" ... And this is the kitchen, where we usually cook."

Oak nodded. " Whoever made this place thought it out well."

He glanced over his shoulders and looked at Ash, who was staring out the window in awe

" Ash?" Oak called. " Try to keep up."

" Pika pi!" Pikachu tugged Ash's jacket, and he looked.

" Huh? Oh, sorry."

Gary smirked. " Come on Ashy."

Ash rolled his eyes.

" And this is my room, and that's Dora's room, and there's Crystal's room.*

Oak nodded. " This place seems perfect for you, Gary. It has everything you would ever need. Don't you agree, Ash?*

No reply

" Ash?* Oak turned around and found.... No one.

Gary groaned. " I have a feeling I know exactly where he is."

Gary's lab coat ruffled in the breeze as he and his grandfather ran around the island, calling for Ash.

" Ash! AAAAAAASH?" Gary yelled.

Oak cupped his hands. " Ash!*

No reply.

" Where could he have gone?* Gary muttered.

His eyes drifted to the volcano, and up there was a small figure.

Gary’s eyes widened, and he muttered under his breath, “Of course… why am I not surprised?”

Professor Oak followed his grandson's gaze and quickly spotted the small figure perched high up near the volcano’s edge. He shook his head with a mix of exasperation and concern.

"Ash…" Oak sighed, recognizing the familiar silhouette. "He never changes, does he?"

Gary scowled, his hands on his hips. "I swear, that guy has no sense of self-preservation sometimes." He tugged at his lab coat and started toward the volcano. "Come on, Gramps. Let’s go get him before he does something reckless."

The two began to jog toward the volcano, their pace quickening as they got closer. The wind picked up, sending Gary’s lab coat flapping as they neared the base of the towering volcano. Despite the danger, Gary couldn't help but feel a strange sense of familiarity. This was just like Ash—to disappear in the middle of a tour and end up somewhere potentially life-threatening.

As they reached the slope, Gary turned to Professor Oak, slightly winded. "Stay here, Gramps. I’ll go up and get him."

Professor Oak nodded, his concern clear. "Be careful, Gary. That path looks unstable."

Gary shot his grandfather a reassuring grin. "Don’t worry. If I can handle battling Pokémon, I can handle a little climb."

With that, Gary began his ascent, navigating the rocky terrain with practiced ease. His eyes stayed locked on the figure above him as he called out again, "Ash! What the heck are you doing up there?"

Ash didn’t respond at first, but Pikachu’s familiar cry echoed back down the slope. "Pika-pi!"

Gary sighed, relieved that at least Pikachu was okay. After a few more minutes of climbing, he finally reached the top where Ash stood, completely captivated by the view before him. The volcano’s edge offered a stunning panorama of the island—the ocean stretched out endlessly in the distance, shimmering under the sun, while lush forests and fields lay far below. It was breathtaking, to be sure, but also dangerously high.

Ash, oblivious to Gary’s frustration, simply stood there, staring out at the vast expanse with awe in his eyes. "This place is amazing," he muttered, almost to himself.

Gary crossed his arms, trying to keep his cool. "Yeah, it’s beautiful, but did you really need to climb a volcano to enjoy the view?"

Ash turned at the sound of Gary’s voice, looking sheepish. "Uh, sorry, Gary. I didn’t mean to worry you. I just… got a little carried away."

Pikachu, perched on Ash’s shoulder, nodded in agreement. "Pika-pi."

Gary rubbed his temples, exasperated but unable to stay mad. "You’re lucky you didn’t slip and fall off a cliff, Ash. You’ve got to stop running off like that."

Ash chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, I guess I wasn’t thinking. But look at this view! It’s worth it, don’t you think?"

Gary couldn’t help but glance over the edge, his annoyance fading slightly as he took in the scenery. "Yeah… it’s nice. But next time, how about we admire the view without giving me a heart attack?"

Ash grinned, his energy returning. "Deal."

Gary shook his head, amused despite himself. "Come on, Ashy Boy, let’s get back down before Gramps sends a search party."

Ash groaned. "I thought I told you not to call me that!"

"Whatever you say, Ashy Boy." Gary smirked, leading the way back down the slope.

As they carefully descended, Gary glanced over his shoulder. "Seriously, though… next time, let me know if you're going to wander off. We’re on an island, not a playground."

Ash smiled, his usual determination shining through. "I will. And thanks for coming after me."

Gary’s smirk softened into a genuine smile. "Anytime. What are rivals for, right?"

The two shared a look of mutual understanding before making their way back to Professor Oak, who was waiting patiently at the bottom of the slope.

Oak chuckled as they approached. "It seems you two haven’t changed one bit."

Ash grinned sheepishly. "Guess not, Professor."

Gary rolled his eyes but couldn’t help the fondness in his voice as he said, "Yeah, Ash will always be Ash."

" Hey, Gary. How are you doing?" Dora greeted as the trio entered the lab

Gary stepped aside. * Ash, this is Dora, the person I work with. Dora, Ash."

Ash grinned and waved. " Gary's told me so much."

Dora laughed. " Gary's told me a lot too!*

Oak smiled. " Good to see you two getting along."

Then his face turned serious. " But we need to work on the issue. If it continues, who knows what may happen."

Ash quietly slipped away, seeing they started using science terms Ash had no idea their meaning.

" Let's go and enjoy the island huh, Pikachu?"

" Pika pi."

" Wow, look at all the amazing animals." Ash observed as they walked along the wildlife. " Gary and Dora sure took good care of them."

" Chu."

Ash grinned. " You wanna race, huh? Fine. Last one to the pier is a rotten egg!"

They took off running and laughing. " I'm gonna get you!' Ash called as he stretched his arms down to catch Pikachu.

Pikachu giggles as he weaved through Ash's legs.

" I'm gonna get you! I'm gonna-"

He stopped when he saw some flailing.

" Pikachu. Look!"

" Pika pi."

Ash ran toward the pier, his eyes wide as he spotted something—or rather, someone—struggling in the water. A figure was flailing, desperately trying to keep afloat amidst the crashing waves.

"There's someone in trouble!" Ash exclaimed, his voice filled with urgency.

Without a second thought, Ash sprinted down the wooden planks of the pier. Pikachu, quick on his feet, darted after him, ready for action. As Ash reached the end, he realized there was no time to waste.

"I need to help them," Ash said, shedding his jacket and tossing it aside before diving headfirst into the ocean.

The cold water hit him like a shock, but he swam with powerful strokes toward the struggling figure. Pikachu watched from the edge of the pier, his eyes filled with concern but trusting that Ash would handle the situation.

As Ash reached the person, he realized it was a young boy, maybe around ten or eleven, gasping for air as he tried to keep his head above the water.

“Hold on!” Ash shouted, grabbing the boy’s arm and pulling him closer. “I’ve got you.”

The boy clung to Ash, coughing and trembling, clearly exhausted from the effort of staying afloat. Ash kicked his legs hard, dragging them both back toward the pier where Pikachu stood, anxiously waiting.

With a final burst of effort, Ash reached the dock, and with Pikachu's help, he hoisted the boy up to safety. Ash himself climbed up after, panting heavily but relieved they’d made it.

“You okay?” Ash asked, kneeling beside the boy, who was still catching his breath.

The boy nodded weakly, water dripping from his soaked clothes. "I... I didn’t mean to fall in," he stammered. "Thank you for saving me."

Ash smiled, patting him on the back. "No problem. Just glad you’re alright. What’s your name?"

“Leo,” the boy replied, still shivering but visibly more composed. "I didn’t see the edge of the pier when I was running, and I slipped."

Ash nodded, understanding. "Happens to the best of us. But next time, be careful, okay?"

Leo gave a small smile. "Yeah, I will. Thanks again."

Ash stood up, wiping some water from his brow. Pikachu ran up, nuzzling against Ash’s leg as if to check on him.

“Pika pi?” Pikachu chirped.

Ash grinned down at his partner. "I’m fine, buddy. Let’s get Leo back to the lab. Gary and Dora will know what to do."

But when he turned, Leo was gone. Ash chuckled.

" Same old, same old."

He looked up at the volcano. " Hey, you wanna get some fruit and feed it to the wildlife? It's lunch time, no doubt."

" Pika pi."

" .... And that's why we called you here, professor." Dora concluded.

Oak nodded thoughtfully. " That is a big problem."

Gary looked at the clock. " We can discuss this later. Right now, it's feeding time for the Pokemon!"

They walked outside, ready to supply the Pokemon food.

But to their surprise, someone had done it already.

Gary smiled faintly. " Ash. He can't stand being left out, so he decides to do our jobs."

Oak looked around. " Where is Ash anyway?"

" Good question." Dora agreed.

" I haven't seen him since an hour."

He suddenly looked disturbed. " You don't think he left, do you?"

Oak aighsd. " Sounds possible."

" But why would he leave?* Crystal asked.

Gary rubbed the back of his neck, thinking. "Ash has always been like that. He doesn't like feeling out of place, especially when we're all caught up in stuff he doesn't understand. He probably wanted to explore."

Oak nodded thoughtfully. "Ash has never been one to stay still for too long. He likely wandered off to find something to do."

Dora frowned, looking concerned. "But it's not safe for him to just go off alone. The wildlife here can be unpredictable, and there are some areas that aren't fully mapped out yet."

Gary sighed, pulling out his Poké Ball. "Let's go find him. I'll bet he's somewhere near that volcano."

" We'll all go." Oak decided, and they all agreed.

The four searched the grounds thoroughly. They checked all the familiar spots—by the pier, the forest clearing, and even the nearby garden. But Ash was nowhere to be found.

“I don’t understand,” Gary muttered. “Where could he have gone so quickly? He was just here.”

Crystal, who had been trailing behind them, suddenly stopped and squinted up at the nearby cliffs. Her eyes widened, and she tugged on Gary’s sleeve.

“Uh… Gary?” she said cautiously.

Gary, still pacing, paused. “What is it, Crystal?”

“Look up,” she pointed.

The group collectively tilted their heads, following Crystal’s gaze. There, scaling the rocky face of the nearby cliff, was Ash. He was halfway up, carefully balancing on narrow ledges as he inched toward something.

“Is that—Ash!?” Gary cried, disbelief in his voice.

Ash was holding a tiny, chirping baby bird in his hands. He was moving slowly, trying to place the chick back into its nest tucked into the rocks.

"Why is he—what is he doing!?" Dora gasped, eyes wide.

Oak rubbed his forehead with a sigh, though a smile tugged at his lips. "Ash always has a knack for finding trouble. But it looks like he's helping that little bird."

Just as Ash reached the nest and gently placed the chick back with its siblings, he glanced down and saw the group staring up at him.

"Uh-oh..." Ash gulped, realizing the height he'd climbed. “I didn’t think this through.”

Pikachu, standing at the base of the cliff with the others, waved his little arms. “Pika pi!”

Gary, putting his hands on his hips, shouted, “Ash, what were you thinking climbing up there like that?!”

Ash grinned sheepishly from his perch. "The baby bird fell out of its nest, so I had to help! You know I can’t just leave it."

Dora shook her head in disbelief. “You could’ve asked for help instead of scaling a mountain!”

Ash rubbed the back of his neck, still clinging to the ledge. “Yeah, I probably should have... Uh, any ideas on how to get down?”

Gary sighed. “Just stay where you are, Ash. We’ll get some rope or something before you hurt yourself.”

Ash grinned nervously, watching as they scrambled to find a solution. Pikachu, in the meantime, stared up at him, shaking his head with a knowing look.

Just as Ash was about to settle in and wait for Gary and the others to get a rope, the ledge beneath him started to crumble.

"Uh... guys?" Ash called down nervously. "This doesn't look good."

The rock beneath his feet shifted, and tiny pebbles started to rain down. Ash’s eyes widened. Without waiting for help, he had no choice but to start climbing higher.

"Hold on, Ash!" Gary yelled from below, sprinting around to find a safer path up. "Just don’t move too fast!"

Ash gritted his teeth, scrambling up the uneven surface. "Yeah, that’s kind of the problem!" He was using all his strength to pull himself up, but the rocks were slick and uneven, making it more difficult with each passing second.

Suddenly, a wild bird swooped down, drawn to the commotion. It circled Ash, its beady eyes locked onto him. Before Ash could react, the bird dove at him, pecking aggressively at his head and hands.

"Ow! Hey! Cut it out!" Ash swatted at the bird, but it persisted, making it harder to focus on climbing.

His grip slipped as the bird knocked him sideways. For a moment, time seemed to slow. He could feel the air rushing past him as he lost his hold, tumbling backward off the cliff.

"Ahhhhh!" Ash yelled, arms flailing as he fell. With none of his Pokémon with him, he had nothing to break his fall. His heart raced.

But at the last second, strong arms caught him.

“Gotcha!” Gary’s voice came from below. With a surge of effort, Gary pulled Ash to safety, holding him tightly as they both staggered on the ground.

Ash blinked in surprise, still processing what had just happened. He looked up at Gary with his signature casual grin and said, "Hi, Gary."

Gary, panting from the effort, stared at him in disbelief. "You nearly fell to your death, and all you can say is 'Hi, Gary'?"

Ash chuckled sheepishly. "Well... yeah?"

Gary shook his head, still holding Ash to make sure he was steady on his feet. "You’re unbelievable, Ash."

"Hey, thanks for the save, though," Ash added with a more sincere smile. "I owe you one."

"Yeah, you do." Gary sighed, rolling his eyes. "Now let’s get you down from here before you try climbing anything else."

Pikachu ran up to them, eyes wide and concerned. "Pika pika!"

Ash knelt down and patted Pikachu’s head. "Don’t worry, buddy. I’m okay. Gary caught me just in time."

Gary gave Ash a sideways glance. "Next time, try not to need catching in the first place."

Back at the lab, Ash hobbled in behind Gary, still brushing dust off his clothes. Pikachu trotted alongside him, glancing up with concern every few seconds. The room was brightly lit, and the equipment scattered around gave it a distinct air of scientific precision. Dora was busy at a table, taking notes on something, while Professor Oak sat nearby, observing them with a calm but curious expression.

Gary pulled a stool out for Ash. "Sit down."

Ash plopped down, flashing his usual grin. "What's up, Gary? You planning on giving me another lecture about being more careful?"

Gary crossed his arms and gave Ash a long, deadpan look. "Let me see your leg."

Ash blinked. "Huh? Why?"

Gary rolled his eyes. "Because you were dangling from a cliff, you were rock climbing, and then you almost got pecked off by a bird. Now, you’re limping."

Ash waved him off casually. "I’m fine, really! It’s nothing. Probably just a little sore—"

Gary wasn’t having it. He gave Ash another flat look, this time raising an eyebrow as if to say, You really want to do this?

Ash sighed dramatically, throwing his hands up. "Sheesh, okay, okay! No need to get all serious on me, Mr. Lab Coat."

Gary knelt down and gently rolled up Ash’s pant leg. His fingers carefully probed the area around Ash’s shin, which had started to show signs of bruising. There was a distinct cut near his ankle that Ash hadn't even noticed, probably from scraping against the rocks during the fall.

"See? You’re banged up worse than you thought," Gary muttered, inspecting the injury with a critical eye.

Ash glanced down at his leg, squinting at the small cut. "Oh… I didn’t even feel that."

Gary shook his head. "You never do. You’re too busy thinking about running off somewhere or jumping into danger to notice when you’ve hurt yourself."

"Hey," Ash protested, "I wasn’t planning on falling off a cliff, you know!"

Gary shot him a look. "Yeah, well, it wouldn’t surprise me at this point."

Dora chuckled from the other side of the room, her pen tapping against the clipboard she was holding. "Looks like someone’s gotta keep you two out of trouble."

Gary glanced up at her, smirking. "You’re not wrong."

Oak leaned in, observing Ash’s leg as Gary cleaned the wound. "Good thing Gary caught you. You might’ve been in real trouble otherwise."

Ash shrugged. "I had it under control. Mostly."

Gary snorted. "Sure you did, buddy. Right up until you didn’t."

Ash winced as Gary applied some antiseptic to the cut, but he tried to play it cool, not wanting to give Gary the satisfaction of seeing him in pain. "Ow, ow! Okay, maybe it hurt a little…"

"Yeah, no kidding," Gary muttered, wrapping the leg with a bandage.

Pikachu, sitting on the floor, watched the entire exchange with wide eyes. "Pika pi," it chirped, clearly worried about Ash.

Ash reached down, ruffling Pikachu’s fur. "Don’t worry, buddy. Gary’s just overreacting."

Gary shot Ash another pointed look. "I’m being practical, not overreacting."

Ash gave a teasing grin. "You sound just like Professor Oak."

Oak chuckled from his spot. "I’ll take that as a compliment."

After Gary finished bandaging up Ash’s leg, he stood up, brushing off his hands. "You’re lucky it wasn’t worse. Try not to go climbing cliffs again anytime soon, will you?"

Ash stretched his arms, testing his leg a little. "Hey, I’m a quick healer. I’ll be fine by tomorrow."

Gary crossed his arms. "Uh-huh. That’s what you said last time. And the time before that."

Ash waved him off again. "Relax! Everything turned out fine, didn’t it? Plus, I got that chick back in its nest!"

"By nearly falling to your doom," Gary muttered under his breath.

Ash shot him a cheeky grin. "But I didn’t, thanks to you."

Gary sighed but couldn’t hide the faint smile creeping onto his face. "You’re impossible, you know that?"

Ash stood up, testing his weight on the bandaged leg. "That’s what makes me interesting!"

"Or exhausting," Gary quipped.

Dora snickered as she walked past them, shaking her head. "You two are like an old married couple."

Both Ash and Gary froze at that, blinking, then turned to glare at Dora in unison.

"Hey!" they protested in sync, which only made her laugh harder.

Oak stood up, giving them all a knowing smile. "It’s good to see you boys haven’t changed one bit."

Ash and Gary exchanged a glance before both grinned sheepishly. "Guess not," Ash said.

Gary, still smirking, gave Ash a pat on the back. "Come on, let’s go grab some lunch. And no climbing anything this time, got it?"

Ash laughed as Pikachu leaped up onto his shoulder. "No promises."

" See the energy readings, grandpa? That there volcano is gonna erupt real soon."

Professor Oak nodded. " How soon?*

" Mmmm, a few weeks.*

Suddenly, Pikachu came to them, jumped on the table, and waved his arms. " Pika pi!"

" Oh hi Pikachu. What happened?" Oak greeted.

Pikachu sighed. " Chu!"

" Ash, what's he saying?" Gary called.

No reply. Gary had a sinking feeling.

" Hey, Dora?" He called. " Have you seen Ash?"

Dora walked into the room. " Not since lunch."

Gary groaned. " I have a feeling I know where he is."

True to his worst fear, there Ash was with a rope, gently trying to help a flock of birds.

" Easy, easy!" He said as he climbed a bit higher. " Just a bit more.... There!*

He sighed in relief as he reached the top. " Now, Altaria, you'll be safe here, okay?*

The birds let out thankful " Altaria"'s, and ash smiled.

" ASH KETCHUM WHAT ARE YOU DOING UP THERE?!"

Ash peered down from his precarious perch, still grinning as if he hadn’t just climbed up another dangerous height. "Hiya, Gary!" he called, waving casually as if this were a normal, everyday thing.

Gary’s eye twitched. "ASH!" he yelled again, hands on his hips. "You promised no more climbing!"

Ash blinked innocently. "Did I? I don’t remember promising that."

"Well, you should have!" Gary fumed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Get down here before you hurt yourself again!"

Ash chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. "I was just helping these Altaria get to higher ground. I mean, the volcano might erupt soon, right? So, I thought—"

"—You thought climbing another cliff was a good idea?" Gary finished, glaring up at him. "You just got patched up from your last stunt! You want me to tie you to a chair next time?"

Ash winced, realizing that Gary was seriously upset this time. "Alright, alright. I’m coming down," he muttered, grabbing the rope and slowly descending from the ledge. Pikachu, who had been watching from below, chirped nervously, clearly not a fan of Ash's latest adventure.

As Ash made his way down, his foot slipped on a loose rock, sending a shower of dust below. "Whoa!" he gasped, his grip tightening on the rope as he swung precariously for a moment.

Gary’s heart leaped into his throat. "Ash!" he yelled, running forward. "Be careful, will you?"

"I got it, I got it!" Ash reassured, although his voice wobbled slightly. He managed to steady himself and finally, after what felt like an eternity to Gary, his feet touched solid ground.

Gary marched over, grabbing Ash by the arm and checking him over for any new injuries. "What were you thinking? Do you have a death wish or something?"

Ash grinned sheepishly. "No death wish, just... you know, saving Pokémon."

Gary groaned, letting go of Ash’s arm. "You’re gonna give me a heart attack one day."

Ash laughed, clapping a hand on Gary’s shoulder. "Come on, you know you love it."

Gary gave him a deadpan look. "You keep telling yourself that, Ash."

Pikachu jumped back onto Ash’s shoulder, giving a scolding “Pika pi!” as if to echo Gary’s sentiments.

Ash just chuckled. "Alright, alright. No more cliff climbing today. I promise this time." He crossed his heart for good measure.

Gary sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Let’s get back to the lab before you find something else to climb."

As they started walking back, Gary glanced at Ash. "I swear, if you weren't my best friend..."

"You’d miss me," Ash finished, grinning widely.

Gary shook his head but couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at the corners of his lips. "Yeah, sure, Ash. Keep telling yourself that."

" Gary?" Dora asked, her voice slightly wavering.

Gary looked up. " Yes?*

Dora looked down at a note and back up at Gary. " You might want to read this."

Gary frowned as he took the note from Dora, noticing the faint handwriting. His gut told him this was another one of Ash’s spontaneous rescue missions. With a sigh, he unfolded the note.

Gary,
I saw a group of Eevee stuck somewhere and went to help. Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon. - Ash

Gary’s eyes widened. "Ash," he muttered under his breath. "This guy is impossible."

Dora, sensing Gary's concern, stepped closer. "Do you think he’s in trouble again?"

Gary groaned. "If history's anything to go by, then yeah, probably." He quickly pocketed the note and headed for the door, Umbreon leaping from the lab table to follow him. "Come on, Dora. We need to go find him before he gets himself in even deeper trouble."

They made their way through the forest, following the usual path Ash would take when going on these ‘heroic’ ventures. Gary’s eyes scanned every rock, tree, and shadow, hoping he wasn’t too late. His mind raced as he thought about what kind of predicament Ash could have gotten himself into this time.

Suddenly, they heard faint grunts and sounds of Pokémon working hard, followed by a familiar voice.

“Bulbasaur, pull harder! Squirtle, you can help too! Charmander, give it a little more flame!”

Gary rolled his eyes. "I knew it."

They arrived at the scene to find Ash stuck in a crevice high up on a cliffside, suspended awkwardly by a makeshift vine rope, with Pikachu holding on to the end with all his might. Bulbasaur’s vines were wrapped around Ash, Squirtle was trying to help push from a lower ledge, and Charmander was carefully applying just enough flame to burn away some tangled roots.

Ash, spotting Gary below, waved with his free hand. "Hey, Gary!"

Gary crossed his arms, clearly unimpressed. "Ash, what are you doing up there?"

"I told you in the note, didn’t I?" Ash called down, a sheepish grin on his face. "I was trying to help these Eevee that got stuck on the cliff, but, uh... I guess I slipped."

Gary pinched the bridge of his nose. "And now you’re stuck, right?"

"Well, I wouldn’t say stuck... more like temporarily stranded." Ash flashed a thumbs-up. "But no worries, we’re figuring it out!"

Dora stifled a laugh, watching as Ash’s Pokémon worked hard to pull him free. Bulbasaur strained with his vines, Squirtle grunted as he pushed, and Pikachu’s cheeks sparked with determination.

"You're gonna hurt yourself, you know that?" Gary called up, trying to hide his exasperation.

Ash grinned down at him. "Nah, I’ve got this! Right, guys?"

Pikachu chirped in agreement, but his legs were shaking from the effort of holding the vine. "Pika... chu..."

Gary sighed and quickly took charge. "Alright, Bulbasaur, ease up on the vines for a second. Charmander, no more fire. I’ll climb up and get him."

Gary grabbed onto the nearby rocks and began his ascent, expertly scaling the side of the cliff. As he got closer to Ash, he muttered, "You really can’t go a day without pulling some sort of crazy stunt, can you?"

Ash chuckled nervously. "Hey, it was for the Eevee!"

Gary finally reached Ash and, with the help of Bulbasaur’s vines, steadied him. "Well, I don’t see any Eevee. Where are they?"

Ash blinked. "Oh, uh... they kind of ran off after I got stuck."

Gary’s eyes narrowed. "Of course they did."

With a few more tugs and a well-placed lift, Gary managed to pull Ash out of the crevice and guide him safely back down to solid ground. Ash landed with a thud, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Thanks, Gary," Ash said, grinning wide. "Knew I could count on you."

Gary gave him a deadpan look. "You owe me, Ash. Big time."

Ash laughed, scratching his head. "Yeah, yeah. I’ll buy you lunch or something."

Gary smirked. "How about no more stunts for the rest of the day?"

Ash winced. "Now that... I can’t promise."