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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" Take a deep breath, Ashy. In and out." Gary guided as he moved the stethoscope.
Ash took a deep breath, but it was interrupted with a rude sneeze.
" ACHOOOOOOOOO!"
Gary switched a flashlight on and held a tongue depresser out. " Open wide, Ash."
Ash opened wide and sniffed a little as Gary checked his mouth.
" Hmm......" Gary mused as he removed the wooden stick. " Your throat's irritated, but not red."
He looked at his medical records. " I wond-"
He stopped when he heard muffled sneezes.
Ash was trying his level best to try and keep the sneezes as discreet as possible, but that was impossible. With a fond sigh, Gary handed Ash a tissue from his bedside. " Easy, Ash."
Ash blew his nose. " S... Sorry."
Gary sighed. " It's okay, Ash. It's okay."
He held a thermometer up. " Here, put this in your mouth and under your tongue."
Ash obeyed and Gary helped him stick it under his tongue as Gary placed a cool cloth on Ash's head.
" Now, lie down." Gary advised. " I have to do something."
Ash watched as Gar went to the bathroom and came out, adjusting gloves on his hand.
Before Ash could ask, the thermometer beeped. Gary pulled it out and read the numbers.
' 93. 34...... That's good." He muttered.
Then he turned to Ash. " Okay Ashy lift your shirt."
Ash blinked in confusion, rubbing his nose. "Lift my shirt? Why?"
Gary gave him a reassuring smile. "Just need to check your chest and stomach, Ash. Don't worry, it's nothing serious. I want to rule out any breathing issues or something that could be triggering all those sneezes."
Reluctantly, Ash pulled his shirt up, exposing his chest. He was still sniffling and rubbing his nose, eyes a little watery.
Gary pressed the stethoscope to Ash's chest and listened carefully. "Take a deep breath for me again, Ash. In and out."
Ash did his best, though each breath was shaky, interrupted by small coughs and occasional sniffles. Gary frowned slightly but stayed focused. After a few moments, he moved the stethoscope to Ash's back and repeated the process.
"Hmm," Gary muttered thoughtfully as he straightened up, removing the stethoscope from his ears.
Ash, feeling a little nervous, glanced up at him. "Well? What's wrong with me, Gary?"
Gary tossed his gloves into a nearby trash bin and grabbed a pen to jot down some notes. "You're sneezing and sniffing, but your breathing is fine, your temperature's normal, and there's no sign of any infection in your throat or lungs. My guess is... you’ve got allergies, Ash."
Ash blinked. "Allergies? You said that last time!"
Gary sighed, sitting down next to Ash on the bed. "I know. But everything is pointing to it. Seasonal allergies aren’t uncommon, especially around this time of year. You’ve been outside a lot, and there’s pollen everywhere."
Ash groaned, pulling the blanket around himself. "I don’t understand. I’ve never had allergies before."
Gary shrugged, giving him a sympathetic look. "It happens sometimes. You might not have had symptoms before, but now something’s triggering it. The good news is, we can manage it. I'll get you some antihistamines."
Ash gave a weak laugh. "Great. Pokémon battles, no problem. But a little pollen? Totally wipes me out."
Gary smirked. "Well, it's not exactly a gym battle, but we'll get through it. Just take it easy for a while, okay?"
Ash nodded, snuggling deeper into the blanket. "Thanks, Gary. You're a good friend."
Gary stood up, stretching. "No problem, Ashy-boy. Now, let's go get you some medicine before you sneeze yourself into oblivion."
Ash gave a small chuckle, though it was interrupted by yet another sneeze. "ACHOO!"
