" 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 and put a hand over his face. "He’s going to give me a heart attack one day. I swear."

"Probably," Goh said nonchalantly, watching Ash scramble up the mountain like it was some extreme sport. "But you have to admit, he’s got guts."

"That’s one way to put it," Gary muttered.

Ash, meanwhile, clung to the mountain face like his life depended on it—which it did. The Swablu flapped its wings nervously, trying to help, but Ash patted its head. "Nope, you’re staying still, buddy. I got this."

"PIKAPIKA!" Pikachu called from Ash’s shoulder, holding on tightly as rocks continued to crumble beneath them.

"Yeah, Pikachu, I know! Don’t worry. We’re almost there!" Ash said, his eyes darting upwards to the ledge.

Another crack split the air. Ash winced, then surged forward, grabbing the next handhold with every ounce of strength he had. The rocks below his feet gave way, tumbling down the mountain. He hung there for a second, swinging slightly before pulling himself up.

Gary’s shout echoed from below. "ASH, FOR THE LOVE OF ARCEUS, STOP PLAYING HERO!"

"I’m not playing! I am a hero!" Ash shot back, grinning despite the sweat running down his face. "And heroes don’t let Pokémon fall, right, Pikachu?"

"Pika!" Pikachu cheered.

Gary crossed his arms, glaring. "If you survive this, I’m confiscating your bravery card."

"I don’t even know what that means!" Ash yelled as he finally hoisted himself and the Swablu onto a stable ledge. He exhaled heavily and looked down at the bird, whose trembling had slowed. "See? Told you we’d make it."

The Swablu chirped softly, nuzzling into his chest.

Ash looked up to the summit. "Alright, almost there! We’ll get you back to your Altaria in no time."

From below, Gary’s voice came again, exasperated. "You better not jump off anything else, Ketchum!"

"No promises!" Ash hollered back, laughing.

Goh shook his head, smiling. "You know, Gary, I think he really might be part Pokémon."

Gary snorted. "If he’s part anything, it’s reckless idiot."

"Eh," Goh shrugged. "That too."

Above them, Ash continued his climb, Swablu nestled on his hat and Pikachu chirping encouragements. It wasn’t just about the climb anymore—it was about the trust of the Pokémon he was helping. And for Ash, that made every risky step worth it.

As Ash reached another ledge, a loud squeal caught his attention. He looked up just in time to see a piglet Pokémon—an adorable Tepig—plummeting from a higher part of the mountain.

“Oh, come on!” Ash groaned. “Can’t you guys stay put?!”

"Pika-pi!" Pikachu leaped into action, grabbing the Tepig mid-air and handing it to Ash, who placed it carefully on his shoulder.

Then, a small green blur streaked down. A Natu!

"Another one?!" Ash exclaimed, reaching out to catch the little bird before it could hit the rocks. "Hey, guys, this isn’t a game of catch!"

The Natu chirped in gratitude, and Ash added it to his growing pile of passengers. He barely had time to steady himself before another Pidgey dropped from above, then a Fletchling, and then more baby birds started raining down.

“WHAT IS GOING ON UP THERE?!” Ash shouted, catching and passing Pokémon like a well-oiled machine. "Is there a bird daycare explosion I don’t know about?!"

“Pika!” Pikachu yelled, tossing a small Rookidee back up with a well-aimed Thunderbolt-assisted launch.

Ash worked furiously to grab the baby Pokémon and toss them gently up to the ledge where their parents were waiting. His arms were burning, his legs shaking, but he didn’t slow down.

Meanwhile, far below, Gary and Goh were deep in conversation.

“You know, I think Ash might have a point,” Goh said, nodding thoughtfully. “If Pokémon trust him this much, it’s probably because he’s got some kind of aura about him.”

Gary sighed, folding his arms. “Aura, smura. He just acts like a lunatic, and somehow Pokémon love it. Maybe they think he’s one of them.”

Goh laughed. “You say that like it’s a bad thing. You’re just jealous.”

“I am not!” Gary snapped, though his tone betrayed him. “I just—”

A loud yelp from above interrupted them. “GARY, GOH, STOP TALKING AND HELP ME!” Ash screamed.

They looked up, finally noticing the chaotic shower of Pokémon. Ash was balancing on a narrow ledge, juggling baby birds and trying to keep his footing. Pikachu was frantically zipping around, catching the smaller ones.

“...Should we?” Goh asked, raising an eyebrow.

Gary groaned, already starting to climb. “If we don’t, he’s going to make me climb that thing again to apologize to every single Pokémon!”

As the two started scrambling up, Ash managed to toss the last Natu to safety. He slumped against the rock wall, panting, with Pikachu perched on his head.

“See, Pikachu?” Ash muttered. “Totally worth it… even if Gary’s gonna yell at me again.”

"Pika," Pikachu agreed with a tired but proud smile.

Gary and Goh finally made it to the ledge, huffing and puffing from the climb. When they looked up, they froze in place, eyes wide and mouths slightly agape.

There was Ash and Pikachu, absolutely covered in dirt, dust, and bits of feathers, running around like maniacs. Ash dove left and right, catching baby Pokémon mid-air, while Pikachu zipped across the ledge, herding a panicked group of tiny Pidgey, Swablu, and Fletchling to safety.

Ash yelled, “Gary, Goh! Finally! Help me out here before I lose my mind!” He lunged to grab a sliding Ducklett, just barely managing to catch it before it slid off the edge.

Goh blinked a few times, utterly dumbfounded. “What… are we even looking at?”

Gary’s eye twitched. “He’s… rolling in the dirt now.”

And he was. Ash had just tackled a tiny Torchic that was tumbling dangerously close to the edge, landing flat on his stomach in the process. He groaned, holding the squawking chick up triumphantly. “Gotcha!”

“Pika-pi!” Pikachu shouted, leaping into the air to snatch a falling Rookidee by the wing, then expertly flipping it onto a safe perch.

Gary and Goh exchanged glances, both unsure if they should be impressed or horrified.

“You know…” Goh said slowly, “I’ve seen Ash do some crazy things, but this… this might be a new level.”

Gary pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering, “And here I thought today was going to be normal. What was I thinking?”

Just then, another batch of baby Pokémon started sliding down the slope. Ash bolted to intercept them, tripping over a rock and rolling headfirst into a pile of mud. Pikachu, similarly exhausted, dove for a Togepi, skidding across the dirt and ending up just as filthy.

Covered in grime but grinning ear to ear, Ash managed to steady the Pokémon on a higher ledge. “Safe and sound!” he called, his voice cracking slightly from exertion.

Gary crossed his arms, shaking his head. “Ash, you look like you’ve been wrestling with a Snorlax in a swamp.”

Ash turned, sweat and dirt streaked across his face. “Better than letting these little guys fall!” He picked up a squealing Azurill, gently setting it next to its siblings. “You’re welcome, by the way!”

Goh tilted his head, watching the chaos. “I don’t know if I should be amazed or just start helping.”

“Helping,” Gary muttered, rolling up his sleeves. “Definitely helping. Otherwise, we’ll be here all day cleaning up his mess.”