" To protect the world from devastation."

To unite all peoples within our nation."

" To denounce the evils of truth and love."

" To extended out reach to the stars above."

" Jessie."

James."

" Team Rocket, blasting off at the speed of light."

" Surrender now or prepare to fight."

" Meowth! That's right!"

Pikachu stepped forward, but Ash picked him up.

" Pikachu, no. You're not gonna battle."

" Pika pi?"

" They want you, Pikachu. They want to take you and the other Pokemon away! I need you to go with Misty and Brock, got it?"

" Pika pi!" Pikachu said stubbornly.

" Go with them or get into your Poke ball. Your call."

Pikachu growled, but he went to Misty.

" I'm sorry, Pikachu. I just want to keep you safe." Ash said as he walked to scratch Pikachu.

" Pika- tchu!" Pikachu nuzzled his arm.

Ash turned to Brock and Oak. " You two round all the Pokemon up, take them inside the Observatory, and keep them safe."

Misty, Oak and Brock nodded, while Gary stood there. " What about me?"

Ash ook a Poke ball out. " Charmander, I choose you!"

The orange lizard came out. " Charmander!"

Ash picked his Pokemon up and handed him to Gary. " Listen. Don't let Charmander see Team Rocket. He hates them."

" Then what should I do?" Gary asked as he took Charmander.

" Run in and wrap it in a blanket. Give it hot chocolate with loads of marshmallows.  If you have any ice cream, feed it to him with a spoon. And make sure he doesn't see the battle. Got it?"

Gary nodded. " What about you?"

" I've got Squirtle and Bulbasaur. I'll manage." He turned to Team Rocket. " Go!"

Gary nodded and ran in. " Stay safe, Ashy-boy." He muttered.

Ash smiled faintly. Then his face hardened, and he took out two Poke balls. " Bulbasaur, Squirtle, I choose you!"

The two came out.

" Bulba, saur!"

" Squirtle Squirtle."

Ash nodded. " We've got a battle. Squirtle, water gun! Bulbasaur, vine whip!"

" Wheezing , cutie, sludge attack!"

" Arbok, poison sting!" Jessie yelled.

But instead of directing it to the Pokemon, they went to Ash.

" AHHHHH!" Ash yelled as the thorns hit him and sludge blinded him. " WHERE IS EVERYONE?!"

" saur!" Bulbasaur stood protectively in front of Ash. Squirtle followed.

" Squirtle, water gun, again! Bulbasaur, razor leaf!"

The two nodded and executed the move, restraining the two pokemon on the other team.

" Yes!" Ash pumped his fist in the air.

Suddenly, Ash saw Beedrill zoom in.... AND HEAD DIRECTLY TO HIS POKEMON!

" NO!" he yelled, and dived to shield them.



" Come on, Charmander. Eat!" Gary was he held a spoon in front of the stubborn lizard's mouth. " Eat!"

" Char." Charmander looked away.

Gary groaned. " Look, would you please, please, please, PLEASE eat?!"

Charmander ignored.

Gary sighed. " Fine."

He put the spoon away and walked to the kitchen, returning with a warm mug of hot chocolate.

" Drink it. But it's hot."

Charmander slurped it all up. " Char!"

He then proceeded to scoot next to Gary and lean into his lap.

" Woah, woah, woah, what are you doing?!" Gary exclaimed.

" Char." The Pokemon replied, already half asleep.

Gary sputtered. " You cant just-"

But it was too late. The Charmander was already asleep.

Misty came into the room carrying Pikachu. " How is he?"

Gary sighed. " Sleeping."

" Ah." Misty sat across from Gary. " Can I ask you something?"

" Go ahead."

" Were you and Ash friends at one time?"

Gary looked confused. " What makes you think we aren't right now?"

" I dunno.... It's just... Last time I said your name to him he fell into depression. For five minutes."

Gary's eyebrows furrowed for a second. " That's just Ash being Ash. Dramatic as always."

Suddenly Oak yelled, " GARY! I NEED YOUR HELP!"

He stood up. " Would you look after Charmander for me? I have to go help my grandpa."

misty nodded, and Gary ran out the door and into another room.



Ash stumbled into the house, clutching his eye. " Ow...."

Then he looked at his snug Poke balls.

" I did what I had to do." He muttered.

He stumbled to the bathroom and closed it. Then he opened a cabinet.

" Okay.... Which one has medication again...?" Ash muttered as he went through Each cabinet, making quite a ruckus.

" Aha!" Ash stood up as he held the ointment proudly.

Then he heard a gasp. He turned to the door.

It was open.

He had forgotten to lock it!

And standing there, in the doorway, was Gary

Except he looked more concerned than cocky, his smirk  replaced by a concerned frown.

" Uh.... Hi, Gary." Ash said sheepishly.



Gary marched up to his room, holding Ash's hand firmly in his. He turned the knob, and pushed Ash in before locking the door.

" Sit." He said firmly as he pointed to his bed, which was neatly made.

" Uh.... Gary, it's fine." Ash said. " I can-"

" Ash Ketchum, sit on that bed right now."

Ash sighed and reluctantly walked to Gary's bed, sitting on the purple and blue blanket. Gary went to a drawer and took out a first aid kit. He took out tweezers first.

" Lie down on your belly and lift your shirt , Ash."

Ash opened his mouth, but Gary shot him a look. " Now."

Ash sighed and obeyed, and Gary walked to him and began removing the poisonous thorns.

" Let me guess," he said while taking them out. " You saved your Pokemon?"

" How'd you guess?"

Gary sighed. " Lucky guess."

He walked back to his kit and dumped all the contents on the floor. He picked a stethoscope up and walked to Ash.

" What's all this for?" Ash asked.

" Taking care of you. And since you can't be trusted, you're getting a full body check."

" Gary!" Ash protested as he sat up, but Gary cut him off.

" No, Ash you need to rest. Have you seen that eye?"

" Uh... Yeah?"

Gary sighed. " Ash, you have a black eye! Do you have any ideas how dangerous that is?"

" I had to save all the Pokemon, Gary!"

" I know, buddy. I know."

Gary knelt beside Ash, carefully pressing the stethoscope against his back. "Deep breath, Ashy-boy," he said softly, listening closely as Ash inhaled shakily.

Ash’s heart was racing faster than a Pikachu in full sprint. Every muscle in his body was tense, as if bracing for impact. His mind kept wandering back to the battle. Could he have done something differently? Could he have avoided getting hit?

Gary sighed, hearing how labored Ash’s breathing was. “You’re not okay,” Gary muttered, shaking his head. "I know you're trying to be tough, but this isn’t the time for that."

Ash twitched slightly, staring at the ceiling. “I’m fine, Gary. Just... let me handle it.”

"No," Gary snapped back, pulling the stethoscope off and placing it on the bed. "You handled enough out there, but right now? You need to let someone take care of you."

Ash winced as Gary moved back to his face, tilting his chin up to inspect the swollen black eye. “This looks worse than I thought,” Gary said, his voice gentler. “You’re lucky it didn’t hit your actual eyeball.”

Ash groaned. “I’ve been through worse.”

“Yeah? When?”

Ash opened his mouth, trying to recall a situation that might justify his claim, but his mind was blank. “Well... there was that time with the wild Spearow when I started my journey.”

Gary snorted. “Oh yeah, I remember that. You were a disaster, even back then.” His smirk softened as he grabbed an ice pack from the kit. "Hold still, Ashy-boy."

He gently pressed the cold pack against Ash's bruised eye. Ash flinched at first, but then sighed, the relief almost immediate.

“There. Doesn’t that feel better?” Gary asked.

"Yeah," Ash admitted grudgingly, though his mind was still running circles. He hated feeling like this—helpless, like a kid who needed to be saved instead of doing the saving.

Gary watched his childhood friend with a knowing look. “You’re always thinking you have to be the hero, don’t you?”

Ash avoided his gaze, still wringing his hands nervously. “I am the hero. It’s my job.”

“Not when you can barely stand,” Gary countered, handing Ash a glass of water. "Drink."

Ash hesitated, but one sharp look from Gary convinced him to take a sip. “I can handle myself.”

Gary shook his head, his tone softening again. "No, Ash. Sometimes you need to let someone else step up for you. You're not invincible."

Ash took a deep breath, still feeling the weight of everything that had happened. He wanted to argue, to say he could handle it, but Gary’s words hit too close to home. He had always prided himself on being strong—being the one others could rely on. But now, with the throbbing pain in his eye and the exhaustion in his bones, it was harder to keep up that front.

Gary sat down next to him on the bed, his green eyes filled with concern. “You’ve been carrying everyone, Ash. But you don’t have to do it alone. You don’t have to be the only one who takes the hits.”

Ash swallowed, his throat tight. “I don’t know how to stop, though. It’s just… who I am.”

“I know,” Gary said softly. “But you have to take a break sometimes, buddy. You’re not a machine. You’re human.”

Ash let out a frustrated sigh, leaning back against the pillows. He felt so drained, emotionally and physically. It was as if all his energy had been drained from him, leaving only a shell of the person he usually was.

Gary didn’t press him further. Instead, he just sat there quietly, letting the silence settle between them. It was comforting in its own way, knowing that someone was there, not pushing, just understanding.

Ash glanced over at him, his eyes softening. “Thanks, Gary… for everything.”

Gary gave him a small, reassuring smile. “Anytime, Ash. I’ve got your back, always.”

There was a long pause, and then Ash sighed again, this time in a more content way. The weight on his chest felt just a little lighter. Maybe, just maybe, he didn’t have to do it all alone.

"Alright," Ash muttered, his voice weak but steady. "Maybe... I could use some help now."

Gary chuckled and patted his shoulder. "You're learning. I'll take it from here, Ashy-boy."

Ash smiled faintly. "Thanks, Gary."

And for the first time in a long while, Ash allowed himself to rest, knowing that he didn’t have to be the hero every second of the day.

Gary felt a slight tension in his neck as he let out a deep sigh, trying to shake off the worry that had settled there since he’d seen Ash so battered. He gently pulled the blanket up around Ash, making sure he was tucked in, before reaching up to carefully take off Ash's signature cap. “You’ll be more comfortable without this,” he said quietly, setting it aside on the nightstand.

Ash blinked up at him sleepily, nodding in agreement as he shifted under the covers, still clutching at the edge with his bruised hand. Gary paused for a moment, then stood up and said, "Take off your jacket. It’ll help you relax."

Ash looked at him, eyes half-lidded. “But... it’s fine,” he mumbled.

Gary shook his head softly, pulling the jacket off his friend’s shoulders and tossing it over the back of a chair. "You'll feel better, trust me."

Ash barely managed a sleepy nod before he leaned back into the pillow, already looking like he might drift off. Gary sighed again, his mind racing with the images of the battle and all the risks Ash had taken. He wanted to do more—do something to make Ash feel safe, even if only for tonight.

Then an idea came to him.

"Do you want…" Gary hesitated for a moment, unsure if he should say it. But Ash’s eyes were closed, and there was something so vulnerable about him right now. He felt the need to offer some comfort, to calm Ash's restless mind. "Do you want to hear a bedtime story?"

Ash’s eyes opened just enough for him to see Gary’s face, and he gave a tiny, sleepy nod. "Yeah… please," he murmured, his voice soft.

Gary smiled faintly, sitting back down on the edge of the bed and gently smoothing the blanket over Ash. “Alright. Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Ash Ketchum, who wasn’t afraid of anything, except... maybe the idea of not being strong enough when his friends needed him.” Gary's voice lowered, the story becoming more of a comforting hum as Ash’s breathing started to even out. "But no matter what, he always tried his best, and along the way, he found that it wasn’t just about strength... it was about the people who cared about him.”

Gary continued, weaving a tale about bravery and friendship, watching as Ash’s features softened and his breaths grew deeper, the tension slowly leaving his face. It was the perfect kind of distraction—the kind that didn’t require Ash to be the hero, just someone who could let go for a moment.

And with that, Ash finally drifted into a peaceful sleep, the soft sound of Gary’s voice the last thing he heard before he succumbed to the warmth of rest.