Living in Pallet Town, the home of Professor Oak, meant one thing above all—it was safe. In fact, across all of Kanto, Pallet Town was considered a specially designated protection zone by the Pokémon League itself.
As long as Ash didn't recklessly wander out of town, no matter how much attention he drew to himself, no matter how shockingly powerful his talents became, even a force like Team Rocket wouldn't dare lay a finger on him.
Sure, revealing his talents might attract envy and greed—but it also meant gaining the League's protection and recognition. The Kanto League had been struggling in recent years, lacking in new talent. There was no way they'd allow someone as promising as him to go unprotected.
Besides, Professor Oak had already helped him apply for a portable Poké Ball transfer system, so from now on, Ash could handle all his online shop deliveries without having to constantly travel back and forth to the Viridian City Pokémon Center.
And if he managed to graduate from the summer camp as one of the top-ranking students, he would receive special permission from the League to officially own his starter Pokémon ahead of schedule.
With the dual powers of Aura and the Viridian Blessing, plus the Ascension Trainer System, his growth would accelerate at an inhuman pace. By the time he turned ten and officially began his Trainer journey four years from now…
"If anyone still wants to mess with me by then, they better think twice."
Thinking of this, Ash made a decision in his heart: Instead of lying low, he should take this opportunity to boldly showcase his talents.
"As a Pokémon Trainer, I can't be hesitant or timid."
"If my goal is to reach the absolute peak—to become the strongest Pokémon Trainer in the world—then I need to seize every opportunity that helps me grow stronger."
"And the fact that Saffron City TV is coming to live-broadcast the entire summer camp? That's a golden opportunity I can't afford to miss."
"I have to grab it with both hands," Ash thought to himself, firmly.
"Hey! … Ash!"
"Huh??"
Gary glared at him. "Seriously, what were you daydreaming about just now? I finished explaining the whole TV thing, and you were completely spaced out."
"Ah, sorry~" Ash laughed awkwardly. "I was just thinking… since there's going to be a live broadcast, maybe I can sneak in a little promotion for my online store."
"You mean the one you registered on the official League trading site? That's actually a smart move," Gary nodded, but then frowned. "But didn't you say you were pretending to be a Breeder? If you go ahead with this, aren't you basically outing yourself as someone with superpowers?"
"Don't worry," Ash replied, brushing it off. "It's like the Healing Grace. Helping Pokémon understand moves isn't offensive. It's a support-type ability. No one's going to come after me for that."
"Besides, since Healing Grace is already out in the open, exposing my skill-learning ability isn't that big of a deal."
"And I live in Pallet Town. Do you really think anyone's going to try anything stupid?" Ash grinned and winked at Gary.
"Hah. You've got a point." Gary couldn't help but agree. He knew exactly how much influence his grandfather had in both the Kanto League and the academic world.
"Still, it's pretty wild, Ash. You're only six, and you've already got your own online store."
—
After finishing breakfast and resting for a while, Professor Oak called all the campers to gather at the training ground.
"Finally! Time for another activity!"
"Wonder what it'll be this time. I lost a lot of points during last night's night walk. Gotta work hard to make up for it!"
"Hey, what's with that vehicle parked near the field? Looks like it belongs to a TV station."
"No clue!"
The campers excitedly chattered as they gathered.
Before long, Professor Oak arrived—but this time, things were a bit different. Beside him, along with his assistant Thorne and Kalos region chaperone Sophie, was a tall, professional-looking woman in a sleek business outfit.
"Good morning, everyone!" Professor Oak greeted them with his signature cheerful tone.
"Good morning…"
"Good morning, Professor Oak…"
"It's another beautiful day for summer camp!"
"I'm sure all of you are wondering what exciting activity we have planned for today," he continued. "But before we get into that, I'd like to introduce someone and make an important announcement."
"I'm sure you've noticed we have a new face here today. Everyone, this is Miss Yoko, a reporter from Saffron City TV."
"As you all know, this Pokémon Summer Camp is a joint cultural exchange program between Kanto and Kalos, co-hosted by my lab and Professor Sycamore's. The scale is larger than ever before, and as a result, there's a lot of public interest in how it's going."
"Originally, this two-week camp was meant to be completely sealed off. But due to high demand from your parents and the public, who are eager to see your progress…"
"I've decided to temporarily lift the closed-door policy. Miss Yoko and her team from Saffron City TV will be granted access to film the camp."
"For the next week or so, her team will be capturing everything—from training to activities—and broadcasting it live, around the clock. Citizens all across Kanto, and of course your families, will be able to watch your camp journey from home."
"So students, whether it's today or during the rest of the camp, I hope you'll show your most energetic and vibrant sides!" Professor Oak said with a bright smile.
Camper E: "Ahh!! We're going to be filmed and broadcast live? That's so nerve-wracking!"
Camper F: "Oh no… My dad's going to see this?! I told him I was top-ranked when I called him yesterday, but the truth is, I'm near the bottom!"
"He's totally going to call and yell at me when he finds out!"
Camper G: "Hehe~ I'm ranked 16 right now, but I'm confident I can make it into the top ten! I can't wait for my grandma to see me on TV looking awesome!"
…
…
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T/N:
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