Pokemon Indigo League Stories Part 2

Richie's shot

" Do I have to, Ash?"

Ash climbed onto his bed and crawled to his cousin and rubbed his back. " Afraid so. And believe me, I tried to make Gary not even think about giving you one. But, as luck would have it, he remembered."

Richie let out a shaky breath. " They hurt."

" I know, cuz. I know."

They sat in silence before Ash thought of something. " Ever heard of numbing cream?"

Richie looked up. " No?"

Ash grinned " it's really cool! Gary applies it on your skin and then you don't feel anything!"

Richie held his pinkie out. " Promise?"

Ash locked pinkies. " Promise."

" Richie?" Gary called. "come on over!"

Ash turned to his frozen cousin and held out an arm. " Just like we did for the checkup." He said. " Together."

Richie took it, and Ash held him close. " Come on, buddy. Let's get this over with."

" So.... Today we have an injection planned." Gary announced as he looked at his chart.

Richie eyed the tray. " That's what I'm afraid of...."

Gary pulled some gloves on with a snap, the stethoscope around his neck shifting slightly. " Don't worry." He assured the nervous kid. " You'll be fine."

Richie nodded uncertainly.

Gary reached into his pocket and pulled out a bottle of cream. " This might help." He said. " Numbing cream."

Richie gulped. Ash noticed.

" Don't worry. Gary's cream works like magic!"

Gary raised a brow but didn't argue with that. He tore a wipe out of its packaging and gently lifted Richie's sleeve, gently sanitizing it with the cool wipe. " Take a deep breath and let it out." He advised as he squirted some cream on his hand, rubbing it between his glovef fingers before applying it on Richie's arm.

Richie felt a cool sensation as Gary applied the numbing cream to his arm. The cream was smooth and slightly tingly, but overall, it was strangely comforting. He tried to focus on that coolness rather than the nervous fluttering in his stomach. Ash stayed close by his side, rubbing his shoulder in quiet encouragement, his presence steadying Richie.

"There we go," Gary said gently, rubbing the cream in careful circles. "This'll need a few minutes to fully kick in, but once it does, you shouldn’t feel much at all."

Richie nodded, watching Gary's gloved hands work with both curiosity and apprehension. He glanced at Ash, who gave him a confident smile. "See? Just a bit of cream, and you’ll barely even notice the shot."

"Promise it’ll work?" Richie asked quietly, his voice wavering just a little.

Gary nodded reassuringly. "Promise. Numbing cream’s like a little trick to keep your nerves calm."

Ash leaned close to his cousin, whispering, "You’re doing great, Richie. Almost there."

Richie took a deep breath and relaxed a bit, grateful for both Gary’s steady, professional tone and Ash’s supportive warmth beside him. After a few more minutes, Gary gently pressed a finger against Richie’s arm.

"Can you feel that?" Gary asked, his expression focused.

Richie blinked. "Not really…"

"Perfect," Gary said, satisfied. He reached for the syringe on the tray, uncapping it carefully. "Alright, Richie, the numbing cream’s doing its job. This will be over before you know it."

Ash tightened his grip on Richie’s hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I’ll be right here the whole time, buddy."

Richie gave a brave nod, squeezing Ash’s hand back as he kept his eyes fixed on his cousin’s reassuring smile rather than the needle. Gary moved with practiced ease, steadying Richie’s arm gently.

"Okay, Richie," Gary said calmly, "you’ll feel a tiny bit of pressure, but that’s it."

Richie held his breath, gripping Ash’s hand a bit tighter, but he kept his arm steady. Gary inserted the needle with a deft, quick motion, and Richie felt… almost nothing. Just the faintest pressure, exactly as Gary had said.

And then, in a matter of seconds, it was over. Gary withdrew the needle and pressed a cotton swab against Richie’s arm, giving him an approving nod. "All done, Richie. You did fantastic."

Richie blinked in surprise, realizing it was already finished. "That… that didn’t even hurt," he said, his voice full of amazement.

Ash grinned, his eyes lighting up with pride. "See? Told you the cream would work!"

Gary chuckled as he taped a small bandage over Richie’s arm. "You were very brave, Richie. Next time, you’ll know exactly what to expect."

Richie let out a relieved laugh, his face breaking into a smile. "Thanks, Gary," he said quietly, and then he looked at Ash. "And thanks, Ash. You really helped."

Ash ruffled Richie’s hair. "Anytime, Richie. Told you we’d get through it together."

Richie’s shoulders relaxed, and he let out a deep sigh, the tension from earlier finally melting away. "Guess shots aren’t so bad after all… with numbing cream and my cousin here."

Gary cleaned up the area and gave Richie a warm smile. "Glad to hear it, Richie. You two made a great team."