". Come on, Richie!" Ash said as they walked to the clinic. " You don't want to be late."

Richie was far behind Ash, slowly walking. Ash noticed and turned. " Richie? A... Are you okay?"

" Ash, can I ask you something?"

" Anything."

" It's not gonna hurt.... Is it? Like, he's not gonna be hurting me will he?"

" Who, Gary? Nah. He'll be a bit more professional but that's to be expected. You'll be fine. If I can survive them so can you."

" I hope so."

" And don't worry I'll be there with you!"

Richie smiled. " Yeah. Guess you're right."

" Richie?" Gary called. " Come on in!"

Ash stood up and held a hand out to his cousin. " Come on. I'll hold your hand if you want."

Richie smiled. " Thanks Ash."

" Anything for my cousin."

" Good morning, Richie. Hiya Ashy Boy." Gary greeted as he stepped in.

Ash waved Richie's hand. " Hello." He said in a squeaky voice. " Nice to meet you! My name is Richie! I have a handsome cousin named Ash."

Richie scoffed playfully. " In your dreams."

Gary flipped through his chart. " Okay, first things first height and weight. They're in the hallway. Come on, I'll show you to them."

Richie hopped off the table and Ash squeezed his hand reassuringly. " Come on, Richie."

Gary led the way into the hallway, clipboard in hand, as Ash and Richie followed. The scale and height chart stood against the wall, looking harmless to most but a bit daunting to Richie, who shuffled his feet nervously.

Ash looked around, his eyes darting back and forth. “Richie? Where’d you go?” He spun in a little circle, completely unaware that his cousin was hiding directly behind him, gripping the back of his shirt with a white-knuckled hand.

“Richie?” Ash called again, scanning the empty hallway as if Richie had vanished into thin air. He even leaned down, peering under a nearby chair as though expecting his cousin to be crouching there. But Richie stayed firmly hidden behind him, almost like Ash’s shadow, biting his lip to keep from giggling at Ash’s cluelessness.

Gary watched the whole scene with a barely-suppressed smirk, amused by the sight of Richie trying to disappear into Ash’s back while Ash remained oblivious. Clearing his throat to get Ash’s attention, he gestured toward his cousin, who was practically glued to him.

“Ash… I think Richie’s, um, closer than you think.”

Ash finally turned, blinking in surprise as he realized Richie was right behind him the whole time. He laughed, reaching back to grab Richie’s hand. “Oh, there you are! Come on, Rich, it’s just a quick check.”

Richie nodded, reluctantly stepping out from behind Ash, but he kept his grip on his cousin’s hand like a lifeline. Ash gave him an encouraging smile, squeezing his hand back.

Gary tapped the scale lightly. “It’s really quick, Richie. Just stand up here for me, and I’ll take the numbers.”

Richie hesitated for just a moment before stepping onto the scale, still clutching Ash’s hand. Gary noted the weight on his clipboard, giving Richie an approving nod. “See? Easy!”

Next, Gary gestured to the height chart on the wall. “Alright, now just stand here nice and tall.”

Richie took a deep breath, glancing nervously at Ash, who gave him a supportive thumbs-up. Straightening his shoulders, Richie pressed his back to the wall, and Gary marked his height with a quick measurement.

“All done!” Gary announced with a smile. “You survived the height and weight check. Piece of cake, right?”

Richie grinned, the relief evident on his face. “I guess so.”

Ash wrapped an arm around his cousin’s shoulders as they headed back to the exam room. “See, Richie? You’re a natural at this.”

" Okay, Richie. In today's visit we need to check your eyes and ears and mouth and heart and reflexes. Piece of cake." Gary said as he read from his clipboard.

" Mhm."

Gary looked up to see Richie hiding behind Ash, who was patting his head.

" It's okay you'll survive."

Gary blinked. " Okay..... Uh..... Let's check your eyes first, okay?"

" O... Okay..."

" But you're gonna need to step from behind Ash. I want to see your healthy eyes, not Ash's. Besides, his aren't even that healthy."

" Hey!" Ash exclaimed. " They are!"

" Mhm. Right."

Gary chuckled, giving Ash a playful smirk before looking back at Richie. “Alright, Richie, come on out. I promise it won’t hurt,” he said gently, holding up the little flashlight he’d use to check Richie’s eyes.

Richie hesitated, glancing up at Ash, who nodded encouragingly. “You’ve got this, Richie. I’ll be right here.”

Slowly, Richie stepped from behind Ash, keeping his gaze focused on the ground. Gary smiled, trying to make him feel at ease. “Good job. Now, just look up at me. I’m going to shine a little light in each eye. It’ll be bright for a second, but it’s nothing scary.”

Richie took a deep breath and looked up, his eyes wide. Gary held up the small flashlight, shining it briefly into each eye and checking how they reacted. “Perfect. Nice and healthy,” he said, jotting something down on his clipboard. “See? That wasn’t so bad.”

Richie nodded, visibly relaxing a little now that one part was over. He glanced at Ash, who gave him a thumbs-up. “Told you, piece of cake.”

Gary then swapped his flashlight for an otoscope to check Richie’s ears. “Alright, now for the ears. This is even easier than the eyes—you just sit there, and I’ll take a quick look inside.”

Richie tensed a bit, but Ash leaned over with a grin. “You want me to distract you? I can tell you all the ways Gary is afraid of bugs.”

“Hey!” Gary exclaimed, his cheeks flushing as he shot Ash a look.

Richie stifled a giggle. “You’re afraid of bugs?”

Gary sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Only big ones,” he muttered, but his embarrassment seemed to do the trick. Richie laughed, relaxing enough for Gary to check each ear quickly. “And… all done. Ears look good, Richie.”

Richie looked relieved as he slid off the exam table, turning to Ash with a smile. “That really wasn’t bad.”

Ash grinned and patted Richie on the back. “See? Told you, you’d survive.” He gave Gary a smug look. “And now, Richie has blackmail material. You’re welcome.”

Gary rolled his eyes, laughing along with the two cousins. “Alright, alright, you got me. Now, who’s ready for the next part?”

Richie hesitated, but after a nudge from Ash, he nodded, looking a little braver than before.

Gary motioned for Richie to hop up on the examination table. Richie glanced at Ash for a second, but then, with a little smile of reassurance from his cousin, he climbed up and settled onto the paper-covered surface, his legs dangling over the side.

"Alright, Richie," Gary said, pulling his stethoscope from around his neck and warming it slightly in his hands. "This part’s easy—I'm just going to listen to your heart. All you need to do is sit still and breathe like normal."

Richie nodded, his shoulders relaxing a little. Gary pressed the stethoscope gently against Richie’s chest, his gaze focused but gentle. "Nice and strong," Gary said with a slight smile, his voice steady and encouraging. "Let’s take a deep breath in and out now, okay?"

Richie took a deep breath, exhaling a little shakily but with Ash giving him an encouraging thumbs-up. "Good job, Richie," Gary praised. "Now, one more deep breath in… and out."

Richie let out the second breath, his face showing relief as Gary pulled the stethoscope away. "There we go. Heart sounds perfect," Gary said, jotting down a few notes. "Now, we’re going to check your stomach, but it’s just a gentle check—no poking or prodding too hard."

Richie’s eyes widened slightly, but Gary gave him a reassuring look. "I’ll be really careful," he promised, pulling on a pair of gloves with a snap. "If anything feels weird or uncomfortable, you just let me know."

Richie nodded again, lying back on the examination table, though he still seemed a little tense. Ash moved closer, standing by Richie’s side. "Just think about something else if you feel nervous," Ash said softly, giving Richie a warm grin. "Maybe picture us back in Pallet Town, hanging out by the river."

Gary smiled at the support. "Great advice, Ash," he said as he placed his hands gently on Richie’s abdomen. "Alright, Richie, just a little pressure here."

He pressed down gently, his hands moving methodically across Richie’s stomach. Richie watched with wide eyes, but his focus started to drift as he imagined the familiar river scene Ash had mentioned. With each gentle press, Gary checked for any signs of discomfort or tension, his movements slow and mindful. "And… there we go," Gary said, pulling back after a few more seconds. "All done."

Richie blinked, a little surprised. "That… that was it?"

"That was it!" Gary confirmed with a grin. "You’re doing great, Richie."

Richie sat up, a look of relief crossing his face as he realized it was over. He exchanged a glance with Ash, who looked just as proud. "See? Piece of cake," Ash said, patting him on the shoulder.

Gary chuckled. "You handled it like a pro. I’ll have to tell everyone how brave you were today." He scribbled a few more notes on his clipboard before smiling at the two. "Next up, just a few reflex checks, and we’ll be all set."

Gary flipped to the next page on his clipboard and looked over at Richie with a reassuring smile. "Alright, Richie, next we’re going to check your mouth and reflexes. Nothing to worry about here—this is quick and easy."

Richie gave a small nod, his fingers fidgeting a bit, but Ash placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You’re doing great, Richie," Ash said encouragingly. "Just a few more checks."

Gary put on a fresh pair of gloves and held up a small wooden tongue depressor. "Open up and say ‘ahhh’ for me, Richie."

Richie hesitated but glanced over at Ash, who gave him an exaggerated "ahhh" to help him along. Richie smiled a bit at his cousin’s goofiness and finally opened his mouth. "Ahhh," he managed, his voice a little shaky.

Gary carefully placed the depressor on Richie’s tongue, shining a small flashlight to check the back of his throat. "Perfect. Everything looks healthy in there," Gary said as he removed the depressor and tossed it in the trash. "Now, let’s take a look at those pearly whites."

Richie grinned, a bit more at ease now, and Gary did a quick check of his teeth, nodding with satisfaction. "Looks like you’ve been taking good care of your teeth. Nice job, Richie."

Richie’s face lit up a little at the praise, and Ash gave him a thumbs-up. "Told you this was no big deal," Ash said, clearly proud of his cousin.

"Last part—reflexes," Gary announced as he reached for a small rubber reflex hammer. "This is just a gentle tap on your knees to see how your muscles respond. It won’t hurt, but it might make your leg jump a little."

Richie nodded, looking a bit more confident. Gary positioned himself by Richie’s knee and gave it a light tap with the hammer. Instantly, Richie’s leg kicked up in a reflex, and he let out a surprised laugh.

"Whoa!" Richie said, a little startled. "That was weird!"

Gary chuckled. "It’s supposed to do that. One more, and we’re all set." He tapped the other knee, and Richie’s leg gave a similar kick.

Ash laughed along with him, clapping Richie on the shoulder. "See? You nailed it!"

Gary jotted down his final notes and looked at Richie with a proud smile. "You did fantastic, Richie. All done for today." He reached over and gave Richie a fist bump. "Thanks for being such a good sport."

Richie let out a deep sigh of relief, and Ash ruffled his hair. "Told you it’d be easy!"

Richie smiled back, clearly proud of himself. "Thanks, Ash. I couldn’t have done it without you."