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Time flew by quickly. In just two short days, the visiting trainees from the Kalos region had already settled comfortably into the homes of local Pallet Town students.
And today marked the official opening of Professor Oak's long-awaited Pokémon Summer Camp.
Aside from the Pallet Town residents and the Kalos trainees who had arrived earlier, students from other cities across the Kanto region had also registered for the event.
That morning, they gathered in Viridian City—the closest city to Pallet Town—and boarded the camp's chartered buses bound for their destination.
By noon, a white bus with a rainbow pattern painted along its side slowly rolled to a stop at the edge of Pallet Town.
Unlike the Kalos trainees' grand arrival—when townsfolk and families had filled the streets in welcome—this group's entrance was far less extravagant.
Still, under Professor Oak's direction, the local students and Kalos guests formed a small but warm reception party outside town.
"Whoa!"
"Wow, so this is Pallet Town where Professor Oak lives? It's even smaller than I imagined!"
A lively voice rang out as a boy hopped off the bus, stretching his arms with exaggerated energy.
He wore gray cropped joggers, a red-and-gray T-shirt with a cartoon Gengar printed on the chest, and a small cross-body bag slung casually over his shoulder. A red hair clip held his bangs to the side, giving him the look of a confident, city-born youth.
Behind him, a girl with reddish-brown hair tied into a long braid hurried after him. A pink sakura-shaped hairpin glimmered above her gentle face.
"Goh, wait up! You're walking too fast!" she called, slightly out of breath.
"Chloe, you're too slow," Goh replied, grinning smugly as he adjusted his bag strap. "If you can't even keep up now, how are you supposed to get a good ranking in the Summer Camp?"
He puffed out his chest proudly. "I'm already reserving first place for myself! But as my best friend—and as Professor Cerise's daughter—you should at least take second place, okay? So you'd better try hard!"
Chloe blinked and gave him a helpless smile. "The camp hasn't even started yet, and you're already declaring yourself the winner? Dad said this Summer Camp is being co-hosted by Professor Oak and Professor Sycamore from Kalos. There'll be tons of strong trainees—not just from Kanto, but from Kalos too. Don't underestimate them."
"Ha! Let them come!" Goh boasted, brushing a hand through his hair. "I'm a genius! No matter who joins or where they're from, I'll still be the one standing on top!"
He clenched his fists with excitement. "I can't wait to get my starter—Fennekin is practically calling my name already!"
"Eh?" Chloe blinked. "Didn't you say before that you were going to choose Froakie, the Water-type starter from Kalos?"
Goh waved a hand dramatically. "Ah, that was before. I changed my mind."
"Charmander, Squirtle, Bulbasaur… those Kanto starters are too basic. They don't suit someone as unique as me." He smirked proudly. "So, of course, I set my sights on the Kalos trio instead."
"At first, I was going to pick Froakie—but then I did a little research using my supercomputer, and…"
He shuddered theatrically. "That foamy stuff around Froakie's neck? Disgusting. Totally ruins its cool factor."
"Then I compared the final evolutions of all three—Chesnaught, Greninja, and Delphox. And obviously, the most stylish one is Delphox."
He crossed his arms confidently. "So once I win first place in this camp, I'll be choosing Fennekin as my starter."
Chloe sighed. "You're impossible…"
"But hey," Goh continued, rubbing his chin, "even if I don't like them all, the starters are super rare. Wouldn't it be awesome to catch and collect every single one?"
His eyes glimmered with ambition.
"Anyway, Chloe—what about you? Have you decided which starter you'll pick?"
"Me?" Chloe looked down shyly. "I… don't really know much about Pokémon. I haven't decided yet. Honestly, I don't think I'll even make it into the top three."
Goh gasped dramatically. "Chloe! Don't sell yourself short!"
He puffed out his chest again. "You're Professor Cerise's daughter—brilliant and capable! You're also my best friend! You have to believe in yourself."
He thumped his chest twice, grinning proudly. "Don't worry, I'll help you all the way!"
Chloe's expression softened. "Thanks, Goh…"
"Oh, and about your starter," he added mischievously, snapping his fingers. "You should totally pick Froakie."
"Why?" Chloe asked curiously.
Goh smirked. "Well, that foamy stuff around Froakie's neck might be gross, but it could help tame your hair when it gets all frizzy in the mornings."
Chloe froze, her face instantly flushing red.
"Wha—Goh!" she hissed, glancing around in panic. After confirming no one was listening, she huffed and glared at him.
"I told you never to talk about my bedhead in public! Say it again, and I'll really get mad!"
"Gomen gomen" Goh said quickly, holding up his hands in surrender, though the teasing grin never left his face.
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