Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [360]

When it came to playing dirty, August had never once pretended to play fair.

Lance knew that better than most.

After all, recruiting Giovanni’s son just to use him as leverage against Giovanni himself wasn’t the kind of move a normal person would even think of.

“I get the feeling you’re mentally cursing me right now...” August said, narrowing his eyes.

“Ahem...” Lance cleared his throat. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll be heading out.”

Though he and Charles had already agreed on the general terms of their cooperation, the finer details still required his personal attention.

August frowned. “You’re handling all this yourself again? Where’s your team?”

Lance sighed. “Still back in Kanto, managing things there.”

Coming to the Battle Frontier like this was, technically, playing hooky...

August tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Isn’t Koga here? I saw him yesterday at the beach, vacationing with his daughter and sister. As Johto’s future Champion, maybe he should contribute to Johto’s development instead of lounging around.”

Lance’s eyes lit up. Right—he’d forgotten that Koga was still here!

Sure, yanking someone out of vacation to throw them into work might seem inhumane...

But screw it. If I, the next Champion, am working overtime, what excuse does a future Elite Four member have for slacking off?

He pulled out his phone. “Koga. You there?”

As Koga’s deeply resentful voice came through the receiver, August smiled with satisfaction and stole a handful of Mew’s chips, stuffing them into his mouth.

...

“Koga’s probably ready to murder you,” Sabrina said flatly from the couch.

Knock knock.

August tapped the coffee table. “Miss Sabrina, before you criticize me, could you at least wipe that schadenfreude off your face?”

“...”

Fair. She wouldn’t deny it. After spending too much time around August, her standards had definitely dropped.

“Anyway, what’s going on with Zinnia these days?” she asked.

It had been a few days since August had shipped her off to Hisui. Hopefully she hadn’t gotten herself killed.

“Hang on, I’ll check...”

Ignoring Eevee’s protest, August plucked his phone out of her paws (she’d been watching Iono’s stream), and tapped the golden alpaca icon.

He scrolled to his friends list, selected Zinnia, and clicked “Check Remaining—” ahem “Current Activity.”

“Hm... 23 Pokémon caught, 3 Alpha Pokémon defeated, 15 contribution mileage points. Wow, she’s actually putting in effort.”

He’d discovered this feature after sending Zinnia to Hisui—apparently, even if someone else defeated Alpha Pokémon, he still earned partial mileage rewards. Only half the value of doing it himself, but still.

A whole new world of passive grind had opened up.

[GardevoirSupremacy]: Go, Zinnia! My friend-pass freedom depends on you!

---

Hisui

Zinnia, having just finished off an Alpha Crobat, was happily grilling mushrooms with Akari.

Suddenly, a voice echoed in her mind.

She froze.

Several seconds passed before she processed what it meant.

THWACK!

She slammed her skewer into the ground.

He dumped her here, gave her KPIs, and even micromanaged her from afar?!

Fuming, she turned to Akari. “Akari, let’s overthrow August!”

“...Huh?” Akari blinked.

Her Gallade standing beside her also looked bewildered.

What just happened? Why are we suddenly plotting a coup against Mr. August?

---

Battle Frontier – Villa

After confirming that Zinnia was still alive, Sabrina visibly relaxed.

As long as she was breathing, it was fine. As for her being overworked? Well... as one of the victims of August’s recent “restructuring,” Sabrina could only say: Well done!

“Bui~!”

Eevee nuzzled against August’s arm, looking at him with pleading eyes.

He handed the phone back, and she immediately reopened Iono’s stream like a pro.

August was about to say something when—knock knock.

Sabrina raised a hand, opening the door telekinetically.

“Come in—”

Before she could finish, she saw who it was: Cynthia… and Caitlin.

Their eyes met.

A strange tension filled the air as the same thought surfaced in both their minds.

A kindred spirit.

...

August gestured for Cynthia and Caitlin to take a seat. “Didn’t expect you both so soon...”

He’d assumed Caitlin would need more time. Her Pokémon had taken a beating in their match—even with the League’s top-tier recovery systems, full healing would take a while.

He’d invited Cynthia today primarily to discuss the upcoming Hisui exploration.

With Professor Oak joining the effort, a more detailed plan was necessary.

What started as a side project now felt dangerously close to becoming a full-scale national research initiative.

Cynthia had originally planned to arrive later.

But right after the match, Caitlin had come to her insisting on meeting August immediately.

Cynthia still didn’t know what had happened during their battle to make Caitlin—who was usually so aloof—this eager.

She glanced over… and saw Caitlin locked in a silent stare with Sabrina, the air between them charged.

Caitlin studied Sabrina. She’d heard rumors of a psychic girl from Kanto, but never paid them much attention.

Now that she saw her in person, her precognition whispered something clear:

This girl was her equal.

Sabrina, for her part, sensed the exact same thing.

“Caitlin.”

“Sabrina.”

They exchanged names quietly.

Then both of their auras ignited.

Their eyes shimmered with blue light. Unintentionally, the objects around them began to tremble and float.

The teacups on the table rattled ominously.

Sensing disaster, August shouted, “Stop—!”

What the hell are you two doing?! Do you want to destroy the house?!

But they were fully immersed in their duel, oblivious to his words.

Just then, Mewtwo—who had been quietly reading like a piece of furniture—lifted his head.

Without a word, he flicked his Spoon into the air.

The spoon sliced through the clashing psychic currents like a blade, severing the connection between Caitlin and Sabrina.

Everything stopped. The tea settled. The air stilled.

Caitlin took a breath. “Apologies… I lost control.”

She had thought she was fully in command of her powers. Apparently, she still had a long way to go.

Sabrina shook her head. “I was at fault too...”

I let myself get competitive for no reason. Is this what they call psychic rivalry?

Seeing the tension lingering, August quickly stepped in. “Caitlin, I assume you’re here for the Plate?”

She nodded.

Ever since their match, she’d been dying to know what kind of artifact could amplify a Pokémon’s power that much—and why it exerted such a strange pull on her.

Sabrina gave a knowing look. She remembered her own reaction the first time she saw the [Mind Plate].

August turned to Cynthia. “You didn’t tell her?”

Cynthia shook her head.

“Well then,” August said, “the Plate you saw—Gardevoir’s—is a relic of Arceus. Specifically, the [Mind Plate]. It represents the aspect of Arceus’s power tied to the Psychic type.”

“...Arceus?”

Caitlin’s eyes widened.

As a native of Sinnoh and close friend of Cynthia, she was no stranger to the myths surrounding the Creation God.

Realization dawned.

So that’s why the Plate made me feel like I was in the presence of a god...

But another question quickly replaced it: Why does August have not just one Plate—but two?

She recalled everything Cynthia had told her:

Controlling Rayquaza. Saving Hoenn from destruction. Catching Dialga and Palkia on Mt. Coronet. A team full of legendary Pokémon. Now wielding divine relics of Arceus.

All the pieces snapped together in her mind.

One thought surfaced—

What if August… is Arceus in human form?

There were myths about Legendaries disguising themselves as humans to live among them.

Her gaze toward August became increasingly reverent.

If he was Arceus, then… hadn’t her request to “touch the Plate” been way out of line?

Suddenly, Caitlin didn’t even dare bring it up again.

August noticed her stunned expression turning awkward and apprehensive.

What the heck are you imagining now?!

...

He chose to ignore her weird behavior.

Soon after, Professor Oak arrived at the villa, accompanied by Professor Birch and his daughter, Sapphire.

Sapphire eyed August curiously.

It had been over two weeks since their last meeting. Back then, she'd asked her father about him—only to find out he really was with the International Police.

Since then, she’d followed his battles closely, watching as he climbed from Ultra Ball Rank 99 to the Masters Eight.

Her interest in his original proposal only deepened.

If I join his group, I’ll definitely get stronger... she thought.

Meanwhile, August gave Oak, Birch, and Cynthia a brief rundown of the situation in Hisui.

“My associate is currently gathering mileage points. Right now, we’ve got one Friend Pass left—it can send one person to Hisui. Any ideas?”

“What about sending Gary?” Oak suggested. “He’s been there before, so it won’t use up the Friend Pass. More hands wouldn’t hurt.”

Gary, who had just come downstairs and was eavesdropping, nearly fell over.

Grandpa, really?! Throwing your own grandson under the bus?

Even August was caught off guard. For once, he stood up for Gary.

“He’s planning to push for a better tournament rank this season. He doesn’t have time.”

Gary nearly teared up.

August finally acted like a decent human being.

That meant there was only one slot left.

Cynthia was interested in ancient Sinnoh, but with the Masters Tournament looming, she had no time.

Just as August was thinking of sending Gold—who excelled at fieldwork—

“Let me go!” Sapphire volunteered, smiling, fangs peeking from her grin.

“I’ve done a lot of research with my dad. I’m great at field investigations. Plus, I’m not competing in the tournament. I’m the best fit.”

Everyone considered her offer.

She was probably the most suitable.

“But you should know—it’s dangerous. Hisui is the ancient version of Sinnoh. It’s undeveloped. Wild. Not like the modern world.”

Sapphire nodded seriously. “I understand. I’ll be careful.”

Her attitude reassured him.

While Hisui wasn’t exactly safe, it wasn’t a total wilderness either. As long as she stayed alert, she should be fine.

“Then get ready. I’ll send you over once we’re all set.”

“I’m already packed!” she said, patting her backpack.

After years of fieldwork with her dad, she carried her outdoor gear everywhere.

“In that case...” August pulled out his phone and opened the app. He spent his only remaining Friend Pass and sent Sapphire an invite.

[August has invited you to the Hisui Region! Tap [Teleport] to join him and his friends on an adventure!]

“Is this really going to work?” she asked, skeptical.

Still, she tapped [Teleport].

In the blink of an eye, a golden rift opened beneath her feet—and swallowed her whole.

---

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!