" So......" Gary said as he cut the silence. " What do you want to do?"

Ash didn't reply.

Gary turned to Ash. " Ash? Hey Ash!"

Ash still didn't reply. Furrowing his brow, Gary walked over to his best friend and shook his shoulder. " Ash?"

He crouched down in front of him, hand still on shoulder. " Ash, what's going on?*

Suddenly, Ash threw the letter and grabbed Gary's shoulders and pulled him in for a hug, sobbing into Gary's long sleeve purple shirt.

Gary's eyes widened slightly but didn't hesitate. He sat on his knees, noticing Ash's grip on his shoulders. " Easy, Ashy. I'm right here, Ash. I'm right here."

Ash didn't respond.

Gary sighed softly and sat on the ground. " Ash, please, what happened?*

Ash shook his head. " I... It's nothing."

Gary looked at him in the eye. " If it was, we wouldn't be doing this."

Then he noticed the letter Ash was reading. Furrowing his brows, he picked it up and scanned it.

Gary's heart sank as he read the letter. The words were cruel and scathing, filled with venomous insults that targeted Ash's abilities and worth as a Pokémon trainer. He could feel the anger rising within him, not just at the bully who had written it, but at the situation that had pushed his best friend into such despair.

“Who wrote this?” Gary asked, his voice steady but tinged with concern.

Ash, still shaking, buried his face deeper into Gary’s shirt. “I don’t want to talk about it,” he mumbled, his voice muffled.

Gary gently pushed Ash back, ensuring he could see his friend’s tear-streaked face. “You know you can tell me anything, right? You’re my best friend. I want to help you.”

Taking a shaky breath, Ash finally met Gary’s gaze, his eyes red and puffy. “It’s just… I thought I was getting better. I thought I was strong enough to compete with you. But this letter… it just makes me feel like I don’t belong.”

Gary's expression softened. “Ash, listen to me. You are one of the best trainers out there. This letter is just one person's opinion, and it doesn’t define who you are. You’ve beaten Legendary Pokémon. You’ve saved the world. More than once!”

“But—”

“No buts!” Gary interrupted, shaking his head. “You know how much I’ve trained, right? I didn’t get here without facing my own doubts. Every trainer has moments of insecurity. It’s part of growing. You can’t let some bully make you feel like you don’t deserve to be here. You’re a champion, Ash!”

Ash’s grip on Gary’s sleeves loosened slightly, and he took a deep breath. “I just… I thought I could handle it, you know? But it still hurts.”

“Of course it does,” Gary replied, pulling Ash in for another hug. “It’s okay to feel hurt. Just remember, you have friends who care about you. We’re in this together. And if anyone messes with you, they’ll have to deal with me too.”

Ash chuckled through his tears, his voice trembling. “You’re going to fight them?”

Gary smirked, a hint of mischief in his eyes. “If it means protecting my best friend, you better believe it. I’ll put together a team of my strongest Pokémon, and we’ll show them what real trainers can do.”

Finally, Ash let out a small laugh, the weight of his sadness beginning to lift. “You’d really do that for me?”

“Always,” Gary replied, standing up and helping Ash to his feet. “But first, let’s get out of here. I think we need to go catch some Pokémon or something. Maybe hit the battle arena. You can’t let one letter ruin your day.”

With a newfound determination, Ash wiped his eyes and nodded. “Yeah, let’s go!”

As they headed outside, Gary threw an arm around Ash's shoulders. “And just remember, if you ever get another letter like that, you can burn it in a bonfire with me. We’ll make a party out of it.”

Ash grinned, feeling lighter. “Deal!”