" We have to climb that?!"

Gary sighed and rubbed his temples. " Ash you'll be fine."

Ash backed away. " Nuh uh. No way. I refuse to-"

" Is there something wrong with this mountain?" Goh asked

Gary sighed and shook his head. " Nah. Ash just had an... Incident here."

Ash shot him a look. " I'm not taking the same risk twice."

" This time we have the gear, Ash."

" Last time we also had gear!"

" If you call string gear then sorry to disappoint buddy but you're really wrong."

Ash sighed. " Fiiiiiine. But if something happens -"

" Which it never does." Gary muttered.

Ash shot him a look. " If it does-"

" You can hold me accountable, sure sure."

Ash sighed. " Fine. Give me the geeeear."

Ash looked down at the falling Swablu, then up at the worried Altaria. He sighed.

" Gary?"

" Hm?"

" Just know whatever happens I'm not holding you accountable."

" What do you m-"

Ash jumped

Gary's eye twitched. " ASH KETCHUM GET BACK HERE!"

Ash came flying up with the Swablu. " Sorry Gary!" He called as his gear came off.

Gary's eye twitched again. " Aaaash...."

Ash started climbing the mountain, the Swablu clutched to his hat

" Hang on!" Ash called to the bird.

" Pika pi!" Pikachu agreed.

The Swablu let out a squauk and obeyed. Ash climbed and climbed, making sure not to make a wrong move

Meanwhile, Goh and Gary were watching.

" Is he always like this?" Goh asked

" You have no idea." Gary replied.

Suddenly, Ash yelped as a rock he was standing on cracked.

Then the one below his other leg started to crack.

" We have to climb WAY faster!" Ash exclaimed as he started to climb like a speedster.

Gary groaned, grabbing his binoculars to keep track of Ash's chaotic ascent. "He's going to get himself killed one of these days," he muttered.

Goh squinted up at the frantic climber. "Honestly, I thought you were exaggerating. This is... next-level reckless."

"Reckless doesn't even begin to cover it," Gary grumbled. "He's survived on sheer dumb luck and determination more times than I can count."

Ash, meanwhile, was moving at an alarming pace, the Swablu perched on his hat chirping nervously. Pikachu clung to Ash’s shoulder, keeping his tail carefully balanced against the swaying movements. 

"I got this! Don't worry about me!" Ash shouted, his voice echoing down to the others.

"I wasn't worried until now," Gary yelled back, though his tone betrayed his irritation. "You're one bad move away from a long fall!"

Another crack rang out as Ash's foot slipped. For a heart-stopping moment, he dangled by one arm, clinging to the rock face.

"Pikaaa!" Pikachu cried in alarm.

"Okay, okay, we're fine," Ash said, gritting his teeth as he pulled himself back up. "See? Everything's under control!"

Gary's hands clenched into fists. "I swear, if he doesn't fall off that mountain, I'm throwing him off it myself."

Goh chuckled nervously, not entirely sure if Gary was joking. "We should probably go after him, huh?"

"You think?" Gary snapped, already strapping on his climbing gear.

By the time Gary and Goh started their climb, Ash had nearly reached the summit. His movements slowed as the incline steepened, but his determination only grew. The Altaria hovered above, chirping anxiously and urging him onward.

"Don't worry, I'll get your baby back to you safe and sound!" Ash called, glancing at the Swablu. "Just hang tight, little guy."

Finally, with one last heave, Ash hoisted himself onto the ledge where the Altaria was waiting. The relieved Pokémon cooed and nuzzled its baby as Ash handed the Swablu over.

"See? Easy peasy!" Ash said, grinning despite the dirt smudged across his face and the torn state of his gear.

From below, Gary's voice rang out loud and clear. "ASH KETCHUM! YOU ARE DEAD MEAT WHEN I GET UP THERE!"

Ash winced, glancing over the edge. "Uh... maybe I should start heading down now," he muttered, but Pikachu shook his head.

"Pika pika," Pikachu said, clearly unimpressed.

Ash sighed and sat down to wait, knowing full well he was about to get an earful—or worse—from Gary. Still, he couldn't help but smile as he watched the reunited Altaria and Swablu take flight together, their happy chirps filling the air.

"Totally worth it," he said to himself.

Just as Ash was catching his breath, a soft chirp above made him look up. His eyes widened as yet another Swablu tumbled through the air, its tiny wings flailing uselessly.

"Not again!" Ash groaned.

"Pika!" Pikachu yelped, leaping into action.

Ash darted forward just in time, catching the Swablu in his arms. "Gotcha!" he exclaimed, but before he could even hand it off, another Swablu started plummeting. 

"What is with this flock?!" Ash shouted as he passed the first Swablu up to its Altaria parent.

Pikachu, balancing expertly on Ash's shoulder, sprang into action, his small paws grabbing at another falling Swablu midair.

"Nice catch, buddy!" Ash said, tossing his first Swablu up toward the Altaria with surprising precision. "Okay, teamwork time! Let's go!"

One after another, Swablu seemed to fall from the sky as if the mountain had turned into a Pokémon batting cage. Ash and Pikachu worked furiously, catching the tumbling birds and tossing them upward. Each time, Altaria swooped down, catching them with a relieved chirp.

Gary and Goh had just reached a plateau where they could see the commotion. They stopped and stared, slack-jawed.

"Is... is he seriously playing catch with Swablu?" Goh asked incredulously.

Gary groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Of course, he is. It's Ash. Chaos follows him like a shadow."

"Gary!" Ash called, catching another Swablu. "We need backup! These little guys won't stop falling!"

Gary stared at him, then down at his own gear, before gritting his teeth. "Fine! But if I fall because of this, you're the one explaining it to my grandfather!"

By the time Gary and Goh reached Ash, they were just in time to see him juggling three Swablu at once. Pikachu was balancing precariously on his head, helping to guide the Pokémon upward.

"Don't just stand there!" Ash yelled. "Start catching!"

"Unbelievable," Gary muttered as he leapt into action. He grabbed one Swablu mid-fall and passed it to Goh, who nearly dropped it in his panic.

"Careful!" Ash called. "They're fluffier than they look, but they're still fragile!"

Gary threw a sharp glare his way. "I swear, Ketchum, when we're done here—"

"Yeah, yeah, you can lecture me later! Right now, let's save these Swablu!" Ash replied, his grin widening as Altaria let out a loud, grateful coo.

And so, the chaos continued, the trio frantically working together to catch and toss every last Swablu back to safety. By the end, all three were covered in dirt and feathers, their arms aching and their patience wearing thin—but the flock of Swablu was safely back with their Altaria, chirping happily as they took flight once more.

Gary collapsed onto a nearby boulder, glaring at Ash. "Next time, you're climbing a mountain alone."

Ash laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "C'mon, Gary. You gotta admit, this was kinda fun!"

Gary's eye twitched. "Not. One. Word."