Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [380]

Faba flinched at the expression on Giovanni’s face.

Ever since he’d defected to Team Rocket, he had never seen Giovanni look like this.

Did… did he find out I skimmed some of the funding reports?

While Faba was nervously second-guessing himself, Giovanni ignored him entirely and turned to Athena with a grim expression.

“Are you sure?”

Ariana nodded, voice cautious. “After leaving the Battle Frontier, August didn’t return to Kanto.”

Ever since August became Team Rocket’s number-one threat, Giovanni had kept constant surveillance on both him and his Kanto division, always watching for sudden strikes.

Now, August had left the Battle Frontier… but hadn’t shown up in Kanto.

A bad feeling settled in Giovanni’s gut.

No solid evidence yet, but his instincts told him:

August is coming.

“What about our intel net in Alola?”

Giovanni hadn’t come to Alola for vacation. In the short time they’d been here, Team Rocket had already laid the foundation of their local intelligence network.

Not quite as sophisticated as Kanto—where even the faintest breeze was reported—but by global standards, their coverage in Alola was on par with any underground organization.

“Nothing on August so far... though Team Skull has been acting up.”

Team Skull operated like an outer shell for the Aether Foundation.

If they were getting restless...

Giovanni turned toward Faba. As a former Aether Foundation executive, now was the time for him to prove his worth.

Faba hesitated. “My relationship with Guzma isn’t great... He and Team Skull handled the dirty work that the Foundation couldn’t do openly. They only ever answered to the President.”

He paused, then added, “I suspect their behavior has to do with her disappearance.”

Once again, everything came back to the same point—

They needed to find Lusamine—and bring her under Rocket’s control.

“Mobilize everyone. We must find Lusamine before August does,” Giovanni said coldly, voice like steel.

“Yes, sir!”

After Faba and Ariana left, Giovanni sat alone at the desk, absently stroking Persian’s head as he sank into thought.

A flicker of hesitation crossed his face. Then, after a brief pause—

He pulled out his phone.

Navigated to his blocklist.

And removed a single name from it.

Unblocking August.

It had been very satisfying to block him.

But without any direct line of contact, and relying only on intel networks, Giovanni struggled to stay ahead of August’s movements.

By unblocking him, he’d have a better chance of drawing information out of him—whether August meant to reveal it or not.

Even if it meant putting up with August’s incredibly punchable messaging style.

---

Professor Samson Oak’s Lab

August was currently on a video call with Looker.

As a central pillar of the International Police, Looker had once been part of the UB Task Force and fought alongside Nanu, the Kahuna of Ula’ula Island, on the front lines against Ultra Beasts.

August was desperate to find a way to restore Lusamine’s memory—not just to learn what had happened in Aether Paradise...

But to clear his own name!

That false “husband” title had to go.

Looker opened the call warmly: “August! Congratulations on becoming World Champion.”

August cut straight to the chase. “Never mind that—do me a favor!”

“Eh?”

Looker was caught off guard. He couldn’t imagine what someone like August would need his help with.

But August had done him a massive favor back in Sinnoh. If not for August, the Galactic threat would never have been neutralized so smoothly.

So now that August was asking for something?

Of course he agreed.

“You were with the UB Task Force. You should know a bit about Ultra Energy...”

August quickly filled him in on Lusamine’s condition.

And the answer Looker gave him—

“You’re saying memory loss caused by Ultra Energy… can’t be treated?”

August, who had been idly petting Eevee, was so startled he accidentally yanked out several tufts of fur.

“Ow—sorry, Eevee.”

Looker nodded. “That’s right. The Task Force encountered several individuals who emerged from Ultra Space with memory loss.”

“There are two main causes. One: excess residual Ultra Energy affecting neural function. That kind of case usually resolves naturally over time, once the energy dissipates.”

“The second: trauma from a direct Ultra Beast attack. That one... rarely recovers.”

August used his aura to scan Lusamine’s condition.

Was she the first kind? Or the second?

Hard to say.

...If she never regains her memory, I’ll never be able to clear my name...

Still, August thanked Looker sincerely.

Just as he was about to end the call, Looker added, “You should reach out to Nanu. He was my superior back then. He’s retired now, but when it comes to Ultra Beasts—he’s an expert.”

“Got it. Thanks.”

August hung up.

Just as he was about to put his phone away, a notification pinged.

[You have been unblocked by Giovanni.]

...Huh?

HUH?!

August stared at the screen, stunned. Giovanni unblocked him?

Did the sun rise in the west today?

He tried sending a message.

[GardevoirSupremacy]: Are you really Giovanni? Or did someone take you out and is pretending to be him? Trying to trick me?

---

Aether Paradise

When Giovanni saw the message pop up on his screen, a vein visibly pulsed on his forehead.

His blood pressure surged.

He considered himself very composed—but August could get under his skin with just a few words.

Still, he reminded himself: he unblocked August to fish for intel. Keep it civil.

Until—

[GardevoirSupremacy]: Oh? Cat got your tongue?

[GardevoirSupremacy]: Too bad. I was planning to use your son as leverage. Guess that’s pointless now.

Giovanni snapped.

He started typing furiously.

But before he could hit send—

[You have been blocked by “GardevoirSupremacy” You can no longer send messages to this user.]

BANG!

Outside the office, the Team Rocket grunts jumped at the sudden noise from within.

They stood straighter, trying not to tremble.

---

T/N: LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO also i love the lusamine drama >.<

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!