For the past two weeks, the Pokémon Summer Camp had become the hottest trending topic in the entire Kanto region.
Thanks to Saffron TV's full-day live broadcast coverage, the entire region had its eyes glued to the camp.
A gifted prodigy with remarkable strength, a warm personality, unrelenting effort, and a tragic yet touching past—Ash, who had topped every single event so far, had become a household name and beloved child star in Kanto.
But just as Ash's fame reached new heights, Goh suddenly made a bold claim in an interview:
"Ash's Froakie was specially prepared for him by Professor Oak."
The moment this claim aired, countless shady media outlets and clickbait tabloids latched onto it like a pack of hungry Houndooms.
However, Ash himself remained completely unaffected.
After all, he had no phone, no computer—he couldn't even browse the internet while in camp.
Though Yoko did mention something about the news to him… it was nothing but noise in the wind.
"No internet in the village," he laughed.
No online abuse could reach him.
Behind the scenes though, the Pokémon Summer Camp organizers, Professor Oak, and even the League were already acting swiftly to protect Ash's name.
Before Goh's baseless "revelation" could spark a true online storm, the camp issued three formal statements:
Statement 1:
All Poké Balls issued to campers—including Ash's—were recollected and examined.
Result?
No visual or structural differences.
All the Poké Balls were randomly distributed from the same box. No special treatment. No rigging.
Statement 2:
The League released an official data chart of all Pokémon distributed to campers.
Ash's Froakie?
Same level as everyone else's—LV.5.
Its starting moveset: Pound, Bubble, and Growl.
That combination?
Middle of the pack.
Many other campers had stronger initial movesets.
Take Chloe's Spritzee for example—it had Sweet Scent, Fairy Wind, and Attract.
That set alone gave it a significant edge in the rankings.
Statement 3:
An investigation was launched to trace the source of the rumor that "Ash's Froakie was specially prepared."
The chain of hearsay unfolded like a comedy of whispers:
Shohei → Omori → Ryo → Kanzaki → Hidehiko
→ Puff → Tora → Yoshio → Goh.
In the end?
It was Goh himself who started the rumor.
…
The moment these three statements were released, the firestorm never even had a chance to spread.
The combined forces of the camp, Professor Oak, and the League snuffed it out immediately.
Truth be told, even when Goh first made the accusation, most media outlets didn't actually believe him.
After watching the live camp coverage day after day, it was clear to the public:
Ash was legitimately talented.
Still, the media couldn't resist the temptation of a good controversy. They jumped on Goh's claim—not out of belief, but for clicks and clout.
They used outrageous headlines but only ever quoted Goh without taking a stance.
And now that the truth was out?
They flipped their script instantly, rushing to "clear Ash's name" with righteous fervor.
Now the narrative had shifted:
…
"Ash's strength doesn't come from Froakie. It's his own skill as a Trainer that makes the difference."
"Froakie learned more moves because Ash has a special power that helps Pokémon learn techniques faster. He's gifted—and his move tutoring business will open after camp ends. Show him some love!"
"Professor Oak has always been fair. He doesn't even pamper his own grandson. Why would he play favorites with Ash?"
"Goh is just a bitter, jealous kid. He's only six, and already this spiteful? Yikes. Future Team Rocket material, maybe?"
"What a shameless little brat! Goh was the source of the rumor but acted all innocent like he just 'heard it from someone else.' Disgusting."
"They say you can tell a man's character at six—well, Goh's proven he's a petty backstabber."
"Ash nearly passed out using his power to heal Goh when he was injured by a Gyarados during the fishing event… and this is how Goh repays him?"
"Campers say Goh used to be super close with Ash and the others… but now he's stabbing his own friends in the back? What a two-faced traitor."
…
Even Green joined in.
During an interview with Miss Yoko from Saffron TV, Green exposed an incident from Day One:
"Goh arrived late that day because he was washing his shoes in the public restroom. He said it was because Chloe had a stomachache—but actually, he just didn't want to get his shoes dirty walking through Pallet Town."
And that wasn't all.
Green continued:
"During the opening challenge, Chloe had a powerful Pokémon. But Goh, out of jealousy, gave her awful battle commands. She ended up placing terribly."
The media swarmed on the juicy drama.
The attention that had once targeted Ash now turned completely onto Goh.
The public began ripping into him mercilessly.
No one came to defend him.
Because this time?
He really had no excuse.
Even Chloe—who had been by his side at the hospital—got fed up.
After hearing Green's revelations, she confronted Goh and left the hospital in tears.
…
In response to the storm, the camp and Professor Oak issued a single symbolic announcement:
"Please refrain from attacking or judging campers. They are only six years old."
They didn't even mention Goh by name.
Because at this point?
Everyone already knew.
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