c159: Team Rocket Trio Who Lost Themselves! !
The "Summer Camp Excellent Students" Commendation Ceremony continued in high spirits. After each selected camper received their unique Summer Camp Excellent Student Medal, the most anticipated moment had arrived: the official distribution of Pokémon rewards for the top performers.
1st Place: Ash Ketchum
Ash, who had temporarily received a Froakie during the early registration phase of the camp (from the Kalos Region starter lineup), was now officially awarded the Froakie as his personal Earl Dervish Pokémon, free of charge, in recognition of his perfect score and leadership throughout the camp. It marked a formal beginning to his professional journey one sanctioned by the Pokémon League itself.
Second Place (Tied):
Serena: Received Fennekin, the Fire-type starter from Kalos, previously recommended to her by Ash after a camp trial exercise. This reward, granted as her official Earl Dervish Pokémon, symbolized not only her strong performance but also her deepening bond with Ash.
Shauna: Selected Bulbasaur, the classic Kanto starter, reflecting her nurturing personality and connection to Grass-type Pokémon.
Xiaolan (Blue): Was originally assigned a Pikachu temporarily during her early camp assessment, and now formally received the same Electric-type Pokémon as her Earl Dervish Pokémon issued through Professor Oak's research lab as part of her reward.
Third Place (Tied):
Gary Oak: Chose Squirtle, the Water-type starter from Kanto.
Tierno: Also selected Squirtle, aligning with his preference for sturdy, rhythmic Pokémon ideal for dance battles.
Trevor: Opted for Charmander, matching his academic and observational approach to Pokémon training.
Fourth Tier Recognition:
Hinata (Xunzi): Had previously used a Bellsprout in trial activities during the summer camp. Now, instead of receiving a Yusanjia starter, he was awarded Bellsprout as his Earl Dervish Pokémon, free of charge an acknowledgment of his dedication despite being outside the top three.
Notably, among the Excellent Students, only Ash, Xiaolan, and Hinata chose Pokémon they had temporarily used during the camp, rather than the standard Yusanjia starters from the Pokémon League.
"Well," Professor Oak continued, "besides the students who have been honored as Excellent Students, every other participant in this summer camp will also receive a Graduation Medal Souvenir as a token of completion."
Though these medals didn't carry the title or privileges of the Excellent Student awards, they came with an equally detailed Grade Notification attached to the back, summarizing each camper's daily performance.
"This is the Commemorative Plaque!"
"Every student who completed the Pokémon Summer Camp gets one~"
"It's such a meaningful memento!"
"Even though I wasn't chosen as an Excellent Student, I know I gave it my all. I have no regrets."
"Right! Getting to come to the summer camp, meeting so many friends… that's the biggest reward of all!"
"Exactly! The title of Excellent Student doesn't matter friendship is the most valuable prize! Long live friendship!!"
Whether those words were meant to soothe themselves or were genuine, the Graduation Medal Souvenirs given to the common students bore a striking resemblance to the official medals crafted with a similar design but made of wood instead of metal.
Naturally, since it marked the official end of camp, each medal included the student's Grade Notice, printed on the back.
Common Student H's Report Card:
"Summer Camp Activity Score: 63 points"
Day 1: Opening Challenge – 4 points
Day 2: Fishing Competition – 7 points; Courage Trial in Forest of Mori Lin Ye – 2 points
Day 3: Pokémon Video Filming – 5 points
Day 4: Wild Pokémon Observation and Reporting – 7 points
Day 5: Team Cooking Contest – 8 points
Day 6: Off-Road Pokémon Challenge – 6 points
Day 7: Intense Triathlon – 6 points
Day 8: Performance Showcase – 5 points
Day 9: Pokémon Food Preparation Class – 7 points
Day 10: Final Closed Camp Challenge – 6 points
On the back of each Summer Camp Medal, students could find their individual summer camp results followed by a simplified ranking list.
The top three students Ash, Serena, and Shauna were always visibly listed in the same fixed order, but beneath them, the middle ranks were omitted, leaving only select personalized information such as the recipient's own rank. This meant that each student could see where they personally stood in the final rankings, but not compare everyone else's rank except for one name that stood out on every single card.
Yes, Ash, who had taken first place with a perfect score across all ten assessment activities, was displayed prominently on every student's report card, marked with a glowing bold [Top]at the top. Upon noticing this universal recognition, Ash felt an unusual mix of pride and mischief bubble up inside him.
He had a sudden impulse to ask Professor Oak to send one of these medals to Goh (Xiao Hao), the expelled student.
That way, Goh would always remember that while he earned zero points in all ten summer camp activities due to either absence, defiance, or failed attempts Ash had earned perfect scores across the board. Ash stood on the podium receiving medals and recognition, while Goh had been formally expelled from the camp after an incident involving unauthorized drone usage and endangering wild Pokémon habitats, as referenced in earlier reports from Chapters 155–157.
Ash was now approved to receive an Earl Dervish Pokémon in advance, marked as a prodigy that the Pokémon League and Professor Oak's Laboratory would nurture closely. In contrast, Goh had a disciplinary note entered into the Alliance's pre-trainer records.
According to official League policy revealed earlier by Officer Jenny Goh would now spend three days a week at the Vermilion City Police Station for supervised Pokémon ethics lessons and two days at the Vermilion Pokémon Center as a volunteer, tending to wounded Pokémon and completing community service.
When Goh reached age 10 and applied for his official Trainer's License, he would need to pass an additional probationary exam. Failure would not only bar him from receiving an Earl Dervish Pokémon it would disqualify him permanently from any profession related to Pokémon under League jurisdiction.
It was a fate that stood in direct contrast to Ash's a twist of destiny between two boys who had once crossed paths with promise, but had now diverged dramatically.
Ash chuckled to himself at the irony. "No, I can't get cocky," he muttered, squeezing his medal gently. "In every story, it's the overconfident villain who gets the boxed lunch early." He paused, eyes narrowing slightly. "Although I'm not the villain here, Goh has childhood sweetheart vibes. He might just be the protagonist of another story."
Ash took a deep breath and looked at his medal. "I have to stay sharp. Never let my guard down... especially around Goh. Yep. That's the mindset."
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At the Camp Canteen – Later that afternoon
"The Pokémon Summer Camp is really over already?" said a young blue-haired chef wistfully, looking up from a mixing bowl. "Time really flies!"
"That's right," said a short, stocky cook sitting on the sink's edge, swinging his feet. "No more three meals a day on the dot~ Meow."
"Wait a second… didn't we come here for something way more important?" asked the blue-haired young man, stroking the awkward tuft of moss-colored facial hair on his chin.
"Now that you mention it," the short one said, ears twitching, "we did sneak in with a very specific mission~ Meow…"
"Bah, whatever!" said the short cook, waving it off. "We made a ton of money doing this catering gig! Who cares about that old mission now~ Meow."
The two burst into laughter, pleased with their effort-free part-time success—completely unaware that their third companion was seething nearby.
BANG!!
A soaked dishcloth slammed against the metal counter, the sound echoing through the kitchen like a thunderclap. The two chefs froze, eyes wide.
"Ahh!! Jessie?! What the heck was that for? You nearly gave me a heart attack!" yelped the blue-haired cook, clutching his chest.
The purple-haired female chef her hair tucked up under a white cap, though a few angry strands broke free glared daggers at her companions.
"James! Meowth! What are our real professions? What are our real jobs?!" Jessie barked, slamming her palm on the cutting board again.
"W-We're camp chefs… our job is to cook food for the summer campers," James stammered, sweat trickling down his neck.
"Y-Yeah! Cook tasty meals! That's the gig~ Meow!" Meowth added nervously.
Jessie leaned in, eyes narrowing dangerously. "Wrong! We are Team Rocket! Our job was to infiltrate the summer camp and steal rare Pokémon and data for the boss!"
A long pause.
James gulped. "...Oops."
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