Shadao
Aim to be a Pokémon Master
It wasn't twisting the media - it's 100% the fans.
I was on Bulbagarden in 2002 when Ash lost Johto, and people then were complaining about him never winning a league.
The complaints weren't quite Kalos-tier rancor, but they were similar because of how the loss was structured.
Harrison appeared shortly before he'd defeat Ash, much like Ritchie, but he also had this promotion-driven team of unknown Pokemon.
Charizard only lost to Blaziken because OLM/GF/Nintendo wanted to hype anime viewers for Hoenn.
"We're dropping compatibility with Gens I-II and the day/night cycle...and replacing Misty as a heroine...but you can pick the starter that btfo'd Charizard!!"
Ash lost the league because of a thinly-veiled marketing push.
And much of those fans grew up and went into mainstream media. Hence why you'll see a lot more game references than anime references these days (If I recall correctly, in the early 2000s, Pokémon was primarily seen as an anime and TCG than a video game franchise by the mainstream media of that time, although the news article did reference the fact that the games were the original source). Unfortunately, their misconceptions also went into mainstream conscious, with gets repeated over and over again that you'll have casual viewers assuming things that blatantly exaggerated or fabricated.
For example, I recall a lot of folks both here and other social sites would often cite the Masamitsu Hidaka interview as proof that Ash will never win a League cause it would mean that the show would end. I've read the actual interview with Masamitsu Hidaka, specifically the second one, and this is what he actually said:
Now an overall question about the show. Will Ash ever become a Pokemon Master? He laughed and fell back on the couch. He blatantly said that when Ash becomes a Pokemon Master, the show will end. It will be the last episode. Going back to my first interview, I did not mention that he stated the show was cyclical because it could be the audience is constantly replaced (since children get older and leave, and new children come in), so they are allowed to get away with having the same repetitive goal. So, the show would probably continue the same way collect badges, travel through different regions, never age. Will Ash and Pikachu ever be replaced? No. Will they ever age? No. Will there be a 5th generation of Pokemon and will the show keep continuing? He laughed even harder and said of course. Pokemon will continue for many generations to come, and as he made it sound, probably forever.
Nowhere did he state that winning the League makes you an automatic Pokémon Master. He simply stated that Ash becoming a Pokémon Master would be the last episode. And Ash himself has stated that winning the League is not the endgame, but a small step to becoming a Pokémon Master. And the I Choose You movie revealed that a Pokémon Master is apparently greater than being the most powerful trainer in the world. That pretty much makes it clear that Ash's goal has no destination. It's merely the drive to always improve even as you appraoch the end of your life.
Yet, people continue to insist that Masamitsu Hidaka stated that Ash will never win a League. As if winning the League would somehow make a difference for Ash's journey.