Ash rubbed his eye and let out a sigh, but it was followed by two more sneezes.
Gary, who was setting a box down, raised a brow as he turned to his friend. " Hey Ash. You okay?"
Ash set the box he was carrying down and leaned on the wall. " Yea-"
" ACHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Gary gently took Ash's arm. " Come on, Ashy. Let's go to my room."
Ash rubbed his eye. " W... why?"
" Because I'm gonna see why you're all sneezy."
" I- ACHOOOOOOO!"
Gary grimaced. " And we might have to figure out fast because if this keeps up you're gonna get weak!"
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* Trumpets blare*
The Doctor's here!
" Take a deep breath." Gary instructed as he moved the stethoscope to Ash's back.
" * Inhales* ACHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Gary grimaced. " Buddy, this is bad."
Ash tried to smile, but it looked more like a pained smirk. " It can't be.... can it?"
Gary picked a flashlight up and shined it into Ash's eyes. " Well, that depends. You're eyes are all watery and red, you're sneezing, and uncontrollably too. Ash, I think you have an allergy."
Ash blinked away the water. ( Or tried to) " A... Allergies? Is that a new Pokemon?"
Gary sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he put the flashlight down. "No, Ash. It's not a new Pokémon," he said, giving him a pointed look. "It's something a lot of people deal with. Your body reacts to something in the environment—like pollen or dust—and you end up sneezing like crazy."
Ash blinked, still not entirely convinced. "So you're saying I'm... allergic? To pollen?"
"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying," Gary replied, already getting a tissue from his bedside table. He handed it to Ash, who accepted it gratefully and blew his nose. "It’s called a seasonal allergy. People usually get it around spring or fall when certain plants are blooming, and there's pollen in the air."
Ash rubbed his eyes again, still looking a little lost. "But why now? I’ve traveled through forests, deserts, and... well, practically everywhere. Why haven’t I sneezed like this before?"
Gary crossed his arms, deep in thought. "It’s possible you've been around whatever's causing it before, but it didn't affect you as much. Or it could be a combination of things here. Different regions, different plants, different allergens." He paused, then added with a smirk, "Or maybe you're just unlucky."
Ash groaned and leaned back against the bed. "Unlucky's right. This feels worse than being hit with Pikachu's Thunderbolt."
"Pikaaa," Pikachu chimed in from the side, giving an apologetic look.
"Don’t worry, buddy. I’ll survive," Ash reassured his loyal companion, though it was followed by another monstrous sneeze. "ACHOOO!"
Gary grimaced again. "Okay, we need to act fast before your brain short-circuits from all this sneezing."
Ash gave a weak chuckle. "So, what now? You’re gonna tell me I need some kind of Poké-allergy badge to stop this?"
Gary shook his head with an amused smile. "Nope. But I did run a quick test when I listened to your heart earlier." He pulled out a small printout from his bag. "And it looks like you're reacting to... grass pollen. It’s all over the place right now, especially around here."
Ash glanced at the paper, frowning. "That was fast. All you did was listen to my heart."
Gary shrugged. "What can I say? I'm good at this. Besides, I have all the data from when we were outside. You had that exact reaction when we were near those grass patches by the lab." He gave Ash a teasing smile. "Pretty scientific stuff."
Ash grumbled, "Great, now the grass is out to get me too."
Gary chuckled. "Don’t worry. We can pick up some allergy medication for you, and you'll be good to go in no time. But for now, try to rest a bit and stop rubbing your eyes."
Ash muttered, "I feel like an old man or something. Next thing you’ll tell me I need reading glasses."
Gary snorted. "Only if you keep rubbing your eyes like that."
"Very funny, Gary," Ash grumbled, though a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
With a playful pat on the shoulder, Gary added, "Don’t worry, Ashy-boy. We'll get you through this."
Ash rolled his eyes (which were still watery). "Yeah, yeah. Just wait until you get an allergy."
"Let’s hope that never happens," Gary replied with a grin.
