Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [394]

Volo gripped August’s arm like he was afraid August would make a run for it.

Sighing, August said, “First off, the one who borrowed money from you was Gold.”

“Second, I never said I wouldn’t pay you back.”

“And last, can you calm down and let go of me first…”

Hearing that, Volo realized he’d gotten too worked up and released his grip.

August continued, “We’re all friends here—no need to get so dramatic. So, how much did Gold borrow from you for those fireworks?”

“One million.”

“…How much?”

“One million,” Volo repeated, eyeing August warily. “You’re not thinking of skipping out on the debt, are you?”

“Why would I ever skip out?” August replied with a straight face. “But I just remembered—Gold was kicked out of Origin Rocket Team yesterday. If you want your money back, you’ll have to find him yourself!”

Volo: “……”

Seeing Volo’s face darken, August sighed. “How can fireworks cost that much?”

Jubilife Village wasn’t exactly huge—spending a million on fireworks was absurd.

That’s like five thousand days of Eevee’s allowance!

Cynthia, standing nearby, explained, “Actually, before industrial production, handcrafted fireworks were considered luxury goods.”

“…Fair enough.”

It’s not like they’d ever run out of budget anyway. If push came to shove, August could always wring some more value out of Gold. But as he was about to pay, a sudden realization struck.

Hisui’s currency isn’t compatible with the League’s.

And come to think of it… I probably don’t have enough Hisuian money on hand.

“…Uh-oh. I might really have to default this time!*

...

In the end, August settled the debt for Gold—with Poké Blocks.

Since the Galaxy Team had gotten Poké Blocks from August, their remarkable effects had made them explode in popularity across Hisui.

And since only Origin Rocket Team produced them in small batches, prices stayed sky-high—they were practically hard currency.

Volo breathed a sigh of relief as he accepted payment. At least it wasn’t a total loss—otherwise he really would’ve gone bankrupt.

“Our previous deal still stands!” Volo said, shooting Cynthia one last glance before hurrying off.

As he watched Volo leave, August let out a sigh. “Man, we’ve fallen on hard times…”

Cynthia covered her mouth, chuckling softly.

Just then, August suddenly asked, “Cynthia, aren’t you curious about Volo?”

She recalled the face that looked so much like her own and hadn’t thought much of it at first. But hearing August’s question, and thinking about Cyllene and Cyrus, a thought struck her.

“Could it be…?”

“That’s right, exactly what you’re thinking,” August said with a grin.

“!”

Cynthia was taken aback—she’d just been discussing Cyrus and Cyllene with August, and now it was her turn to meet her own ancestor. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t realized sooner.

Meeting your own ancestor in person really is a bizarre feeling…

“So my ancestor was a merchant?” she murmured.

Hisui-era Sinnoh was nothing like the modern region—danger was everywhere. Surviving here took real strength.

“Merchant was just a cover. Volo’s actually the mastermind trying to spark a clash between Dialga and Palkia, and awaken Arceus,” August said.

Cynthia blinked, stunned. “What?”

...

Even after walking all the way to the ranch, Cynthia was still reeling from August’s revelations.

Time-travel to the past: Cyrus’s ancestor is a good guy, while my own turns out to be the villain?

This is almost too much to process…

“So what do you plan to do?” Cynthia asked. “Are you going to arrest him?”

Just thinking about helping to arrest her own ancestor gave Cynthia a strange, mixed feeling—nervous, worried, and deep down, maybe a little excited.

August shook his head. “In the League, I’m International Police. But here in Hisui, I’m just the head of Origin Rocket Team.”

“And honestly, Volo isn’t really a villain in the strictest sense. He just wants to meet Arceus… or, uh, the ‘llama.’”

Oops—almost let that slip, and right on Arceus’s turf too…

“Is that so?” Cynthia’s expression turned a little disappointed.

August: “….”

What’s with that disappointed look? Don’t tell me you actually want to arrest your own ancestor, Cynthia! Calm down!

...

That was how Origin Rocket Team’s first day of sightseeing in Hisui passed.

The next morning, as usual, August picked up the drowsy Mew and Eevee from where they’d sprawled on top of him and set them aside, washed up, and headed downstairs.

Maybe it was the jet lag—at this hour, only August and the Sirfetch’d Chef Squad, busy preparing breakfast, were up.

He greeted the chefs, and while waiting for breakfast, stepped outside to get some fresh air.

But the moment he opened the door, he found someone dozing on the doorstep.

“Wake up…” August gently shook the person’s shoulder.

“Ah!”

Arezu jerked awake, and on seeing August, hurried to her feet. “Sorry, I fell asleep!”

August: “…No need to apologize. But you’re a leader of the Diamond Clan, right? Why were you sleeping on my porch?”

He remembered her vividly—mostly because her hairstyle and face looked so much like Saturn from the Galaxy Team, who he’d once arrested.

At his words, Arezu remembered her purpose, hastily tidied her hair, and said, “I came specifically to thank you, Mr. August!”

“If not for you, Lady Lilligant would never have recovered!”

She bowed deeply.

August was thrown by the intensity of her gratitude. “Uh, it was nothing, really…”

“No, Mr. August! Without you, no one could’ve restored Lady Lilligant!” Arezu insisted.

She’d seen the battle scars at the Noble’s arena; even those traces alone spoke of a fierce fight.

That was why she’d come so early, waiting at August’s door just to say thanks.

Seeing the earnestness in her eyes, August nodded. “If you insist, then I accept your thanks! You haven’t eaten yet, have you? Want to join us for breakfast?”

Arezu was about to refuse, but the aroma wafting from the house made her stomach growl. She swallowed. “…Could I?”

“Of course.”

...

Arezu was stunned by the abundance of Origin Rocket Team’s breakfast.

Seeing her expression, August grinned. “Not bad, right? The perks with us are pretty good.”

Arezu nodded again and again. Compared to her usual plain fare, this was on a whole different level!

“Ever thought about joining Origin Rocket Team? We’re always looking for talented people like you!”

Arezu, biting into a sandwich, nearly choked at the suggestion. Only after gulping a big glass of Moomoo Milk did she recover, her face awkward. “But Elder Adaman’s always been so good to us…”

August wasn’t surprised by her answer and pressed further, “But what if Adaman joined us too?”

Arezu looked doubtful. “No way… But if he did, I’d have no problem!”

August just smiled, saying nothing.

If the ‘almighty Sinnoh’ your Diamond Clan worships is in my hands, what’s impossible? The same goes for Irida and the Pearl Clan—none of you are getting away!

August’s plan was clear: bring both the Diamond and Pearl Clans under his banner, and completely overshadow the Galaxy Team.

Sabrina, just coming downstairs, saw this scene and instantly understood that August was at it again, recruiting more people to his side…

Long used to this by now, Sabrina poured herself some milk and helped herself to one of Mew’s favorite little cakes.

Blue, Lusamine, Cynthia, and Lillie came down in turn. When they saw Sabrina eating one of Mew’s cakes, they also, quite naturally, grabbed one for themselves.

By the time Mew, still half-asleep, floated downstairs rubbing her eyes, she discovered something terrible—

Her favorite little cakes… were gone!

Mew hovered over the cake plate, turning it over again and again, but the cakes were truly nowhere to be found.

August quietly slipped the last cake into his mouth.

He patted Mew, whose eyes had started to lose their sparkle. “Don’t be sad, you just don’t get any today—there’ll be more tomorrow!”

Hearing that, the light returned to Mew’s eyes.

“Mew!”

Determined, Mew pumped her tiny fists, vowing to get up early and have all the cakes to herself next time.

...

From Kamado’s list, August had already calmed the Lady of the Ridge, Lilligant.

That left Arcanine, Electrode, and Avalugg.

After Zinnia’s misadventures, August realized he couldn’t outsource this work anymore, so he left Cynthia and the others in Jubilife Village and set out alone.

...

Cobalt Coastlands

From a distance, August could already spot Irida in her breezy attire, fanning herself non-stop.

When Irida saw him, she stood on tiptoe, waving. “Over here, August!”

“I only asked Kamado for a guide—I didn’t expect you to come yourself, Irida…”

“Well, I was worried about Warden Palina,” Irida said, tugging her shirt open a bit more. “It’s so hot!”

August eyed her, tongue lolling, like she was about to melt. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

He worried she’d keel over from heatstroke at any moment.

Irida clenched her fists. “I’m the leader of the Pearl Clan! I won’t let a little heat bring me down!”

“…Being clan leader and being immune to heat aren’t the same thing,” August muttered.

Watching Irida on the verge of collapse, he pulled out Gengar and nudged him over. “Feeling better now?”

A wave of coolness from Gengar washed over Irida, and she looked at him in wonder. “Wow, it really is cooler!”

August explained, “When a Gengar fixes on someone in the wild, it drains their body heat. If you use that trait right, Gengar is basically a walking air conditioner.”

“Pokémon are amazing!” Irida exclaimed, hugging Gengar and soaking him with sweat.

Gengar looked deeply aggrieved, but out of deference to August, he couldn’t shake her off, so he just slunk into her shadow.

Irida glanced down at her shadow—Gengar was making silly faces at her.

She stuck her tongue out right back, like a pair of little kids.

August watched them make faces at each other for over ten minutes, neither showing any signs of stopping.

Eventually, he had to interrupt. “We’d better check the Molten Arena and see what’s up with Arcanine and Warden Palina—before anything else happens.”

Irida snapped back to attention, remembering her actual duties. She grinned, “Let’s go!”

“But to reach the Molten Arena, we’ll have to cross the sea. August, do you have a way to get across? If not, we’ll need to borrow Basculegion from Palina…”

“A way to cross the sea?” August thought for a moment, then released Dragonite. “How about this?”

...

“So refreshing!”

High in the sky, Dragonite gripped August in one claw, Irida in the other.

Irida cheered as the wind whipped past her.

“Hey, don’t just enjoy the breeze—point me in the right direction!” August called.

“Over there, by the volcano!” Irida pointed.

August gave Dragonite the cue.

“Rooar~”

Dragonite nodded, flapped its wings, and accelerated toward the volcano.

Irida was caught off guard. “Way too fast!!!”

Normally, crossing the ocean with a Pokémon would take ages—but Dragonite made the trip in just ten minutes.

The only downside: by the time Dragonite set Irida down, she was so dizzy she could barely stand.

“Gengar~” came the taunt from her shadow.

At that moment, Warden Palina spotted them from the Molten Arena.

“Irida? And… who’s this?” Palina looked at August in confusion.

Irida quickly recovered, thanks to her strong constitution, and introduced them. “Palina, this is August. Kamado and I both invited him to help calm Arcanine… Where’s Arcanine?”

She shaded her eyes, scanning the area.

Palina sighed helplessly. “…I told you not to call me Palina in front of others!”

But when Irida mentioned Arcanine, his expression grew serious. “About a week ago, while I was looking after the Growlithe…”

---

This is a fan translation of 我，宝可梦称号大师！ by 落唯 白良. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!