070: Five-Game Losing Streak, Xiaolan Gloating!!
"However, Bubble Frog is still only a temporary partner a Pokémon assigned by the summer camp for training purposes. It doesn't officially belong to me… yet."
As Ash handed Froakie over to Nurse Joy at the temporary Pokémon Center established on-site, he kept that thought quietly in his heart.
But deep down, Ash wasn't particularly worried about Professor Oak rejecting the application later. Throughout the course of the summer camp, students inevitably develop bonds with their assigned Pokémon, and these relationships are taken seriously by the Pokémon League.
According to official League policies referenced in training manuals and Professor Oak's own published guides students who finish in the top three during the summer camp evaluation are officially designated as "Excellent Students." They receive not only an early license to hold and train Pokémon unsupervised, but also priority in claiming one of the region's Royal Starter Pokémon Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle distributed directly by the League.
Moreover, students in this elite group can also choose to make the summer camp Pokémon—like Ash's Bubble Frog—their permanent first partner, formally recorded in their Pokédex as their "Earl Dervish Pokémon" (first registered companion).
Ash had found this clause two nights ago while researching League summer camp archives through the Mega Trainer System. The records showed that in previous years, a few students though very few chose to give up the privilege of receiving a Kanto starter and instead applied to keep their summer camp Pokémon, citing strong emotional bonds and unique compatibility.
Still, such decisions were rare. After all, most of the Pokémon distributed in summer camp were common-tier, usually from among the 530 standard species classified under Category-C in the League Database, far inferior in rarity and potential compared to the Royal Three.
This was the main reason why most campers, even those who loved their temporary partners, still opted for a Royal Pokémon in the end.
However, Ash was different.
He didn't care about rarity what mattered was potential and trust. And after watching Froakie grow from Level 5 to Level 8 through five consecutive victories, Ash believed that Froakie, with his unique "Bond Transform" ability granted by the system, could eventually surpass even fully-evolved Royal starters.
As long as he secured a top-three spot in the camp's final evaluation, there'd be no issue submitting an official application to retain Froakie as his true first partner.
The real challenge, however, was earning that top-three placement.
Although Ash had dominated the first test today's opening battle evaluation with five consecutive wins, claiming first place on the temporary performance leaderboard, Professor Oak had clearly designed the ten-part camp curriculum to include more than just battle strength.
There would be tests of wilderness survival, strategy formulation, Pokédex knowledge, teamwork simulations, and even emotional attunement with one's Pokémon, as documented in the Professor's own training framework.
In short, battle prowess was just one piece of the puzzle.
There were still many challenges ahead, and even though Ash currently ranked first on the performance board with a clear lead, he couldn't be 100% certain that he would ultimately be named an Excellent Student at the end of the summer camp.
Still, Ash never underestimated himself. In battle assessments, he was confident in his strength. As for the other evaluations, since the participants were mostly six-year-old children, he believed the gap in experience and skill wouldn't be overwhelming.
Although unsure of the final result, Ash's confidence never wavered.
After handing Froakie over to Nurse Joy for recovery, he glanced outside where the battle activity by the dam was still going strong.
There were a total of 100 students registered for this summer camp. While some trainers had gone to Kalos for cross-regional exchange, a corresponding number of Kalos students had come to Kanto, keeping the numbers balanced.
The summer camp had officially begun today, and each student was required to battle against five different opponents. For a Pokémon Trainer, this kind of format was both a formal test and a traditional way of introduction.
Earlier, Ash and Froakie had stood at the center of the battlefield by the dam, engaging in five consecutive battles, demonstrating a dominant presence like a young king reigning over a generation. His performance had been spectacular but such a feat was certainly not something most six-year-olds could replicate.
After his fifth victory, Ash withdrew from the dam with Froakie and headed to the Pokémon Center. Meanwhile, the rest of the students started looking for opponents of their own.
Most students, even those whose Pokémon were still fit to fight, opted to take breaks between matches. Unlike Ash, they didn't challenge five opponents in rapid succession without rest.
While arguably more cautious and reasonable, none of them managed to draw the same attention or achieve the same results Ash had. As the camp continued, others began racking up wins or pulling off impressive maneuvers in their own right, but compared to Ash's record, their performances felt somewhat average.
Regardless, with students finishing matches and returning from battles, the entire forest-based camp grew bustling and vibrant. The lively atmosphere—one of fierce competition and vibrant energy was something Ash hadn't experienced while battling alone earlier.
"Bo...!!"
"…Come on!!"
"Hit him...!!"
"…Finish him off!!"
The crowd erupted in cheers, their shouts echoing around the dam as matches took place in multiple rings. Ash, holding Froakie in his arms, used his innate aura sensitivity to scan the battlefield briefly before returning to his group.
"Xiaolan, how's it going? Did you guys already battle?" The cheers were so loud that Ash had to raise his voice to speak to his friends, who were watching an ongoing match.
"Ash!!" Upon hearing his voice, Xiaolan and the others turned around excitedly.
"How's everyone's record so far?" Ash asked with curiosity as he looked around at his companions.
"Except Serena, who hasn't fought yet, the rest of us have already finished our matches," Xiaolan replied with a grin.
"And your results?"
"The opponents weren't that tough. We've all won the battles we've been in so far," Xiaolan answered confidently.
Ash nodded; that didn't surprise him at all.
Gary was Professor Oak's grandson and had received formal Trainer education from a very young age. His partner, Fletchling, possessed the advantage of aerial mobility. Even though Gary had lost to Ash earlier, he remained one of the top-tier students in this camp.
Xiaolan, the female protagonist of the Pokémon Adventures "FireRed/LeafGreen" arc, was clearly no ordinary child. Her combat instincts and strategic mind needed no further explanation.
Tieruno, Trevor, and Shauna were also canon characters with solid reputations. Not only did they appear in the original Kalos plotline, but the Pokémon they had received for the camp were also of high quality. Ash had no doubt that the three of them wouldn't fall behind compared to the rest of the campers.
"But Xiaohao…" Xiaolan said with a mischievous glint in her eye as she glanced at Ash.
"What happened with Xiaohao? And where's Koharu? I didn't see either of them." Although Ash had a good guess based on Xiaolan's expression, he asked anyway, pretending not to know.
"Xiaohao's Pokémon is a Magikarp with no attacking moves. Right after you left the battlefield, someone challenged him. He had hoped to wait for Koharu and the rest of us to play a friendly match later, but"
"Some kids taunted him, saying he was just hiding. Provoked by their insults, Xiaohao accepted their challenge out of frustration. I bet you can already imagine the result."
"Xiaohao's record is the exact opposite of yours, Ash. You went 5–0, while he suffered five consecutive losses. He's totally crushed right now. Koharu went to talk to him and try to lift his spirits."
Because Xiaohao and Koharu weren't around, Xiaolan didn't bother holding back her words, and her teasing expression clearly showed a touch of gloating.
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