Pokemon Indigo League stories

Drained

" Morning Ash." Brock greeted as Ash stepped out of his sleeping bag.

Ash waved sluggishly. " Hi, Brock." He mumbled, losing his balance for a second but regaining it.

" Woah, Ash, are you okay?" Misty asked concerned as she ran to his side

Ash nodded, but from the look in his eyes Brock could tell there was something he wasn't telling them.

He decided not to ask. Instead he picked a calendar out and checked another box. " Hmm, this is the seventh day."

He looked at ash. " Are you feeling alright?"

Ash nodded. " Y..yeah I'm fine."

Brock took a stethoscope out of his bag. " I'll be the judge of that."

Misty led Brock to a flat rock, and Brock kneeled in front of him and placed the metal disc of Ash's chest and moved it around, his eyes full of concern. " Ash, your heartbeat is fast."

Ash raised a brow. " Isn't it always?"

Brock shook his head as he took the tools off his body. " No, ash, it's beating as fast as a pokemon with not enough sleep, or weak."

" I'm not weak!" Ash exclaimed as he stood up, but wobbled slightly.

Brock's brow furrowed as he watched Ash struggle to maintain his balance. "Ash, sit back down. Something's not right." His voice was gentle but firm, signaling that he wasn't going to let Ash brush it off so easily.

Ash hesitated, then sighed and sat back on the rock, trying to put on a brave face. "I'm telling you, I'm fine. I just didn't sleep well last night."

Misty crossed her arms, frowning. "Ash, you've been saying that for a week. You're not acting like yourself."

Brock nodded in agreement. "Your heartbeat is way too fast, and I can tell you're not as energetic as usual. You might be pushing yourself too hard, especially after these long days of training and travel."

Ash sighed, avoiding their eyes. "I don't want to slow us down," he muttered. "We're so close to the next gym. I can't stop now."

"Ash, winning a badge means nothing if you're not healthy enough to keep going," Brock said, his tone serious. "You've always pushed yourself, but this isn't like the usual. You're barely standing."

Pikachu, sitting at Ash's side, chirped softly, nudging his trainer's hand as if to agree with Brock. "Pika-pika."

Ash sighed again, clearly conflicted. "I know... but I feel like we're always behind. Everyone else is moving ahead, and—"

Misty placed a hand on Ash's shoulder, cutting him off. "You're strong, Ash. No one's saying you're weak. But right now, you need to rest. That's part of being strong too."

Brock nodded, pulling out a thermometer from his bag. "Let's just check your temperature to be sure. If it's high, then we need to take a break. No arguments."

Ash groaned but didn't resist as Brock gently placed the thermometer under his tongue. A few moments passed in tense silence as Brock waited for the reading.

When it beeped, Brock's eyes narrowed at the result. "Ash, you're running a fever," he said, showing Misty the numbers. "You're burning up."

Ash's face fell, and he ran a hand through his hair. "I didn't think it was that bad..."

"It is," Misty said, her voice softening. "You need to rest, Ash. We can take a day or two to let you recover."

Brock nodded. "You won't be doing anyone any favors by getting sicker."