Achoo!" Ash sneezed. " Achoo! Achoo!"

Ash rubbed his eye and let out a sigh, but it was followed by two more sneezes. 

Gary, who was setting a box down, raised a brow as he turned to his friend. " Hey Ash. You okay?"

Ash set the box he was carrying down and leaned on the wall. " Yea-"

" ACHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Gary gently took Ash's arm. " Come on, Ashy. Let's go to my room."

Ash rubbed his eye. " W... why?"

" Because I'm gonna see why you're all sneezy."

" I- ACHOOOOOOO!"

Gary grimaced. " And we might have to figure out fast because if this keeps up you're gonna get weak!"

" Take a deep breath, Ashy. In and out." Gary guided as he moved the stethoscope.

Ash took a deep breath, but it was interrupted with a rude sneeze.

" ACHOOOOOOOOO!"

Gary switched a flashlight on and held a tongue depresser out. " Open wide, Ash."

Ash opened wide and sniffed a little as Gary checked his mouth.

" Hmm......" Gary mused as he removed the wooden stick. " Your throat's irritated, but not red."

He looked at his medical records. " I wond-"

He stopped when he heard muffled sneezes.

Ash was trying his level best to try and keep the sneezes as discreet as possible, but that was impossible. With a fond sigh, Gary handed Ash a tissue from his bedside. " Easy, Ash."

Ash blew his nose. " S... Sorry."

Gary sighed. " It's okay, Ash. It's okay."

He held a thermometer up. " Here, put this in your mouth and under your tongue."

Ash obeyed and Gary helped him stick it under his tongue as Gary placed a cool cloth on Ash's head.

" Now, lie down." Gary advised. " I have to do something."

Ash watched as Gar went to the bathroom and came out, adjusting gloves on his hand.

Before Ash could ask, the thermometer beeped. Gary pulled it out and read the numbers.

' 93. 34...... That's good." He muttered.

Then he turned to Ash. " Okay Ashy lift your shirt."

Ash widened his eyes slightly.

Gary noticed and smirked. " Don't worry Ashy.  I just want to palpate it."

" P.. palpate? Is that a new Pokemon?"

Gary chuckled at Ash’s confusion, shaking his head. “No, it’s not a new Pokémon. ‘Palpate’ just means I’m going to check your abdomen to see if anything feels off.”

“Oh,” Ash said, still looking a little apprehensive. “Okay…”

Gary held Ash’s hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Just relax, Ashy. I’m right here.”

To Ash’s surprise, he felt a wave of comfort wash over him. It had always been like this with Gary—no matter how much they teased each other, Gary had a way of making him feel safe.

“Okay, ready?” Gary asked, and Ash nodded. “Lift your shirt.”

Ash lifted his shirt slightly, exposing his abdomen. Gary placed his hands gently on Ash’s stomach, applying a little pressure as he moved his fingers around.

“Does this hurt?” Gary asked, glancing at Ash for any signs of discomfort.

“N-no,” Ash replied, focusing on Gary’s calm demeanor. It was oddly comforting, and Ash couldn’t help but feel grateful for his friend’s presence.

After a moment, Gary sat beside Ash on the bed, keeping his hand firmly in Ash’s. “Alright, let’s look at your results,” he said, pulling out the clipboard with Ash’s medical records.

“Did you figure out what’s wrong with me yet?” Ash asked, curiosity replacing some of his earlier anxiety.

“Not yet, but let’s see if we can figure it out together,” Gary said, scanning the page. “It looks like you might be having some kind of allergic reaction or maybe a mild cold. You’ve definitely got some congestion going on.”

“Great, so I’m allergic to something?” Ash groaned, leaning back against the pillows. “What else is new?”

“Hey, it could be worse,” Gary replied with a smirk. “You could be allergic to Pikachu’s fur.”

Ash chuckled at that. “Yeah, that would be awful.”

“Alright, let’s take care of that nose,” Gary said, grabbing a fresh tissue. He leaned over and gently blew Ash’s nose for him, a task that Ash found strangely endearing. “Just relax, Ashy. I’ve got you covered.”

“I can do it myself, you know,” Ash protested weakly, but Gary shook his head.

“Nope, not this time. You’re in no shape to handle that. Just let me take care of it.”

As Ash watched Gary, he couldn’t help but appreciate how caring his friend was. Sure, Gary teased him constantly, but in moments like these, it was clear that he genuinely cared about Ash’s well-being.

“Okay, okay,” Ash relented, allowing Gary to do what he needed. He felt a little silly, but it felt nice to be taken care of.

After a few more nose blows, Ash felt slightly better, though the congestion still lingered. “Thanks, Gary,” he said, grateful for his friend’s attention.

“Don’t mention it,” Gary replied, his tone light. “Now, how about some soup? I’ll even feed you if you’re too weak to do it yourself.”

“Hey! I can feed myself!” Ash protested, but the thought of warm soup was tempting.

“Prove it,” Gary challenged, crossing his arms with a playful grin.

Ash huffed, trying to muster the energy to get up, but his body felt heavier than usual. “Fine, you win. But I’m not going to let you feed me like a baby,” he muttered, letting Gary help him to a sitting position.

“Good, just lean on me if you need to,” Gary offered, as he stood up and walked toward the door. “I’ll be right back with some soup.”

As Gary left the room, Ash felt a wave of warmth wash over him. Despite feeling sick, having Gary around made everything seem a little less daunting. It was moments like this that made him appreciate their friendship even more.

A few minutes later, Gary returned with a steaming bowl of soup and a spoon. “Alright, here’s the good stuff,” he said, setting the bowl down in front of Ash.

“Wow, look at you, chef Gary,” Ash teased lightly, feeling a bit better as he inhaled the comforting aroma.

“Don’t get used to it,” Gary replied, holding the spoon up. “Now, open wide!”

Ash rolled his eyes but couldn’t help smiling. “Okay, fine. But I’m definitely not calling you ‘Chef’.”

“Just take the soup, Ashy.”

With a playful grin, Ash opened his mouth, and Gary carefully fed him the first spoonful.

“See? Not so bad, right?” Gary said, watching Ash with a mix of amusement and concern.

“Yeah, it’s actually really good,” Ash admitted, savoring the taste. “You should make this for the whole gang sometime.”

“Maybe I will,” Gary replied, pleased. “But only if you promise to be less sneezy next time.”

“I can’t control it!” Ash protested with a laugh, taking another spoonful.

“True, but you can at least try to be less dramatic,” Gary teased, sticking out his tongue playfully.

“Hey!” Ash laughed, shaking his head. “You’re just lucky I’m sick right now or I’d totally beat you in a battle.”

“Sure you would, Ashy.” Gary winked. “But for now, just enjoy your soup. You need to get better so you can get back to training.”