Gary smirked and looked down. " There's no way they'd le-"

Before he could finish his thought, Ash yelped and quickly put a hand on his mouth and another behind his face. " Oh, Gary's just joking. Isn't that right, Gary?"

Gary glared. Ash laughed nervously.

" Oh, look at the time. Let's go Gary we have to go somewhere. Come on let's go."

And with that, he grabbed Gary's hand and pulled him to the forest, Goh and Oak watching.

" You ever get the thought how Ash and Gary are friends?" Goh asked

" I ask that all the time." Oak replied.

In the forest, Ash's feet hit the ground in rapid succession, and he dragged Gary along with him. Gary's wrist was caught in Ash's firm grip, and Gary was struggling to keep up. The leaves rustled under their hurried steps, the sunlight flickering through the branches as they rushed deeper into the woods.

"Whoa, slow down, Ashy-boy! You trying to pull my arm off or something?" Gary panted, half-joking but clearly surprised by Ash's urgency.

Ash kept his eyes forward, his pace unyielding. "Sorry, Gary, but I had to get you out of there before you said something else," he said quickly. His tone was nervous, and he didn’t look back. "You can’t keep teasing Goh like that. He's... well, he doesn’t really get along with people like you, so just, please... don't."

Gary's smirk faded slightly, replaced by a look of genuine confusion. He dug his heels in, forcing Ash to stop, and yanked his arm free from Ash's grip. "Wait, really, Ash? That's why you dragged me out here? I was just messing around, like always. You know I didn't mean anything by it."

Ash turned to face him, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. His face was serious, his usual light-hearted demeanor gone. "I know, Gary. But it's different with Goh. He's... sensitive, and you have a way of getting under people's skin. You know that."

Gary raised an eyebrow, folding his arms. "Really, Ash? You could have just told me that instead of yanking me out into the middle of nowhere."

Ash looked down at his shoes, kicking a loose pebble. "Would you have listened if I did?" he asked quietly, his voice carrying a hint of doubt.

Gary’s expression softened. He stepped closer, his voice gentle but teasing. "Come on, Ashy-boy. We’ve known each other forever. You should know by now that if you ask me, I'd at least try."

Ash looked up, meeting Gary’s eyes. There was a hint of frustration, but also relief. "Yeah, well... you’re not always the best listener," he said, trying to smile.

Gary rolled his eyes and ruffled Ash’s hair playfully. "Maybe not, but I’m still your best friend, right? Besides, if I knew it was that big of a deal, I wouldn’t have said anything to him."

Ash’s tense shoulders relaxed a bit, and he shoved Gary’s hand away. "Yeah, yeah. Just... don't do it again, okay?"

Gary grinned. "Fine, fine. No more teasing Goh. I promise... for now."

Ash huffed, but a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Let’s just get back before they think we ran away or something."

"Fine by me," Gary said with a chuckle. "But next time you drag me into the forest, make sure it's for something fun."

Ash gave him a light punch on the shoulder, and they started walking back to the clearing together, the awkward tension fading with each step. They might have their moments, but deep down, they both knew they’d always have each other’s backs—even if one of them was a little more annoying than the other.

As they reached the edge of the forest, Gary suddenly smirked. "By the way, Ash, if I’d known Goh didn’t like me, I might’ve tried harder to win him over. You know, just to annoy him."

Ash groaned. "Gary, seriously?"

Gary laughed, and Ash couldn’t help but join in. Sometimes, he wondered how they ever became friends, but moments like this made it all make sense.