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A
sh fumbled with his words, trying to find some witty comeback. But nothing came out. His mouth was dry, his heart racing so fast that he thought it might burst out of his chest. He could feel his hands trembling in his lap, and his foot wouldn't stop bouncing against the floor. Gary stood there, smirking as usual, his arms crossed, watching Ash with amusement.
"Come on, Ashy-boy," Gary teased, his voice dripping with playful mockery. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
Ash swallowed hard, trying to stop his leg from bouncing, but it was no use. He was too nervous. "I-I’m fine," he stammered, though the trembling in his voice gave him away.
Gary sighed, rolling his eyes, then walked up to Ash and gently placed his hand on Ash's, stopping the shaking. "Hey, look at me," Gary said, his tone softer now. The teasing smirk was gone, replaced with something more serious. "It's just a check-up. You know I’m not going to hurt you."
Ash forced himself to look up at Gary, though his heart was still pounding in his chest. "I know, but... what if—" He cut himself off, feeling ridiculous. What if Gary *did* do something? It was absurd. Gary wouldn’t. He *couldn’t*. They were friends.
"Worried I’m gonna dissect you or something?" Gary joked, grinning again. "You’ve got a wild imagination, Ash."
Ash’s eyes widened, and his hand instinctively reached for his Pokéball. "What?!" he yelped, gripping the ball tightly as if he was about to release Pikachu. "You wouldn’t—"
Before he could even finish his thought, Gary grabbed his hand, pulling it down with a firm grip. "Relax, Ash," Gary said, shaking his head with a chuckle. "I'm joking. You seriously think I'd do that?"
Ash’s face flushed with embarrassment, and he quickly put the Pokéball away. "Yeah, well, it wasn’t funny," he muttered, though deep down, he knew Gary was just trying to lighten the mood.
Gary let go of his hand and gave Ash’s hair a ruffle, much like he always did when they were kids. "Come on, buddy, let’s get started. It’ll be over before you know it."
Ash nodded reluctantly, still feeling a knot of anxiety in his stomach. Gary grabbed the stethoscope around his neck and started with the basics. "Alright, first things first," Gary said, his tone more professional now, though a playful glint remained in his eyes. "I’m gonna check your eyes."
