Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [357]

“Have you ever heard of a move that depends on the bond between a Pokémon and its Trainer?”

Ash scratched his head. “Wait, there’s a move like that?”

“Tch, disgraceful. Did you even read the book I gave you?” Gary popped out of nowhere, scoffing. “Allow me, the great Gary Oak, to enlighten you!”

August: ?

Where did this guy crawl out from? Don’t tell me he’s been spying on Ash this whole time...

Gary ignored the strange look August shot him and flipped his hair with practiced flair. “The move August’s talking about is called Return! Its power scales with the closeness between a Pokémon and its Trainer.”

“The stronger the bond, the more powerful the move becomes.”

“Really?”

Ash blinked, clearly still confused. August could tell with just one look—Ash hadn’t understood a word.

“Let me show you,” he said, and headed for the training field. He grabbed Eevee by the scruff and lifted her off Lugia Jr.’s back.

Gary waved Ash over, and Ash hurried after him.

Bayleef followed immediately, sticking to Ash like glue.

...

Out at the training field, August faced a metal target and turned to Ash.

“I’ll show you Eevee’s standard power first.”

“Eevee, [Swift]!”

“Bui!”

Eevee planted her paws and arched her back. With a fierce cry—as fierce as she could manage, anyway—she fired a flurry of glowing star-shaped energy at the target.

BOOM!

A violent explosion rocked the field as the Swift hit its mark.

The shockwave made Ash throw up his arms to shield himself. When he looked again, he saw the metal target had been completely blown apart—bent and twisted, barely holding together.

Ash gaped. “That’s so strong!”

Was that really just [Swift]? From Eevee?

And if [Return] was even stronger...

“Eevee, [Return]!” August called.

“Bui!”

Eevee let out an energetic cry, her whole body glowing white as she charged forward like a bullet toward another target set up beside the first.

BOOM!

There was no dramatic explosion—just raw, overwhelming force.

The target shattered instantly. And then the next one. And the one after that.

Eevee didn’t stop until she’d bulldozed through three metal targets in a row. Then she shook the dust off her head like it was nothing.

Ash was stunned.

He couldn’t believe such a tiny Pokémon could unleash such insane power!

Even Bayleef stared, wide-eyed.

If I learn that move… Pikachu won’t stand a chance anymore!

Then I’ll finally prove I’m the main girl!

After finishing the demonstration, Eevee launched herself straight into August’s arms.

Ash winced—half-afraid August might end up like the targets.

But August simply scratched behind her ears and, with practiced ease, perched her on his shoulder.

“The stronger your bond with your Pokémon, the more powerful [Return] becomes,” August said. “If Bayleef likes you that much, you should develop your relationship in that direction.”

“That’s what [Return]’s all about.”

Now that he had a crystal-clear example, Ash nodded eagerly. This was the move he wanted!

“See? Told you I wasn’t lying!” Gary said, clapping Ash on the back. He pulled out a TM and held it out.

Ash reached for it—

Only for Gary to snatch it back, grinning like a jerk. “Say it. ‘Thank you, Master Gary.’”

Ash’s face darkened. That tiny bit of gratitude evaporated. “Gary, you’re such a pain!”

...

With Bayleef’s help, Ash quickly taught her [Return].

August, meanwhile, was curious.

Now that Bayleef had learned [Return], would Ash still lose to Harrison and only make it to the top 8 at the Silver Conference like in the original storyline?

Back in the villa’s living room, August bumped into Ash’s mom, Delia.

She had clearly seen the entire training session from the sidelines. “Thank you, Mr. August, for looking after Ash.”

August waved her off. “It’s really not a big deal.”

If helping Ash mature faster meant keeping him away from a certain someone, it was worth it.

Delia, of course, was still deeply grateful.

After chatting for a while, August wandered over to where Professor Oak and Blaine were discussing Hisui.

“Perfect timing,” Professor Oak said. “We were just talking about the Hisui region...”

His eyes sparkled with excitement. The Hisui project had reignited his passion for research.

He was so animated, he kept August up chatting past midnight.

It wasn’t until Daisy came over to drag him away that he reluctantly left the villa for his hotel.

“Is Professor Oak always this... energetic?” Gold asked. “He’s got more stamina than even Professor Rowan!”

“Well, he used to be a top-tier Trainer,” August said. “He’s not like Rowan, who’s purely a researcher.”

August still remembered those old ‘Professor Oak’s Pokémon Lectures’—half education, half chaos.

In his words? Certified madlad. Absolutely terrifying.

...

Three days passed.

Finally, August received official word from the tournament organizers:

[Trainer August: Your application for the Master Swap Match has been approved. Please arrive at the Battle Dome in the Frontier Zone by 13:00 tomorrow. Failure to attend will be considered a forfeit.]

August stared at his phone.

All this trouble just to get one match scheduled. Hopefully the upcoming Masters Tournament won’t be this tedious...

“August, what’s with the smile? Something good happen?” Iono asked from across the table.

August blinked out of his thoughts.

He’d joined Iono today as a guest on her popular “shop hopping” show. Honestly, it had been something to do while waiting.

“Nothing much. Just that my match with Caitlin is finally happening.”

“Oh? It’s starting?”

Iono quickly checked her phone—and sure enough, there was an invitation for her to co-host the live commentary.

But what really shocked her wasn’t the invite—it was the name next to hers.

“Wait, Cynthia’s commentating too?!”

She had expected Frontier Brain Thorne to be the co-commentator.

Instead… Cynthia.

[My favorite streamer and my idol Champion together on commentary? DOUBLE WHAMMY!]

[Iono’s on the same level as Cynthia now?!]

[There’s a thick wall between us and the streamer now...]

The chat exploded.

At least, that’s how Iono saw it.

August, meanwhile, calmly wiped whipped cream off Eevee’s face with a napkin. “Probably a balance decision. You’ve publicly supported me, while Cynthia’s friends with Caitlin. The organizers likely wanted opposing viewpoints.”

“Eh? But you and Cynthia…”

“We’re rivals!” August said with a grin.

Iono smacked her own forehead, tongue poking out sheepishly.

Oops. Forgot about that part.

...

Battle Dome – Frontier Zone

The moment August and Caitlin’s Master Swap Match was announced, tickets instantly sold out.

“Wow… August’s this popular?” Ash gaped, scanning the packed stands.

“Of course!” Gary puffed out his chest, proud by association.

He’d completely forgotten August had almost dumped him in Hisui not long ago.

“Hey Sabrina,” Blue asked, “if neither of them uses Legendaries, who do you think would win—August or Caitlin?”

The entire Kanto division turned to look at Sabrina.

Sabrina: “…..”

Why’s everyone looking at me? Just because Caitlin and I are both psychics? I barely even know her!

She was just about to clarify when the loudspeaker crackled to life:

“Welcome to the Battle Dome! I’m today’s match commentator. Please find your seats—today’s battle is about to begin!”

The stadium quieted as the crowd took their places.

Twin spotlights lit up the two entrance tunnels on either side of the battlefield.

The screen split in half, showing each competitor’s entrance.

As stirring music played and cheers rose from the stands, August and Caitlin stepped onto the field.

“August!”

“Caitlin!”

One was a rising star in the current World Championships—the other, a member of the previous Masters Eight.

The hype was real.

The commentator kept the momentum going, turning to the guest desk.

“And joining us today, we have the immensely popular streamer Iono, and the Sinnoh Champion herself—Cynthia!”

“So, let me ask both of you—who do you think will win?”

Iono didn’t hesitate. She’d declared her support for August long ago. “August!”

No surprises there.

The host turned to Cynthia, expecting the balance to shift—

But Cynthia blinked and said, “I support August too.”

Commentator: “...?”

Audience: “...!”

Iono’s chat exploded:

[RIP event team, didn’t see THAT coming!]

[LOL, both guests supporting August. This backfired hard.]

[August’s charisma is unstoppable!]

The organizers had hoped to stir buzz by having Cynthia back Caitlin. Now both commentators were on Team August. Whoops.

The host scrambled to recover. “Ah… Well, surprising as that may be, remember—favorites can fall. Pokémon battles are full of surprises! And let’s not forget, Caitlin was one of the previous Masters Eight!”

But Cynthia simply added, “Still, knowing Caitlin as well as I do, she’s not on August’s level.”

Deadpan. Unshakable. Absolute confidence.

The commentator: “....”

Are you trying to tank the broadcast?!

He wanted to yank the mic away from her—

But she was Cynthia. Untouchable.

He pivoted quickly. “Both Trainers are ready—let’s focus on the match ahead!”

...

On the field, August couldn’t help but smile at Cynthia’s support.

He hadn’t expected her to be this blunt—even if they were on good terms.

Across from him, Caitlin had definitely heard that too.

She’d arrived at the Battle Frontier yesterday and had been staying at Cynthia’s house.

When she’d asked Cynthia about August, the Champion had praised him and dismissed her chances.

It sparked a fierce rebellious streak in her.

Let’s see if you really live up to the hype, August!

“If you want to beat me and join the Masters Eight,” she said, her long hair floating as her psychic aura surged, “then show me you deserve it!”

August smiled. “I have a friend who’s a psychic too. I wonder who’s stronger—her or you?”

Caitlin didn’t reply.

[This Master Swap Match will follow a 3v3 format. Once both Trainers are ready, please raise your hands to signal.]

With a flash, the airborne camera-Rotom hovered above.

[Battle—start!]

August threw his Poké Ball by hand.

Caitlin? She floated hers into place with psychic power.

BAM!

A Pokémon enveloped in green membranes and cellular fluid materialized before her—like an embryo still in development.

Reuniclus.

Commentator: “Caitlin leads with the Psychic-type Reuniclus! This is one of her signature Pokémon—looks like she’s going all out for the Master Swap Match!”

A blue gleam flickered in Caitlin’s eyes.

August recognized the sign immediately—psychic resonance.

She had linked minds with Reuniclus.

He was no stranger to telepathy. Mental syncing like this drastically cut down command lag. It let Trainer and Pokémon act as one.

But August didn’t flinch.

Because his lead was…

A round-bellied, orange-skinned Dragonite, wings flapping gently as it floated into view.

Both August and Dragonite wore the same gentle smile. Neither looked the least bit aggressive.

And yet… no one could ignore the quiet pressure Dragonite exuded just by being there.

Commentator: “August has chosen Dragonite! A veteran of past battles, Dragonite has proven its strength time and again!”

“Wuu~” Dragonite chirped politely, waving to Reuniclus.

Reuniclus didn’t respond.

Instead, it launched a sudden [Psybeam] attack!

Dragonite blinked, startled by the sneak attack.

“Wuu!”

Dodging the blast, Dragonite huffed, cheeks puffing in annoyance.

It inhaled deeply, then gathered a glowing orb of energy in its mouth—before unleashing it in a burst of violet light.

[Dragon Pulse]

Reuniclus twisted space around itself, using a powerful wave of psychic force to deflect the beam. The [Dragon Pulse] veered off and exploded harmlessly into the distant ground, gouging a crater into the battlefield.

August whistled. “Nice telekinesis. Just from that, I’d say she’s at half a Sabrina.”

In the stands, Sabrina watched the screen, lips twitching. “?”

Since when did I become a unit of measurement?

Caitlin scowled at the remark.

She’d heard of Sabrina—a psychic from Kanto—but they’d never met.

Being compared to her rubbed Caitlin the wrong way.

That irritation showed immediately: Reuniclus launched a barrage of psychic attacks!

[Psybeam] [Psyshock] [Psychic]

A storm of shimmering light and energy rained down on Dragonite, reducing the arena to rubble.

The sheer mental force behind each move made even August raise an eyebrow.

But August’s Dragonite wasn’t so easy to deal with.

Despite its round belly and seemingly bulky frame, Dragonite zipped through the air with an agility that defied expectations. It weaved unpredictably through the battlefield, easily dodging Reuniclus’s relentless psychic assaults.

“That’s impossible!” Caitlin frowned.

She could accept that Dragonite’s agility was unusually high. But the fact that it could maintain such high-speed movement while precisely avoiding every one of Reuniclus’s attacks—that was beyond comprehension.

Psychic-type attacks were notoriously difficult to track, let alone evade. Most non-Psychic Pokémon could only endure them as best they could, unable to effectively dodge or counter.

But here was Dragonite, slipping through them with ease.

“Surprised?” August glanced her way.

“How are you doing that?” Caitlin shot back instinctively—though she didn’t expect an answer in the middle of a battle.

To her surprise, August actually replied.

He pointed to himself, smiling. “You’re not the only one with special abilities. I spend every day surrounded by Psychic Pokémon—my sensitivity to psychic energy is off the charts.”

“The fluctuations your Reuniclus emits when it prepares an attack might seem subtle, but to me, they’re as obvious as a [Signal Beam] in the dark.”

He could thank Mew for that.

If she hadn’t spent so much time pranking him, August wouldn’t have trained his [Aura] so specifically to detect shifts in psychic power.

Their conversation wasn’t audible to the crowd, who only saw Dragonite and Reuniclus locked in a breathtaking chase across the field.

Caitlin fell silent, absorbing what he’d just said.

She hadn’t expected August to be capable of something like this.

So, she shifted her strategy.

“[Trick Room].”

Reuniclus released a strange pulse that rippled across the entire battlefield, distorting the space around both itself and Dragonite.

In an instant, Dragonite—who had been soaring freely—suddenly seemed weighed down, its movements sluggish.

Reuniclus, by contrast, became startlingly nimble.

[Trick Room]: A spatial distortion that allows slower Pokémon to move first.

With the field flipped, Reuniclus took action.

It conjured a sphere of condensed psychic energy in its hands, locking onto Dragonite’s location in the sky.

Even from across the field, August could feel the force building in that orb—it was easily on par with one of Gardevoir’s standard attacks.

If that landed, Dragonite would take serious damage.

But—

“So bold with the charge-up… You must really think I’m out of options.”

“Dragonite, [Extreme Speed]!”

In the blink of an eye, Dragonite vanished, becoming nothing but a streak of light.

Reuniclus’s attack never landed.

Instead, Dragonite crashed into it with bone-jarring force, sending the psychic Pokémon flying in a dazed spiral.

“[Trick Room] can’t override [Extreme Speed],” August said coolly.

Commentator: “Reuniclus takes a direct hit from Dragonite’s [Extreme Speed]!”

Yet despite being struck, Caitlin didn’t panic. In fact, she… smiled.

Above, Dragonite—still basking in its successful hit—suddenly faltered. Its expression twisted, wings trembling as it nearly lost altitude.

August frowned. “What…?”

“[Pain Split],” Caitlin said, echoing his earlier candor. “All the damage your Dragonite dealt to Reuniclus? It got bounced right back.”

August quickly recalled the moment of impact.

Now that he thought about it—yes, there had been a faint flicker of light on Reuniclus's body. That must’ve been when it activated [Pain Split].

Looking at his Dragonite now—already showing signs of wear—August asked calmly, “You knew about Dragonite’s ability?”

[Multiscale] only activates when Dragonite is at full health.

“It was just a guess,” Caitlin replied. “Dragonite only has two possible abilities—[Inner Focus] or [Multiscale]. Worth testing either way.”

“Looks like I guessed right.”

August chuckled. “No wonder you were in the Masters Eight…”

“But now it’s my turn to stop holding back.”

Caitlin blinked. “Your real strength?”

Then she saw it.

With a sweep of August’s arm, Dragonite pulled something from seemingly nowhere—a stone tablet.

“Is that…?”

“Dragonite, [Hurricane]!”

The [Sky Plate], borrowed temporarily from baby Lugia, shimmered faintly in Dragonite’s grasp.

As its wings beat the air, a devastating storm began to take shape—unnaturally powerful and tightly focused.

An absolute maelstrom roared into life, barreling straight toward Reuniclus.

---

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!