Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [351]

"Ahem, enough joking around… Anabel, how are the negotiations going?" August asked.

"I’ve reached a preliminary agreement with Lance. I’ll be heading to Johto to invest in the Battle Frontier there. I’ve heard you hold a lot of influence among both the local Gym Leaders and the Johto division of the International Police, August. I’ll likely be needing your support once I’m there," Anabel said with a cheerful grin.

It was clear that the success of the Hoenn Battle Frontier had gotten him thinking about follow-up investments.

Although August doubted there was anything in Johto that Lance, the region’s Champion, couldn’t handle, since Anabel had brought it up, he naturally nodded. "No problem—leave it to me."

...

Iono’s appearance on yesterday’s broadcast had triggered a massive stir.

And it was overwhelmingly positive.

The prior hosts’ inflammatory remarks had already stirred viewers’ discontent, but since TV shows didn’t allow live comments like streams, most people could only grit their teeth in silence.

So when Iono cut in to defend August, even if the public didn’t have high expectations of him, her move to shut down the two provocateurs felt nothing short of heroic—like Dolphinman bursting onto the scene!

One post on the forums quickly gained traction:

[Even if August doesn’t win the Championship, I’ll still support Iono!]

Reading that, August raised an eyebrow. What the hell? I haven’t even started the Masters Tournament and you’re already cursing me? He gave the post a downvote.

Then, he switched to a burner account and made a new thread:

[Why August WILL Win the Championship]

The post listed reason after reason.

For instance: August owns the Legendary Pokémon Rayquaza.

Or: his Gardevoir had taken down Cynthia’s Garchomp.

Or: in past battles, he had consistently showcased powerful and well-trained Pokémon.

[BallSealBallSeal]: LMAO, OP must be one of August’s paid shills.

[Why Incineroar Is a God]: I admit August is strong, but does he look like Champion material?

[Slowking's Daydream Corner]: What, are we pretending Cynthia doesn't exist now?

“…”

Forget it. No point arguing with people online.

Blue noticed his expression and asked, curious, "Something wrong?"

"Nothing, just had a little spirited exchange with some concerned netizens."

Blue checked the time. "The match is about to start."

"I know."

With that, August headed out of the waiting room.

Today, August would prove himself—by defeating Raihan.

---

Elsewhere, in his own waiting room, the still-unknowing Raihan suddenly sneezed.

He looked around, confused.

What was that about?

Did I catch a cold overnight?

But he quickly pushed the thought aside. It was time to head out!

---

Battle Dome

Compared to his last match against Koga, the crowd turnout was clearly larger this time.

Not only because both trainers had higher rankings, but also because both had serious name recognition.

On one side, August, who had stirred up media drama just yesterday.

On the other, Raihan—famous for repeatedly challenging Champion Leon. Though often defeated, he’d more than proven his strength.

"This is going to be a clash of titans!" the commentator exclaimed.

Beside him, Hills, once again pulled out to serve as a color commentator, turned to Iono. "I heard about what happened yesterday on the show!"

Iono froze for a moment.

"Don’t worry, I’m not here to scold you. On the contrary—I think you did great!" Hills said with a sincere smile. "I’ve had it with that show for a long time. It took real courage to speak up the way you did."

Not everyone would’ve had the guts to speak up in that moment.

Especially someone like Iono, a high-profile streamer with her reputation on the line.

Her live chat exploded with supportive messages.

The sudden flood of praise made Iono blush with embarrassment.

She wanted to give August the credit—but remembered the message he’d sent her yesterday and held back.

As she was thinking about how to respond—

The crowd suddenly erupted into cheers.

August and Raihan had arrived on the battlefield!

Raihan was dressed in a stylish long-sleeve top paired with shorts—trend-conscious as always.

Opposite him, August wore a calm smile, with Eevee perched on his shoulder, instantly winning over the audience with his gentle aura.

"August."

"Raihan."

They exchanged names—no introductions needed. Both had thoroughly studied each other beforehand.

[Both trainers in position. Please select the battle format—Roto.]

The hovering Rotom, per protocol, asked for their preferred format.

August glanced at Raihan. "The Battle Frontier doesn’t allow [Dynamaxing], which puts you at a disadvantage—so I’ll let you pick the format."

Raihan hadn’t expected August to let him choose. It showed a deep confidence in his own strength.

Then again, August did have a Rayquaza.

Sensing Raihan’s thoughts, August added, "I won’t be using Rayquaza."

That did surprise Raihan.

He hadn’t expected August to voluntarily forfeit his greatest advantage.

But Raihan had plenty of pride in his own strength too.

"No need. Let’s go all out! I want to see what Rayquaza can do!"

Then he turned to Rotom. "I’ll go with 3v3!"

[Confirmed. The format is 3v3 standard. Trainers may switch Pokémon during battle. The first to knock out all three of their opponent’s Pokémon wins!]

Rotom recited the rules.

"Raihan’s gone with a 3v3 format," the commentator noted. "Among high-tier battles, this setup best showcases overall strength!"

"We’ll see what kind of Pokémon both sides bring to the field…"

Iono was also curious who August would send out.

In his past three matches, August had never repeated a single Pokémon.

Her stream chat was already speculating.

[Raihan’s no pushover. August’s gonna use Rayquaza this time, right?!]

[But Gardevoir’s no slouch either…]

[Gardevoir stans reporting in—oh wait, I’m one too. Carry on.]

All eyes were on the field.

Raihan tossed out a Pokéball.

A bright green dragonfly with eyes like red-tinted goggles appeared—Flygon.

As for August…

He reached up and gently stroked Eevee’s head, then—with a sudden motion—tossed the relaxed Pokémon onto the field.

"Eevee?!"

The audience, Iono, and Raihan all blinked.

Wasn’t Eevee just his pet?

"You sure that wasn’t a misclick?" Raihan asked the question on everyone’s mind.

"Nope. Not at all," August replied, unbothered. "Eevee’s my chosen Pokémon."

[He’s lost it. August has lost his mind!]

[Sure, Eevee did great in Ultra Ball tier, but this is Raihan! How can you send such a cute thing into battle like this?!]

[Is he planning to lose the first round on purpose? Some kind of bait-and-switch?]

Only the Kanto division knew the truth. In their group chat:

[Gary]: Tch. August’s flexing again.

[Loyal Servant of the Rayquaza]: +1

[Sabrina]: Screenshot saved. (lol)

[Loyal Servant of the Rayquaza]: ?? No, Sabrina, don’t!

[Gary retracted a message.]

[Gary]: Porygon-Z just dove into my phone. Screen went black. What did I miss?

Meanwhile, the battle had begun.

Raihan had already refocused. Whatever August’s intentions, his job was simple—win.

"Flygon, [Dragon Claw]!"

The dragonfly blurred forward in a flash, claws aimed at Eevee.

Many spectators couldn’t bear to watch, already bracing for Eevee to be flattened.

But—

A glint flashed in Eevee’s eyes. With a nimble leap, she sprang upward, dodging the blow entirely.

Flygon’s eyes widened.

It hadn’t expected a tiny Eevee to dodge so effortlessly.

Before it could recover, a voice chirped from above.

“Bui~!”

Down came Eevee’s fluffy tail—except now, it was hard as steel.

[Iron Tail]

Boom!

The hit landed like a sledgehammer. Flygon was slammed into the ground, carving a crater nearly two meters wide.

Using the recoil, Eevee somersaulted and landed without a sound, four soft pads touching down gracefully.

She blinked, licked some wind-tousled fur back into place, and resumed her innocent, harmless look.

But neither Raihan nor the crowd was buying it anymore.

Especially not Iono’s stream.

They had watched August and Iono’s collab streams all week.

And now? That same Eevee—who had once flopped onto her back for belly rubs—had just KO’d a minimum Elite-tier Flygon with a single hit.

"Incredible! August’s Eevee has just felled Raihan’s Flygon in one blow!" the commentator shouted. "This is absolutely going down as a highlight of the World Championship!"

Raihan, battle-hardened from many clashes with Leon, didn’t let shock paralyze him.

"Flygon, get airborne!"

The cratered Flygon obeyed, wings buzzing as it took to the skies.

It glared down at Eevee with wary eyes—clearly rattled by what had just happened.

At least she can’t fly, Raihan thought.

But Eevee didn’t care whether she could reach her opponent.

She sat down calmly and began to use [Calm Mind]—an ability she’d picked up from Gardevoir and Mew.

A bright light shone around her. Her aura surged.

Raihan hadn’t expected Eevee to act on her own without a command.

But he couldn’t let her keep meditating like that.

"Flygon, [Supersonic]!"

As a master of sound-based moves, Flygon unleashed ring after ring of high-frequency soundwaves toward Eevee.

It was a solid choice—[Calm Mind] required a quiet mind, and [Supersonic] would mess with that.

Eevee snapped out of it, grimacing at the noise.

She looked up.

“[Hyper Voice]!” August finally gave a command.

Eevee drew in a deep breath and let out a cry—“Eee—vui!”

A deafening wave of sound burst from its small body. Amplified by [Calm Mind], the sheer force of [Hyper Voice] shattered the rings of [Supersonic] midair and surged upward toward Flygon.

Flygon immediately tried to dodge.

But the area of effect was just too large.

Boom!

The attack struck. Flygon let out a pained screech as it spiraled out of control, crashing hard into the ground below.

Thud!

Just as Eevee was preparing to follow up with another move—

"Flygon, [Dig]!" Raihan shouted.

The battered dragon quickly burrowed into the ground, vanishing from sight.

Eevee, unfazed, simply lay down where she stood and resumed her [Calm Mind].

Raihan: “…"

Watching this scene, he felt a surge of helplessness.

I’ve never had to deal with this kind of opponent—not even against Leon.

With Leon, battles were always head-on. Every move was a direct blow, power against power.

But August’s Eevee? Totally different.

You try to fight her head-on, you lose.

Try to play around with tactics? She just drops to the ground and starts stacking buffs, forcing you back into a direct confrontation.

Raihan was certain—August was watching every movement on the field like a hawk.

The moment Flygon showed itself, it would be met with a merciless counterattack.

And yet, he couldn’t just leave it underground.

Sure, Flygon could rest and recover underground.

But Eevee had already proven herself too dangerous. If she kept using [Calm Mind] like this, who knew what kind of monster she’d become?

After a brief internal struggle, Raihan gritted his teeth.

"Flygon, [Earthquake]!"

His voice traveled down into the tunnel, reaching Flygon’s ears.

The dragon, trusting its trainer without hesitation, began the attack.

Flygon, a Ground/Dragon-type with a solid 100 base Attack stat, launched a STAB-Move Bonus from underground.

If it hit, even Eevee—with two [Calm Mind] boosts—would be badly hurt.

Rumble—!

Shockwaves erupted from below, spreading across the entire battlefield.

Eevee was moments from being struck.

But August remained calm. "Eevee—[Baton Pass]!"

Whoosh.

Eevee vanished from the field.

In her place appeared a blazing red Pokémon.

"Raaaargh!"

With brilliant crimson scales like living flame, Gyarados roared onto the field—carrying with it Eevee’s double [Calm Mind] boosts.

Hovering in midair, Gyarados stared down at the churning battlefield.

It inhaled.

Then spewed a stream of water toward the ground.

Splash—!

The water surged into Flygon’s tunnel, instantly soaking the soil and turning the battlefield into a muddy mess.

The tremors from [Earthquake], which wouldn't have affected a Flying-type like Gyarados anyway, were further dulled by the waterlogged terrain.

But that wasn’t the real reason for the water.

Gyarados had one goal—to flush Flygon out.

Its piercing gaze never left the ground.

Moments later, a mud-drenched Flygon emerged, forced out of hiding.

Gyarados’s eyes gleamed with predatory light.

A [Dragon Pulse] surged from its maw.

The attack struck Flygon head-on the instant it appeared—giving it no time to react.

[Flygon is unable to battle. Gyarados wins! —Roto]

Even as Rotom’s voice announced the result, the crowd was still stunned by what they’d just witnessed.

Too clean.

From Eevee’s sudden retaliation, to [Hyper Voice] swinging momentum, to [Calm Mind] stacking, then the handoff to Gyarados, the trap, and the finishing blow—

August’s battle plan had flowed like water. Smooth. Precise. Ruthless.

"A flawless play," Hills said with admiration.

The match had been a masterclass in pacing and control. You couldn’t help but get pulled into it.

"Raihan loses the first round. And thanks to Eevee’s [Baton Pass], Gyarados still retains both of her Special Attack and Special Defense buffs," Iono added.

Even viewers unfamiliar with battle mechanics could see—Raihan was in trouble.

[I take it back. August didn’t throw that first round—he orchestrated it.]

[Wait—is that a red Gyarados?! That’s his second shiny Pokémon, right?]

[Bro, we’re not colorblind. That thing is gorgeous!]

The stream chat exploded with praise, most of it now centered on the crimson Gyarados.

On the field, Raihan’s expression was tight with discomfort. He stared at Gyarados, now pulsing with two layers of buffs.

His options were rapidly shrinking.

"Come back, Flygon. I’m counting on you now—Goodra!"

With a flick of his wrist, Raihan sent out his next Pokémon.

A soft lavender figure covered in glistening mucus stepped onto the battlefield—Goodra had entered the fray.

No sooner had it arrived than Gyarados’s [Intimidate] activated, and Goodra flinched under the pressure of its overwhelming aura.

"Goodra seems to have been affected by Gyarados’s [Intimidate] ability right from the start... Not a great sign for Raihan, who's already on the back foot," the commentator observed.

Raihan, however, didn’t look concerned.

After all, Goodra didn’t need to go toe-to-toe with Gyarados in melee combat.

Across the field, Gyarados wasted no time. As soon as it laid eyes on Goodra, it launched its first strike.

Raising its upper body slightly, it roared and unleashed a violet [Dragon Pulse] that cut through the air in a straight line toward Goodra.

Goodra didn’t even attempt to dodge.

Because dodging without a follow-up meant ceding control of the battlefield.

So the moment Gyarados began charging up, Raihan called out calmly, "Goodra, [Dragon Pulse]!"

From Goodra’s mouth came a brilliant green beam—its own [Dragon Pulse], distinct in color and tone from Gyarados’s.

The two pulses collided midair with pinpoint precision, perfectly controlled by both trainers.

Green and violet clashed in the sky.

The draconic energy from both attacks swirled and pressed against each other—building tension—

And then—

BOOM!

The resulting explosion sent shockwaves in all directions.

Gyarados, hovering midair, was caught in the outer wave of the blast and was forced back several meters.

But Goodra fared far worse.

Gyarados’s [Dragon Pulse] had fired first, and thanks to its [Calm Mind] boosts, it was significantly stronger.

Goodra, lacking any such special defense buffs, took the brunt of the blast.

It let out a low whimper, grimacing in pain. Despite trying to brace itself and dig its feet into the ground, it was pushed back more than ten meters.

"Both trainers opened with a direct [Dragon Pulse] clash, and so far, Goodra seems to be falling behind. Raihan needs to rally!" the commentator said.

Not that Raihan needed the reminder—he wasn’t blind. He had his own strategy.

"Goodra, [Rain Dance]!"

Goodra, having shaken off some of the blast’s effects, began to sway its body rhythmically.

Dark clouds gathered overhead.

A light drizzle began to fall from the sky.

[Rain Dance? I don’t get it.]

[Isn’t that just giving Gyarados, a Water-type, an advantage?]

[Wait… could Goodra’s ability be—?]

Raindrops splattered on Goodra’s body, dampening its skin, which had started to dry from the earlier clash.

Its mucus glands became more active, and the small abrasions caused by the explosion visibly began to fade.

It didn’t recover stamina, but the wounds were healing.

"If I’m not mistaken... [Hydration]?" August mused aloud.

Raihan wasn’t surprised August had figured it out. Goodra might be a pseudo-legendary, but it wasn’t obscure. If August couldn’t recognize something this basic, he wouldn’t have made it this far.

Goodra closed its eyes.

Just a few seconds later, it opened them again—its aura restored to peak condition.

[Hydration], Goodra’s ability, cured all status conditions during rain.

And if a Pokémon used [Rest] under rain, [Hydration] would instantly purge sleep—allowing a full heal with no downtime.

"So that’s your plan..."

August couldn’t help but nod in appreciation.

If Raihan could keep the rain going, and manage the timing of [Rest], Goodra could theoretically sustain itself indefinitely—endless healing on a loop.

Now that he understood Goodra’s strategy and had satisfied his curiosity, August signaled to Gyarados—it was time to stop spectating and start attacking.

August raised a hand. "Gyarados, [Scald]!"

Since Raihan had created the rainy battlefield, August was happy to make good use of it.

Gyarados let out a feral roar and fired a blast of scalding hot water.

Goodra tried to dodge, but Gyarados anticipated the movement and adjusted its aim midstream.

The water slammed into Goodra dead-on.

The burning temperature of [Scald] instantly sapped its energy, slowing its movements.

Raihan hadn’t expected Goodra to get hit.

But no matter—

"Goodra, [Muddy Water]!"

A surge of thick, murky water hurtled toward Gyarados.

As the dragon blocked the attack, Raihan’s eyes glinted. "Rainy days go best with thunder, don’t you think? [Thunder], now!"

A roar of electricity burst from Goodra’s body.

It surged upward into the clouds, lightning coiling like golden serpents across the stormy sky.

A moment later—crack!—a golden bolt came crashing down toward Gyarados.

Given its Water/Flying typing, Gyarados had a quadruple weakness to Electric moves.

Even with two layers of [Calm Mind] boosts from Eevee, a direct hit would knock it out instantly.

"Goodra’s going for [Thunder]! This could be disastrous for Gyarados!" the commentator exclaimed, his speech speeding up as tension skyrocketed. The crowd held its collective breath.

KRAK-A-BOOM!

Just as the bolt was about to strike—

A shimmering green barrier appeared around Gyarados.

[Protect]

BOOM!

The shield flickered violently under the force of the attack—but it held strong.

No cracks. No collapse. Gyarados had blocked it cleanly.

And August didn’t waste a second.

He raised his arm, revealing the [Key Stone] embedded in his wrist-mounted Mega Bracelet.

"Gyarados—[Mega Evolve]!"

The moment the words left his lips, rainbow-colored light engulfed Gyarados, forming a sphere around it.

A heartbeat later, the light burst apart.

Standing where Gyarados had been was a massive, torpedo-shaped creature, with a monstrous dorsal fin nearly the size of its body.

Mega Gyarados had arrived.

Its eyes gleamed with destructive instinct—pure, terrifying power.

Only when its gaze landed on August did its expression soften with obedience.

[Mega Evolution! He’s Mega Evolving Gyarados!]

[That thing looks terrifying—I feel like just looking at it might kill me!!]

[Terrifying? I think it looks awesome!]

The chat exploded in debate over whether Mega Gyarados was scary or cool.

On the field—

Goodra had begun charging up another [Thunder].

But Gyarados’s eyes flashed, and jets of water blasted from the nozzles along its sides, propelling it forward.

Its massive body rocketed to supersonic speed.

BOOM!

The shockwave of its acceleration echoed across the stadium as it closed the distance in a blink.

[Waterfall]

Goodra, still prepping [Thunder], was caught off guard.

The moment it realized what was happening, the surge of water was already upon it.

Panicking, it threw up a last-second [Protect].

WHAM!

Mega Gyarados crashed into the barrier, the force of the [Waterfall] grinding against the shield with a shriek of pressure.

Goodra and Gyarados locked eyes through the barrier.

---

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!