Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [364]

“Spiritomb… [Parting Shot]!”

The instant Cynthia gave the command, Spiritomb launched a burst of dark energy from the swirling mass above its head.

Mega Gardevoir, caught off guard, was hit head-on.

Her body wavered under the impact, a wave of weakness washing over her. The brilliance gathering in her hands for [Dazzling Gleam] flickered uncertainly—then shattered and dispersed.

“Gardevoir!”

Seeing her Mega Gardevoir falter, Diantha immediately called out in concern.

“Gaaarde…”

Mega Gardevoir forced herself upright, signaling to Diantha that she was still fine.

Meanwhile, Cynthia had already withdrawn her Spiritomb, who had lost its ability to battle, back into its Poké Ball.

“I didn’t expect Cynthia to use [Parting Shot],” August murmured in surprise. “But… it was definitely the most efficient trade-off.”

[Parting Shot]—a move that severely lowers the opponent’s Attack and Special Attack at the cost of the user's own Pokémon fainting.

Unlike [Destiny Bond], which has harsher activation conditions in real combat, [Parting Shot] was a more stable and strategic move. At times, leaving a weakened opponent on the field could be more advantageous than simply taking them down.

“I’m counting on you, Lucario!”

Cynthia’s second Pokémon took the field: Lucario.

As soon as Lucario appeared, Cynthia raised her wrist. “Lucario, [Mega Evolve]!”

A surprising choice—Cynthia hadn’t gone with Mega Garchomp, but Mega Lucario instead.

Lucario radiated a brilliant light the moment it appeared.

As the [Mega Evolution] completed, Cynthia gave her command without pause: “[Swords Dance]!”

Mega Lucario took up a strange stance, its entire aura flaring as its energy surged dramatically.

Diantha found herself caught in a bind. She had two choices in front of her now.

If she withdrew her weakened Gardevoir to let it recover in the Poké Ball, she would be ceding control of the battle entirely to Cynthia.

But if she left Gardevoir on the field, could this Special Attack-debuffed Gardevoir handle Mega Lucario?

She glanced at her weakened Mega Gardevoir, then at Lucario, whose [Swords Dance] was almost complete.

There was no time to hesitate.

She bit her lip. “Gardevoir, [Psychic]!”

“Gaaarde!”

Drawing on her inner resolve, Gardevoir shook off the weakness left by [Parting Shot]. Her eyes flared blue as she launched a [Psychic] toward Mega Lucario.

The invisible psychic force struck its target.

But against the Steel/Fighting-type Mega Lucario, and with Gardevoir’s Special Attack sharply reduced, the blow landed—but it was bearable.

And now, powered by [Swords Dance], Lucario’s physical strength had skyrocketed.

Its sharp gaze locked onto Gardevoir as its entire body surged with a fearsome aura. With a powerful leap, it launched itself forward, fist raised high.

[Meteor Mash].

Before Gardevoir could even react, the punch landed squarely.

[Mega Evolution] boost + [Swords Dance] amp + Steel-typed move advantage + [Adaptability] same-type attack bonus.

August was half-convinced that even if Diantha had swapped in Tapu Lele, Cynthia’s Lucario could have still one-shotted it.

Gardevoir collapsed instantly, unconscious.

Referee: “Gardevoir is unable to battle!”

Iono: “Amazing! Mega Lucario took down Mega Gardevoir in a single blow!”

[Iono’s shocked expression.JPG]
[Not that big a deal. If I took that punch, Lucario would be begging me not to die.]

The audience erupted into a frenzy, shouting Cynthia’s name in wild excitement.

Watching from the sidelines, Lance turned to August. “Did you predict this too?”

“Not really…”

August looked at Cynthia’s Lucario hammering Diantha’s Gardevoir and felt—just maybe—that punch had been meant for him instead.

He subconsciously glanced at his own Gardevoir—who was also looking back at him.

Back on the field, with Lucario having taken down Mega Gardevoir, it was back to a 2v2.

Except…

Faced with Lucario’s overwhelming presence, Diantha felt utterly pessimistic.

Still, she sent out her third Pokémon.

“Hawlucha!”

The colorfully feathered Hawlucha landed lightly, eyes blazing as it stared down Mega Lucario.

And then…

It lasted two punches.

One of which only connected because Hawlucha managed to block [Extreme Speed] with [Quick Guard].

There wasn’t much to say about the last Pokémon, Gourgeist.

Lucario took it out effortlessly.

[And the winner of the second match is… Cynthia! She’ll be facing Leon in the A-block semifinals—let’s look forward to the sparks that’ll fly in that showdown!]

The arena thundered with applause and cheers.

Cynthia smiled as she waved to the crowd—pausing for a few seconds in the direction where August was seated.

August waved back with a smile.

...

Back at the villa—thankfully, no unexpected guests this time.

“Looks like your brother hasn’t tracked you down yet,” August teased.

Latias beamed.

Just as August was about to say more—

“August! August!”

Even from far away, he could hear Gary yelling.

“…What now? Why the yelling…” August sighed, exasperated.

Gary, completely ignoring August’s annoyance, came rushing over, eyes bright. “Did you see that match just now? Lucario was amazing! So stylish—it totally fits my vibe! I have to catch one. Do you know where I can find one?”

Hearing that, August reached out and patted Gary’s head—then shook his own.

“Forget it. You’re not cut out for it.”

“…Huh?”

Gary protested indignantly. He hadn’t even seen a Lucario yet—how could August just pat his head and say he didn’t have what it takes?

August sighed and offered an explanation. “Lucario has really high standards for Trainers. To raise a good one, you need a strong aura affinity. But you…”

He trailed off, shaking his head. The meaning was clear.

Gary was still unconvinced, so August pointed at Ash nearby. “Ash is different. I don’t even have to touch him—I can see the aura bursting from his head like a beam of light!”

“I’m sure Ash will meet his own Lucario someday!”

“Really?!”

Ash, who hadn’t been expecting much, lit up with excitement.

“Why would I lie?”

August shrugged. “If you don’t believe me, just ask Mew.”

Both of them turned to Mew—who was currently halfway buried in a bag of chips. At the sound of her name, she popped her head out and nodded energetically.

“Mew!”

Now Gary was having a crisis.

If it were just August saying this, he wouldn’t buy it. But even Mew agreed?

Was he really unworthy of Lucario?

…Was he actually worse than Ash!?

Gary looked like he’d just been struck by lightning.

August didn’t bother with him any further.

He reached over, picked up Mew—who was halfway into the chip bag—and set her aside, then pulled out his phone.

It had been a while since he checked in on things over in Hisui.

He wondered how Zinnia and Akari were doing.

He dialed Zinnia’s number for a video call.

And then—

The screen showed Zinnia, standing in front of a lavishly dressed Sapphire, with fireworks bursting across the sky behind them. It looked like they were in the middle of a festival.

“…?”

What the hell?

I sent you two to subdue Noble Pokémon. What are you doing?

“August? August? Are you even listening?”

Zinnia’s voice from the other end snapped him out of his daze.

“What’s going on over there?” he asked.

“Oh, that?” Zinnia said brightly. “That was Gold’s idea! He wanted to hold the first ‘People and Pokémon Harmony Fireworks Festival.’”

After Zinnia’s explanation, August finally pieced things together.

Long story short, Gold had noticed Kamado’s hostility toward Pokémon, so he wanted to change Kamado's mindset. Remembering the festivals back home, he decided to hold one in Jubilife Village to promote better human-Pokémon understanding…

August: “…”

It sounded exactly like one of Gold’s impulsive brainwaves.

Doing this in Jubilife Village… Would that really change Kamado’s mind? Or just get them kicked out?

What if by the time August returned to Hisui, the Team Rocket HQ had been shut down?

Still, the event was already underway, and he was too far away to stop it.

“Where’d you get all those fireworks, anyway?” August asked.

“Oh, that?” Zinnia grinned. “That guy Volo pulled some strings with the Ginkgo Guild. Don’t worry—we didn’t spend any money. We put it all on your tab!”

August: “…?”

Do you… fundamentally misunderstand the phrase ‘didn’t spend money’?

If this went on any longer, August was sure his blood pressure would spike. He decided to ask one last thing.

“Did you ever catch that Vespiquen—the one that stung your face all over?”

Zinnia puffed up with pride and thumped her chest. “Of course! Who do you think you’re talking to? Oh—by the way, August, about what you said before… Can I really go back anytime I want?”

Her eyes sparkled with anticipation.

And then—

“Hello? Hey? Bad signal here—I can’t hear you.”

Staring at the now-dark screen, Zinnia stood frozen.

It was a long while before she came back to her senses.

She felt like an idiot. A complete idiot.

She actually believed August’s nonsense!

...

Though he’d insisted he wouldn’t show up for Lance and Steven’s match…

On the day of the battle, August still turned up at the venue. But this time, he wasn’t accompanied by Cynthia, who was busy making her final pre-semifinal preparations, nor by Latias, who was back home playing video games with Eevee. Instead—

Zinnia beamed. “Hehe, you said I couldn’t come back, and yet here I am!”

August sighed, noticing the curious looks from people around them. “If you keep grinning like that, I’ll throw you back to Hisui right now.”

Zinnia instantly schooled her expression into something serious and composed.

At that moment, a voice called out behind them. “August?”

August turned to see Geeta walking over with a pleasant smile.

“What a coincidence! Geeta, you’re here to watch the match too?”

He hadn’t expected her at all—she’d been nowhere to be seen the past few days.

Geeta settled into the seat beside him. “Just wanted to get a feel for the others in our group.”

Even though they were scheduled to face each other tomorrow, there wasn’t the slightest trace of tension or rivalry between them—no sharp glances, no icy undercurrents.

Zinnia glanced back and forth between the two, suspicious.
Wait... Did she misread the match schedule? Was August not facing Geeta tomorrow?

Before she could whisper her confusion to him, Lance and Steven made their entrance.

As always, Lance strode out in his iconic cape, waving to the crowd with theatrical flair.

But when his gaze landed on the VIP viewing box—on August—his expression turned into a full line of question marks.

Weren’t you the one who said you weren’t coming?
And who’s this person beside you? Another new face?

Steven noticed Lance’s reaction and followed his line of sight toward August, looking faintly puzzled.

It’s just August, what’s so shocking?

Still, this was a tournament match—Lance quickly pulled his focus back.

“Steven, this time I’m going to win!”

Steven smiled. “I don’t plan to lose so easily…”

And with that, they both threw out their Poké Balls.

“ROAR!”

A Charizard burst forth, flames blazing from its tail as it loosed a jet of fire into the sky.

Knowing Steven’s steel-type lineup all too well, Lance had naturally led with a fire-type counter.

However—

Steven merely smiled. “I predicted you’d predict that.”

Hovering high in the air was a massive Claydol, its body spinning with psychic energy.

Clearly, Steven had anticipated the Charizard pick in advance.

No helping it—they knew each other too well.

“Don’t get cocky just yet…” Lance gestured sharply. Charizard beat its wings and shot into the sky, diving toward Claydol.

As the battle unfolded, Geeta tilted her head slightly. “August, who do you think will win?”

“…Do all Champions like asking that question?”

Still, since she asked, August gave a polite answer. “Lance.”

“Oh? Why’s that?”

“Steven’s most adept with steel-types. But to avoid type disadvantage, he chose to bench his specialty—so even if the matchup looks neutral, he’s already lost momentum.”

“Ah… I see.” Geeta nodded thoughtfully, as if enlightened.

August: …Wait. You don’t actually believe that, do you?

That was total nonsense he’d made up on the spot. Steven’s whole team was top-tier, type coverage or not. There was no such thing as “not his specialty.”

There’s no way Geeta doesn’t know that.
Which only proves…

August found himself agreeing more and more with Iono’s take:
Geeta—this woman—is utterly unreadable.

At that moment, the battle hit its first climax.

Claydol dodged a [Flamethrower], and the blue light of psychic energy suddenly flared from all its rotating eyes.

“Claydol, [Psyshock]!”

“Charizard, [Overheat]!”

The two attacks collided mid-air in a flash and burst of smoke.

Steven was about to command Claydol to clear the smoke when—

A sudden silhouette tore through the haze, charging full-speed toward Claydol.

“Claydol, [Reflect]!”

Steven’s reflexes were fast, but Lance had been lying in wait:
“Charizard, [Flare Blitz]!”

Engulfed in fire, Charizard rocketed forward before the barrier could fully form and slammed into Claydol with full force.

BOOM!

Claydol reeled from the hit, spiraling sideways. All its eyes spun wildly as it tried to gather psychic energy to repel the Charizard.

But there was no way Lance was going to waste such a golden opportunity.

“[Crunch]!”

Charizard’s jaws gleamed with dark-type energy as it lunged, sinking its teeth into Claydol.

CRACK!

Claydol let out a painful groan. The psychic energy it had just gathered shattered instantly.

Fortunately, Claydol was tough. Even after taking two direct hits, it hadn’t lost the will to fight.

But continuing was going to be hard.

As Charizard prepared to strike again, Steven exhaled. “Claydol.”

Just a name—no move called. But his partner understood instantly.

Whummm—

Claydol’s shaking body began to glow with a white light.

Lance’s face darkened. “Charizard, dodge!”

Sensing danger, Charizard beat its wings and surged upward—

But just as it rose, the explosion erupted beneath it.

[Self-Destruct]

[Claydol is unable to battle!]

Charizard, while badly scorched, had avoided the center of the blast. It managed to stay in the fight.

Steven sighed. “What a shame…”

Lance gave him a dark look.

We’re friends. Did you really have to go that hard?

Only now did he realize what Steven meant earlier about “giving it my all”...

Steven smiled. “This is my last World Championship before retiring as the Hoenn Champion. I want it to be a good one… ”

With Charizard wounded from the blast, Steven finally brought out his ace.

“Go, Metagross!”

He threw the Poké Ball—silver light flashed, and the metallic titan landed with a crash.

Without wasting a moment, Steven activated [Mega Evolution].

A brilliant light engulfed the field—Mega Metagross had arrived.

As its cold, calculating gaze swept the arena, many spectators shuddered.

“Charizard!”

Lance called out—Charizard roared in response.

“Let’s go—[Overheat]!”

“Metagross, [Psychic]!”

The moment Charizard launched its fire attack, Metagross blasted it apart mid-air.

But close quarters were Mega Metagross’s true domain.

It became a silver blur as it lunged toward Charizard.

Charizard steeled itself, roaring as its body ignited in flames.

Thanks to its [Blaze] ability, the flames were even fiercer than before.

The two collided in a fiery clash that had the crowd on their feet.

Even Zinnia was caught up in the moment, standing to punch the air.

“Yeah! Beat the crap out of that guy’s ‘mon!”

August gave her a side-eye. …Are you holding a grudge or something?

Charizard, already wounded, had the type advantage—but it was no match for Mega Metagross. Before long, it was being pushed back.

Lance had the option to [Mega Evolve] Charizard—but likely concerned about its stamina, he chose not to.

In the end, one [Zen Headbutt] was enough to bring Charizard down.

[Charizard is unable to battle. Metagross wins!]

Commentator: “What will Lance’s second Pokémon be?”

Iono: “As the Dragon Envoy, surely it’ll be a Dragon-type!”

Lance recalled Charizard and sent out his second Pokémon without hesitation.

A crimson-armored Gyarados roared onto the field.

Iono: “Gyarados!?”

The live chat exploded.

[LMAO the Dragon Envoy’s got no dragons.]
[Gyarados isn’t a dragon?]
[Dragon Envoy with no dragons = Iono with no trees.]

“Gyarados—[Mega Evolve]!”

Light flared—and Mega Gyarados snarled, baring its fangs.

“[Crunch]!”

Supercharged by the current, Gyarados smashed through the [Reflect] barrier that Metagross had set up during its last fight—and sank its jaws deep into Metagross’s armor.

“[Hammer Arm]!” Steven snapped back.

Metagross retaliated, swinging its massive limb down onto Gyarados.

BANG!

The two titans exchanged blow after blow in a brutal, close-quarters brawl that had the whole stadium holding its breath.

Finally—after a brutal slugfest—Gyarados emerged victorious, outlasting Metagross with its superior bulk and stamina.

[Metagross is unable to battle. Gyarados wins!]

Two victories down. With Steven’s ace eliminated, Lance finally relaxed.

But Steven wasn’t done yet.

He threw out another Poké Ball.

Aggron entered the field.

...

Ten minutes later…

After an intense back-and-forth, Lance narrowly edged out Aggron using Mega Gyarados’s speed. Though Gyarados collapsed immediately after the win, its job was done.

Steven had no Pokémon left to battle.

[Victory goes to the Dragon Envoy, Lance! Congratulations on advancing to the semifinals!]

Lance smiled and waved to the cheering crowd.

Until Steven clapped a hand on his shoulder and leaned in to whisper—

“You’re up against August next.”

Lance’s smile froze.

His great mood evaporated in an instant.

Gone. Destroyed.

Steven watched the expression drain from Lance’s face—and suddenly, losing didn’t seem so bad after all.

...

[As of now, three of the World Championships’ Masters Eight quarterfinal matches have concluded—only one battle remains: August vs. Geeta, which will determine the final name to enter the semifinals!]

You couldn’t flip on a TV without running into World Championship coverage.

The entire world was watching. August idly wondered if Giovanni, all the way over in Alola, might be sitting in front of a screen right now waiting to see his match.

He leaned back on the sofa, thoughts drifting aimlessly.

“August, what’s your plan for tomorrow’s match? What team are you going with?” Zinnia popped up right in front of him.

August gave her a sidelong glance. “What—planning to leak my lineup to Geeta?”

Zinnia puffed up indignantly. “How could you slander me like that! I’m just curious, that’s all…”

“Come on, just give me a hint…”

After enough pestering, August gave in and muttered, “Eevee, Gardevoir, Slowbro…”

Zinnia’s eyes lit up in revelation. Without another word, she sprinted off to her room.

“…?”

August narrowed his eyes.

Not bothering to chase her down, he yanked his phone out of Eevee’s tiny paws and opened up the forums to check what nonsense the internet was cooking up now.

And then a post caught his eye.

[BREAKING! Accurate Prediction: August’s lineup for tomorrow is Eevee, Gardevoir, and Slowbro!]

August’s expression darkened.

Zinnia didn’t leak it to Geeta—she posted it online to play prophet!

What made it worse was that she actually believed the random team he blurted out. That part might’ve been even more ridiculous than the post itself.

August rubbed his temples. If he spent too much time around her, he was going to start losing brain cells. Without hesitation, he pulled up the teleport command on his phone.

A second later—

A shriek echoed down from the second floor.

“NOOO, AUGUST—!”

And then… silence. Peace returned to the world.

---

Hisui Region

Zinnia crashed through the air and landed in a heap, right in the middle of the dinner table where Gold and the others were eating.

“Didn’t you just get back?” Gold asked, baffled. “Why are you here again?”

Zinnia stood up, dusted herself off, and cleared her throat. “Ahem. As the founder of Team Rocket, I can’t be away from Hisui too long. Besides, I didn’t feel right leaving you all here alone, so I specifically applied for permission to return.”

Everyone around the table exchanged looks.

Especially Gold and Silver—they locked eyes for a second and instantly read each other’s minds:

She definitely pissed August off and got exiled again.

---

Match Day.

Compared to the previous matches, where the VIP viewing box had been sparsely populated, today’s was completely packed.

Not just Blue, Sabrina, Gary, and Ash…

But also Leon, Cynthia, Caitlin, Koga, Lance, Steven, Wallace—all had shown up.

Leon might’ve been there out of genuine interest in August’s strength.

The rest? They just wanted to see what chaos August would unleash this time.

As soon as August entered the arena, Gary signaled Ash, and the two of them unfurled a massive banner together:

[Let’s go, August!]

“…”

August buried his face in his hands.

If there weren’t so many people watching, he would’ve teleported Gary to Hisui on the spot.

Across the field, Geeta caught the scene and smiled with genuine envy. “Your subordinates are really enthusiastic. Is there some secret method you use?”

August studied her expression. For once, it didn’t seem like an act. She really looked… wistful.

He thought of Larry and replied after a beat, “High pay, great benefits, and very little work.”

Geeta went quiet, deep in thought.

The referee cleared his throat: "Both competitors, please take your positions!"

“Apologies,” Geeta said politely.

Under the referee’s somewhat flustered gaze, they each stepped to their starting spots.

The rules were announced as usual.

August barely listened—he already knew them by heart. Instead, his eyes stayed on Geeta, running through possible openers in his mind.

Legendary Pokémon were out of the question.

Opening with one would just make him look desperate.

Test the waters first?

He considered his options.

Alright, it’s you then.

As soon as the referee declared the match open, both trainers threw their Poké Balls simultaneously.

BANG!

On Geeta’s side appeared a Bisharp, blade-like horns glinting and mustache curled like a samurai’s sword—a warrior from the Warring States era come to life.

On August’s side—

ROAR!

Salamence burst from its Poké Ball, ready to fight Snorlax for food—until it realized this was a battlefield, not a buffet.

Geeta looked genuinely surprised. “I thought you’d lead with Gardevoir,” she said, sounding almost regretful. “Looks like I guessed wrong.”

A Dark/Steel-type like Bisharp would’ve been perfect for countering Gardevoir.

August glanced at her Pokémon—acceptable. As long as it wasn’t Avalugg, Salamence would be fine.

He’d taught it every fire-type move it needed. He’d manage.

His eyes shifted to his Salamence, who was already getting restless on the field.

“This match is really important,” August said gently, though his words were anything but. “If you lose, for the next month, you’ll have to watch Snorlax eat before you do.”

Salamence’s eyes went wide with horror.

Without waiting, August raised his arm. “Salamence, [Mega Evolve]!”

A brilliant light engulfed Salamence.

When it cleared, Mega Salamence hovered in the air, wings shaped like a blood-red crescent moon.

[A surprising move—August opens with Mega Evolution!]

Mega Salamence spread its wings wide, casting a shadow over the battlefield as it emanated a wild, overwhelming presence.

Since both Gardevoir and Dragonite were carrying Plates, August had opted to reserve the Mega slot for Salamence.

“[Flamethrower]!”

From high in the sky, Mega Salamence dove down and unleashed a searing stream of flame straight at Bisharp.

But facing the incoming attack, Bisharp slammed its hands into the ground.

Swish!

A barrage of razor-sharp stones shot up toward the airborne Salamence.

With its daily meals on the line, Mega Salamence tapped into every ounce of its latent power.

With a roar, it twisted its body midair and gracefully dodged the flying stones, continuing its dive with [Flamethrower] blazing.

Bisharp, who had intended to use [Stone Edge] to force Salamence back, was caught completely off guard by its agility.

Its formerly composed, statuesque posture fell apart instantly. In a flurry of motion, Bisharp rolled awkwardly across the ground—only just managing to avoid the flames.

Up above, Salamence caught sight of Bisharp’s flustered reaction, inhaled sharply, then exhaled with force.

Whoosh—

A wave of [Heat Wave], hot enough to distort the air itself, surged across the battlefield toward Bisharp.

The area of effect was massive. Getta instantly assessed that dodging it completely was impossible.

So she gave a firm command: “[Zen Headbutt]!”

Psychic energy focused at the golden blade atop Bisharp’s head, making it shimmer with power. With narrowed eyes, Bisharp sprang from the ground and charged straight at Salamence.

Caught mid-breath, Salamence hadn’t expected Bisharp to push through the [Heat Wave] head-on.

Taken by surprise, it took the full brunt of the blow.

The golden blade carved a deep gouge across the armored scale plating that protected Salamence’s belly.

Still reeling from the impact, Salamence turned its head to retaliate—

Only to find Bisharp suddenly kneeling in front of it, forehead to the ground in a perfect dogeza.

Salamence: “…?”

What is this? Apologizing? Asking forgiveness for the earlier attack?

That’s… really not necessary!

August, seeing this, immediately sensed danger.

Oh no.

But before he could even warn Salamence, a glint flashed through Bisharp’s eyes.

[Guillotine]

A surprise slash came from point-blank range—striking Salamence hard.

And with that, Salamence completely lost its temper.

It wasn’t about getting hit—it was about the real stakes.

If I lose… I’ll have to sit there and watch Snorlax eat before me for a month straight. I’ll only get to eat after Snorlax is full…

That’s unacceptable!

“RAAAAHHH!!”

Fueled by rage and pure survival instinct, Salamence’s fighting spirit surged to its peak. A flame burst to life in its mouth and—

[Flamethrower]

Now at close range, Bisharp dropped the act. No more tricks. It charged forward with all its might.

[Iron Head]

But in that split second—driven by primal desperation to protect its dining rights—Salamence made its move.

Fwoosh—

It kicked up a powerful [Air Slash], the gust brushing past Bisharp and knocking it off-balance.

Seizing the moment, Salamence rocketed skyward, putting distance between them.

Then, jaws parted, it began to charge its final strike.

“[Fire Blast]!”

A blazing, kanji-shaped inferno shot down from above—

A 大-shaped flame seared into the staggering Bisharp below.

[Bisharp is unable to battle—victory goes to August!]

Mega Salamence twirled in midair, flipping with joy.

August watched from below, unimpressed.

You have the nerve to celebrate?

You nearly lost even after [Mega Evolving]. You’ve clearly been eating too much. It’s time to put you on a training regimen.

“Pity,” Geeta murmured.

If Salamence hadn’t acted on instinct and blown Bisharp off-course with that gust, the fight could’ve gone the other way.

But there was no point dwelling on it now.

What mattered was her second Pokémon.

“Let’s go, Glimmora!”

The moment she released Glimmora, the livestream chat exploded.

[She didn’t save Glimmora for last!?]
[Who are you and what have you done with Geeta?]
[@Everyone above: I’m taking notes. When we get back to Paldea, I’m assigning you all one Champion each.]

Iono nervously watched the stream chat, praying her boss wouldn’t catch the VOD later.

Memes aside—

August glanced at Glimmora, then up at his still-showboating Salamence.

Better to recall the goofball now than watch it flub the next round.

At least Bisharp was out of the way.

As Geeta blinked in surprise, August withdrew Salamence. “Your turn, Gardevoir.”

The Poké Ball arced through the air.

Gardevoir landed gracefully, Plate in hand.

Gardevoir vs. Glimmora

Geeta smiled softly as she looked at Gardevoir. “Remember the [Tera Orb] I gave you? Once it’s fully charged, you can [Terastallize] anytime, anywhere.”

The moment she said that, August’s expression shifted.

Geeta drew a sleek, black [Tera Orb] from her waist. As it glowed with radiant light in her hand, she tossed it toward Glimmora.

Boom!

Glimmora was instantly encased in a brilliant crystal. When the outer shell shattered, it revealed a crown-like structure of jagged rock atop its head—a small stone pavilion of sorts.

August: …Seriously?

Even before coming to this world, he’d wanted to complain about this. Aside from the surrounding rock ring, what part of that design actually looked “rock-type”? It looked more like fancy landscaping than a power-up.

---

Commentary Box

"Miss Iono, what do you think about Champion Geeta using [Terastallization] right at the start?"

Since Iono was a native of Paldea, the commentary mic had been handed to her. She’d mostly been curled up in a corner this entire match, saying little.

The stream chat immediately erupted in teasing encouragement:

[What’s there to be afraid of? It’s just Geeta.]
[Iono, speak your truth! Don’t be scared.]
[Don’t worry—we’ll provide every kind of support except actual help!]

Iono stared blankly at the chat. These people are trying to get me killed.

What did they expect her to say?

It wasn’t like you could casually critique a Champion—especially that Champion. Next thing she knew, she'd be getting an official letter from the League appointing her the next Electric-type Elite Four as "reassignment."

---

As Iono stammered her way out of a comment, the battle had already resumed on the field.

The [Terastallized] Glimmora gleamed with power. In the next moment, a barrage of jagged stones came hurtling through the air, whistling toward Gardevoir.

[Rock Blast]

It was just a probing move, but even that was enhanced by [Terastallization]—powerful enough to be threatening.

“Gardevoir, [Reflect]!”

With a graceful motion, Gardevoir summoned a psychic barrier.

The stones slammed into the shield, crackling and bursting apart on impact. Cracks spread along the barrier’s surface.

Seeing that, August mentally revised his assessment: Glimmora’s threat level—up another notch.

“Gardevoir, [Psychic]!”

The Plate floating beside Gardevoir vibrated faintly. Her eyes flashed blue as she sent a wave of concentrated mental force straight at Glimmora.

Bang!

Glimmora reeled as if struck by an invisible hammer and was sent tumbling backward through the air.

“Glimmora, [Tera Burst]!”

Her crystalline body flared, releasing a burst of rock-type Tera energy aimed straight at Gardevoir.

But Gardevoir’s eyes glinted calmly.

Swish!

[Teleport]

She vanished—and reappeared across the field, arm raised and poised.

[Psybeam]

The prismatic beam streaked toward Glimmora—but she was quick. Twisting midair, she flung a rock with pinpoint precision, shattering the incoming beam.

At this point, strategy had all but vanished from the battle. There was only evasion—then attack—then evasion again.

It was a relentless tug-of-war, neither side letting up.

Geeta had initially been confident in Glimmora’s endurance and versatility.

But as the fight wore on… something felt off.

Why isn't Gardevoir getting tired? In fact, she looks more energized than ever...

Meanwhile, Glimmora was clearly slowing down.

Geeta’s eyes narrowed, scanning Gardevoir—until her gaze locked on the floating Plate beside her.

She had seen August’s earlier battle with Caitlin.

But she’d assumed the Plate simply boosted Gardevoir’s power—she hadn’t expected it to serve as a stamina reserve.

“That Plate…”

August smiled faintly. “Noticed it, huh? But it’s already too late. Gardevoir—[Psychic]!”

Gardevoir released another crushing wave of mental energy.

This time, Glimmora couldn’t dodge.

The hit sent her crashing to the ground, scattering a few faint spikes of [Toxic Debris] around her impact site.

Notably, throughout the entire battle, Gardevoir hadn’t used a single physical attack.

Glimmora’s [Toxic Debris] ability only activates upon physical contact—but in this case, it had gone completely to waste.

Aside from the minimal scatter caused by the final crash, her passive ability had been rendered meaningless.

“Let’s finish this! One last [Psychic]!”

August gave the order, and Gardevoir delivered.

A final surge of mental energy struck Glimmora head-on.

[Glimmora is unable to battle—Gardevoir wins!]

Gardevoir lowered her hand gently, a serene smile on her face.

With two Pokémon down, Geeta still showed no frustration.

Instead, she rested her chin on her hand thoughtfully. “Now then… who should I send out next… Ah! Got it.”

She tossed her third Poké Ball.

A brilliantly colored bird Pokémon wearing a scarf-like crest emerged.

Espathra.

Espathra’s [Opportunist] ability allowed it to mimic an opponent’s stat boosts immediately.

Unfortunately, against Gardevoir—who relied entirely on raw psychic power, not self-buffs—that ability was rendered irrelevant.

And in a head-to-head duel of psychic types, Espathra simply couldn’t match Gardevoir.

After a fierce exchange of mental blows—

Espathra collapsed.

Referee: "All three of Geeta’s Pokémon are unable to battle. The winner is—August!"

The stadium erupted in cheers as the final member of the Top Four was confirmed.

But August, eyes on Geeta’s calm expression, fell into thought.

Was that really her full strength?

Something about her composure unsettled him. She didn’t seem disappointed at all.

If anything, her whole demeanor gave the impression that she hadn’t come here just to compete.

More like… she’d come to promote [Terastallization], with the battles as an afterthought.

That moment earlier—when she explained [Terastallization] to him—it had felt almost scripted.

“August?”

Geeta had walked over and waved a hand gently in front of him.

He snapped out of his thoughts.

“Hm? Ah, sorry—zoned out a little.”

Geeta smiled warmly. “Congratulations on reaching the semifinals.”

Then she leaned in slightly.

“If you ever finish your expedition work in Hisui, you must visit Paldea.”

---

T/N: holy shit yeah only one chapter this chapter fuckin hurt to translate BOTH my wrists are hurting

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!