relief. "Finally…"

Gary shook his head. "This is going to be a long day…"

Ash just grinned up at him. "Thanks, Gary."

Gary sighed, but his expression softened just a little. "Yeah, yeah. Just don’t die on me, Ketchum."

Tessa hesitated before motioning for the kid to come in. The door swung open, and there he was—standing, somehow, despite looking very bad. His clothes were torn, his arms and legs scraped up from his fall, and his skin was visibly paler than usual. His breathing was a little shallow, and there was a faint greenish tint to his lips, likely from the Koffing’s poison.

And yet, despite all of that, Ash Ketchum was grinning like an idiot.

“Hey, Gary,” Ash greeted, lifting a hand in an attempt at a wave. “Long time no see, huh?”

Gary pinched the bridge of his nose. “Arceus help me.”

Tessa, standing beside Ash, looked like she was about to have a breakdown. “Doctor Gary, I really think he should sit down! He’s been poisoned, he fell from a tree, he could have a concussion, and—”

Gary raised a hand, stopping her. “Tessa.”

“Yes?”

Gary pointed at Ash, who was still grinning. “This is normal.”

Tessa blinked. “Excuse me?”

“This is just how Ash is,” Gary explained, leaning back in his chair. “If he’s conscious, he’s smiling. If he’s injured, he’s acting like it’s no big deal. If he’s poisoned, he’s still standing because he’s too stubborn to let a little thing like bodily harm stop him.”

Ash laughed. “Hey, you make it sound like a bad thing!”

“It is a bad thing, you moron,” Gary snapped. “You fell out of a tree while poisoned.”

Ash scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “Well, I had to save the Budew! It was stuck, and there was no way I was just gonna leave it up there!”

Tessa looked back and forth between them, baffled. “So… this is normal?”

Gary sighed, rubbing his temples. “Completely.”

“I don’t understand how he’s even still awake,” Tessa muttered. “He should be passed out by now.”

Gary stood up, grabbed his stethoscope, and walked over to Ash. “Trust me, I’ve been asking myself that question for years.” He gestured to the examination table. “Alright, sit down before you actually collapse.”

Ash chuckled but obeyed, hopping onto the table with far too much energy for someone who should be severely weakened. Tessa shook her head in disbelief.

“Alright,” Gary muttered, pressing the diaphragm of the stethoscope against Ash’s chest. “Let’s see how bad the damage is.”

As he listened, his brow furrowed. “Heartbeat’s fast. Not surprising, considering the poison. Breathing sounds… off. Not wheezing, but not exactly smooth either. Ash, any dizziness?”

Ash thought for a second. “A little, but nothing crazy.”

Gary deadpanned. “Ash. You were poisoned and fell out of a tree. ‘A little dizziness’ is still too much.”

Ash just grinned. “Yeah, but I’ve had worse.”

Tessa looked like she was about to faint. “You’ve had worse?”

“Oh yeah,” Ash said casually. “Once, I got struck by lightning and was fine in like, an hour.”

Tessa turned to Gary in horror. “How is he even alive?”

Gary sighed. “Honestly? I have no idea.” He moved the stethoscope to Ash’s back. “Deep breath.”

Ash inhaled and exhaled.

Gary frowned. “Breath sounds are a little uneven. Probably from the fall. You might’ve bruised a rib.”

Ash waved him off. “Eh, nothing I can’t handle.”

Gary scowled. “Ash, I swear—”

Pikachu, who had been sitting quietly beside Ash, finally spoke up with a concerned “Pika pi,” nudging Ash’s arm.

“I know he’s being reckless, Pikachu,” Gary muttered. “He’s always like this.”

Ash chuckled. “You guys worry too much.”

Tessa threw her hands in the air. “Too much?! You’re poisoned, injured, and somehow still grinning like this is just another normal day!”

Gary patted her shoulder. “Welcome to my world.”

Tessa groaned. “I’m gonna need a break after this…”

Gary turned back to Ash. “Okay, we’re flushing out that poison, getting you on some oxygen, and making sure you don’t have a concussion. Then, maybe we’ll talk about letting you leave.”

Ash grinned. “See? Nothing to worry about!”

Gary narrowed his eyes. “Shut up and let me do my job before I actually lose my mind.”

Ash just laughed.