c138: Villain, Xiao Hao Who Was Condemned by Words and Pens!!
At this point in time, the Pokémon Summer Camp has become the most discussed and widely followed event across the Kanto Region.
Due to the Saffron City TV Station broadcasting the camp's events live and continuously, the spotlight on the summer camp has only grown brighter.
Among all the campers, one student has emerged as a clear standout Ash Ketchum. With a combination of exceptional talent, remarkable strength, genuine humility, tenacity, and a tragic but inspiring personal background, Ash has captured the hearts of viewers. His consistent first-place finishes in every major activity have made him not only a popular figure but also a regional child star, celebrated as a rare genius Pokémon Trainer in the making.
However, just as Ash's popularity peaked, Xiao Hao (Goh) unexpectedly sparked controversy by publicly suggesting that Ash's Froakie (Bubble Frog) had been specially prepared by Professor Oak and was stronger than the Pokémon given to other campers.
This vague claim quickly caught fire. Opportunistic tabloid-style media outlets and self-run blogs particularly those operating without formal journalistic standards jumped on the story. They published sensationalized headlines, implying favoritism or even corruption, all under the guise of "investigative reporting."
Fortunately, Ash himself, still immersed in the structured daily activities of the summer camp, remained largely unaffected. He had no mobile phone, tablet, or computer on hand, and the camp was located in a forested zone where internet access was unavailable. Though Yoko had briefly mentioned to Ash that he had become a trending name in the region, Ash remained blissfully unaware of the storm swirling outside the camp walls.
The Pokémon Summer Camp's leadership, including Professor Oak and officials from the Kanto Pokémon Alliance, acted swiftly and decisively to protect Ash's name and to restore public confidence in the fairness of the summer camp's proceedings. Before the rumor could fully explode into a public relations disaster, the camp issued multiple official clarifications:
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First Announcement:
The camp staff recollected and examined the Poké Balls that had been distributed to the campers at the beginning of the session. It was confirmed that the Poké Balls had been placed into boxes randomly, and students drew their Poké Balls in line without any guidance or preferences from staff. There was no tampering or special allocation for any student, including Ash.
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Second Announcement:
The Pokémon League Alliance released the initial Trainer Data Sheet for all campers, including species, level, and move sets of their received Pokémon.
It was confirmed that:
All starter Pokémon were at a base level of LV.5, with no adjustments.
Ash's Froakie came with a standard move set: Pound, Bubble, and Growl—a middle-tier configuration at best.
In contrast, several campers received Pokémon with stronger starting move sets. For example, Chloe (Xiaochun) received a Spritzee with Sweet Scent, Fairy Wind, and Sweet Kiss which placed her among the top five in terms of base skill strength among all participating students.
The official ranking of initial move-set strength placed Ash's Froakie squarely in the middle of the distribution, not among the top-tier.
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Third Announcement:
The camp also launched a formal internal investigation into the origin of the rumor.
Tracing the statements from student to student, a clear chain was established:
Xiaoling said he heard it from Omori,
Omori heard it from Yangxiong,
Yangxiong from Kangcun,
Kangcun from Yingfu,
Yingfu from Fatfu,
Fatfu from Xiaohu,
Xiaohu from Xiaoxiong,
and finally, Xiaoxiong claimed he heard it from none other than Xiao Hao (Goh) himself.
After reviewing these testimonies and comparing timelines, the investigation concluded that Xiao Hao was the original source of the rumor suggesting Ash's Froakie had been custom-selected by Professor Oak.
This revelation stirred considerable backlash. Once respected for his intelligence and curiosity, Xiao Hao now found himself publicly condemned by both viewers and fellow Trainers, accused of spreading baseless allegations driven by jealousy and insecurity.
While Ash remained focused on finishing camp strong, unaware of the outside drama, the rest of the Kanto Region watched as Goh's credibility crumbled, and Ash's reputation emerged untarnished further solidifying his image as a rising star with true merit and unshakable character.
As soon as the three official clarification announcements from the Pokémon Summer Camp were released, the storm surrounding Ash on the internet was swiftly neutralized by the joint efforts of the camp, Professor Oak, and the Kanto Pokémon Alliance.
In truth, when Xiao Hao (Goh) made the claim that "Ash's Froakie was specially prepared for him by the summer camp," most commercial outlets and opportunistic self-media creators didn't truly believe the statement themselves.
After all, the Saffron City TV Station's live coverage of the camp had allowed the entire Kanto Region to witness Ash's performance daily. Whether Ash's excellence came from privilege or ability, was something viewers could clearly discern for themselves. Everyone knew in their hearts that Ash's strength was genuine. The reason many media sources jumped on Xiao Hao's "exposé" was simply to capitalize on trending content and boost their viewership by tapping into the controversy.
Even the so-called "press releases" these outlets had published during the height of the controversy were mostly clickbait headlines filled with verbatim quotes from Xiao Hao's interview. They avoided taking an actual editorial stance, waiting to see how public opinion would shift.
Now that the rumors were thoroughly debunked, these same media outlets swiftly changed their narrative, publishing articles that now supported Ash and helped "clear his name" with newly uncovered evidence and public sympathy.
They reposted the three announcements from the summer camp, re-analyzed Ash's outstanding performance over the past two weeks, and even began voicing their own commentary in Ash's defense, with remarks like:
"Ash's strength doesn't come from Froakie it comes from his talent, discipline, and bond with his Pokémon."
"Froakie didn't have an advantage. In fact, Ash's Psychic-type aptitude helps him guide his Pokémon more intuitively."
"Professor Oak is the symbol of fairness he didn't even show favoritism to his own grandson, Gary, so why would he go out of his way for Ash?"
"Xiao Hao's attitude is appalling. He's only six, but already this jealous? What will he become in the future? A candidate for Team Rocket, perhaps."
"Xiao Hao is the real villain here. The rumor clearly originated from him, yet he pretended it was hearsay. That kind of dishonesty is disgusting."
"They say 'the character at three reflects the man at seventy.' To think that Xiao Hao, who looked promising, would become such an ungrateful schemer."
"Summer camp classmates revealed that Xiao Hao seemed close to Ash's group, but turned around and spread lies about his friends behind their backs. Truly a hypocrite and a breaker of bonds."
"Ms. Yoko from Saffron TV recently interviewed Xiaolan, who shared a revealing anecdote: On the first day of summer camp, Xiao Hao arrived late to the bus and claimed it was because his friend Xiaochun had a stomach ache. But the truth? Xiao Hao had dirtied his shoes in Pallet Town and spent time cleaning them at a public restroom. He lied to avoid embarrassment."
Further public comments added to the criticism:
"During the Opening Challenge, Xiaochun actually received a very strong Pokémon, but Xiao Hao insisted on making strategic calls himself out of jealousy. As a result, Xiaochun ended up with a weak Zyr score."
"A boy who blames friends for his own missteps, who feels jealousy instead of joy for others' success, and who spreads lies to mask his insecurity—such a person does not deserve friendship."
Some even directed personal messages to Xiaochun, cautioning her:
"Xiaochun, if you ever see this footage, please know Xiao Hao only got close to you because you're Professor Sakuragi's daughter. He never treated you as a true friend."
These revelations, especially from Xiaolan and the others, caused widespread disapproval toward Xiao Hao. Previously annoyed but silent, Ash's group now openly condemned his actions, speaking frankly in front of the media.
Ironically, what began as a smear campaign against Ash quickly flipped into a scandal targeting Xiao Hao. This time, Xiao Hao was the subject of harsh public criticism, and unlike Ash, no one stepped forward to defend him because the facts were clear and the evidence overwhelming.
Even Xiaochun, who had been with Xiao Hao during his hospital stay in Viridian City, had a falling out with him after learning the full truth. Saddened and disillusioned, she left the hospital.
In response to this second wave of controversy, the summer camp issued only a symbolic statement:
> "Please refrain from publicly criticizing or harassing summer camp students. They are only six years old."
The announcement notably did not mention Xiao Hao by name a subtle but unmistakable sign that the camp was distancing itself from him, leaving the consequences to public opinion.
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