Then Brock took his bag off his back and took out a bunch of tools.

" Uh... what's that for, Brock?" Ash asked, his eye twitching.

" To check on the Pokemon. It's not healthy for someone to be in the snow for that long."

Ash breathed a sigh of relief.

" That includes you too Ash."

Ash froze. " Uh..... I'm not a Pokemon!" He protested.

" Maybe not, but you were with them." Brock said as he took the stethoscope out.

Ash crouched to Pikachu's level. " Pikachu, you and the others stay here, okay? Brock'll take good care of ya."

Before it could say anything, Ash had vanished.

Pikachu sighed. " Pika pi." He muttered.

Brock looked behind. " What was that?"

Misty looked around. " Where's Ash?"

Brock stood up. " He must have run away!"

" Pika Pi!" Pikachu pointed to the forest closeby.

Char looked up. " Char? Char Char!"

" Bulba!"

" Pika!" it exclaimed, and they all took off running to the forest.



When they got there, they heard noises.

And before they could react, Charmander had run off. The others followed.

Hiding behind a bush, they spied Ash, throwing up.

" That's never a good sign." Brock whispered.

Misty nodded. 

Charmander ran to Ash. " Char!" He exclaimed.

Ash saw Charmander and quickly composed himself. " Charmander, why aren't you with Brock and Misty?"

It blinked. " Char!"

Ash sighed. " I know you worry about me, but I'll be fine when I know you are."

Suddenly, he gagged, and took off running to the bushes, yelling, " Don't worry, I'm fine!"

Brock and Misty exchanged worried glances as they watched Ash run off into the bushes. Charmander, clearly concerned, followed Ash a few steps before looking back at Brock and Misty, its flame flickering anxiously.

"Pikachu, Charmander—stay close," Brock said quietly as he crouched near the bush where Ash had been hiding. He pulled his backpack off again, rummaging through it for medical supplies. "It's not just the Pokémon that need care right now. Ash is clearly sick, and we need to take this seriously."

Misty frowned, her arms crossed. "I don't get why Ash always tries to hide when he's not feeling well. It's like he doesn't think he can rely on us."

Brock shook his head. "That's just Ash being Ash. He thinks he has to be strong for everyone. But right now, he's the one who needs help."

"Char..." Charmander let out a low whimper, clearly worried about its trainer.

Brock motioned for Misty to follow as he stood up. "We need to bring him back before this gets worse."

"Pika pi!" Pikachu said urgently, leading the way through the thick trees and toward the sound of Ash's faint coughs. When they reached him, Ash was sitting by a tree, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. His face was pale, and he was shivering slightly, despite his efforts to play it off.

Brock knelt down next to him. "Ash, stop pretending you're fine. You're clearly sick. You've been out in the cold too long, and running off like this isn't helping."

Ash gave a weak grin, though he was clearly uncomfortable. "It's nothing, Brock. Just need a little rest... and maybe something to drink. I don't wanna slow us down."

Misty crouched beside him, her expression softening. "You're not slowing us down, Ash. But if you don't take care of yourself, we're not going anywhere."

Brock gently placed a hand on Ash's forehead. "You're burning up," he said with concern, grabbing a blanket from his bag. "You need to get warmed up and hydrated. Rest for a while, okay?"

Charmander nudged Ash's hand with its snout, letting out a worried "Char..." as its trainer leaned back against the tree. Pikachu hopped into Ash's lap, offering its warmth, while Brock handed Ash a canteen of water.

Ash hesitated for a moment but then took the canteen, realizing that his friends were right. "Okay... but only for a little while," he mumbled, taking a sip. "Then we'll get back to finding that Gym."

Misty smiled, wrapping the blanket around him. "We're not in a rush, Ash. Just focus on getting better."

Brock took out his stethoscope and a thermometer from his bag, glancing at Ash with a serious expression. Ash raised an eyebrow, eyeing the tools suspiciously.

"Go on, you four," Ash said, trying to wave them off with a weak smile. "Brock, check on the Pokémon. They're the ones who were out in the cold too long."

Brock shook his head, giving Ash a stern look. "I'm not checking on them right now, Ash," he said as he adjusted the stethoscope. "I'm checking on you."

Ash's eyes widened, and he groaned. "Brock, really, it's fine. I'm just a little tired. I don't need all this fuss." He tried to stand up again, but his legs wobbled, and he had to sit back down.

Misty crossed her arms and gave him a knowing look. "Pikachu told us what happened, Ash. You were the one sitting in front of the hole in your igloo to keep your Pokémon warm. Don't try to pretend like you didn't wear yourself out."

Ash opened his mouth to protest, but Misty continued. "We know you love your Pokémon, Ash, and you'll do anything to protect them. But you've got to let us help you, too."

Ash blinked, realizing his friends weren't going to let him off the hook this time. Pikachu gave him a sympathetic "Pika pi," nudging closer as if to confirm what Misty had said.

Brock knelt beside Ash, putting the stethoscope to his chest. "Just take a deep breath, okay? You don't want to make things worse by ignoring how you're feeling."

Ash opened his mouth, but Misty crawled so she would sit in front of him. She held his hands in hers and looked at her boyfriend.

" Ash please. Do this for me. Do this for all your Pokemon. They love you, and I love you. None of us want to see you like this. Please, Ash."

" But i-"

" Please, Ash." Now Misty's eyes were getting all watery. " I love you, ash. I don't want to see you...." She couldn't even finish the last word.

But Ash understood.

" Oh, Misty." He wrapped his arms around her. " Please don't cry. I'll be fine, I promise."

Misty shook her head. " That's what my mom said. And then my dad. Ash, please."

Ash's eyes softened as he held Misty close, her trembling words hitting him harder than the cold ever could. He gently pulled back to look into her tear-filled eyes, his voice steady but warm.

"Okay, Misty," he said softly. "I’ll let Brock take care of me. I promise I’ll rest and do whatever it takes to get better. For you, for Pikachu, for everyone."

Misty nodded, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Thank you, Ash. That’s all I wanted."

Brock cleared his throat, giving Ash a small smile. "That’s a step in the right direction. Now, let’s get you back to camp so I can give you a proper checkup."

Charmander let out a relieved "Char!" while Pikachu hopped off Ash’s lap and began gathering small sticks to help start a fire.

"See, even Pikachu’s on board," Misty said with a soft laugh, her hand still clutching Ash’s as they stood up together.

Brock wrapped the blanket tighter around Ash’s shoulders as he and Misty helped him walk back to camp. "Don’t think you’re off the hook yet, though. You’ve got some serious resting to do, and I don’t want to see you moving around until you’re feeling better."

Ash chuckled weakly but nodded. "Fine, fine. You guys win."

Back at camp, Misty set up a makeshift bed near the fire Brock had built while Pikachu and the other Pokémon stayed close, their worry evident in their little eyes.

As Ash settled down, Misty knelt beside him, placing a hand on his cheek. "You don’t always have to be the strong one, you know. Sometimes it’s okay to lean on us."

Ash smiled faintly, his hand brushing against hers. "I guess I’m still learning that. But I’m lucky to have you guys."

Misty blushed slightly but didn’t pull her hand away. "You’re lucky we love you enough to put up with your stubbornness."

Ash laughed, the sound soft but genuine. "Fair point."

As the fire crackled and the stars began to peek through the night sky, Ash felt a sense of warmth—not just from the fire, but from the unwavering support of his friends. For the first time in a while, he allowed himself to relax, knowing he was in good hands.