Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [348]

As soon as the battle began, August could clearly sense that Larry was taking things more seriously than before.

Which, considering how apathetic Larry normally appeared, was nothing short of miraculous.

Wait… could World Championship rankings count toward League KPIs in Paldea?

While that thought drifted through August’s head, the Staraptor on the field finally launched its offensive.

As a Flying/Normal-type Pokémon, Staraptor demonstrated the characteristic agility of its kind, circling around Snorlax, seeking an opening.

Snorlax, meanwhile, was growing dizzy just trying to keep up with the spinning blur.

And then, seizing the opening—

“Staraptor, use [Air Slash],” Larry commanded.

“Staaaar!”

Staraptor flared its wings and released a volley of shimmering blades of compressed air, slicing toward Snorlax from above.

By the time Snorlax registered the threat, the attack was already upon it.

“Snorrr!”

BOOM BOOM BOOM—

The [Air Slashes] exploded against Snorlax and the surrounding battlefield, throwing up a thick cloud of dust and smoke.

“August’s Snorlax has been hit! Looks like it’s having trouble keeping up with Staraptor’s speed and agility,” Iono narrated, watching closely.

Staraptor flapped its wings hard, scattering the dust to reveal its handiwork—

Only to unveil a completely unharmed Snorlax.

Snorlax blinked, scratched its head, and looked around in confusion.

It didn’t look like it had been hurt at all.

The chat exploded with laughter.

[Bruh…]
[LOL. Snorlax didn’t even feel that.]
[Iono, are you jinxing August on purpose?]

Staraptor, seeing that expression, felt thoroughly ignored.

Still, instead of getting frustrated, it stayed calm.

Work ethic of a salarymon: stay composed, no matter what.

Recognizing that Snorlax’s special defense was simply too high to crack, Larry quickly changed tactics.

He gestured silently, and Staraptor’s eyes gleamed in understanding.

It suddenly tucked its wings in and dove like a bolt of lightning toward Snorlax’s back.

[Quick Attack]

In a blink, Staraptor struck, claws raking across Snorlax’s back and leaving a shallow scratch.

Unlike its special defense, Snorlax’s physical defense was a weak spot.

The damage wasn’t massive, but this time, Snorlax did look slightly annoyed.

It growled, eyes flashing red, and swung a fist over its shoulder in retaliation.

[Giga Impact], glowing bright white, roared through the air toward Staraptor.

But Staraptor beat its wings once and nimbly evaded the punch.

That’s it?

It had just been about to mock Snorlax when—

BOOM!

Snorlax’s missed punch slammed into the floor, shaking the entire restaurant.

The tiles cracked and split outward from the impact, jagged fissures rippling across the battlefield.

Shrapnel from the shattered ground nicked Staraptor’s wings, forcing it to cry out and flap frantically to gain altitude and avoid further debris.

From above, it stared down at the rising Snorlax, clearly rattled.

The viewers were no less stunned.

[Wait. Is this real?!]
[I’m not even joking, that punch might’ve killed me.]
[Might? It definitely would! Even ten Ionos wouldn’t survive that hit!]

Watching the chaos unfold, Iono blinked at the chat.

Why is everyone dragging me into this?

And… how did they know what I was thinking when I first saw that Snorlax?!

But while Iono was merely worried—

The restaurant owner was legitimately terrified.

It’s happening. My worst fears are coming true!

He looked pleadingly at August, eyes begging for mercy.

August cleared his throat, a little awkwardly. “Ahem… Snorlax, this is just a friendly match. You don’t need to go all out.”

“Snor?”

Snorlax tilted its head. It didn’t fully understand, but if its meal ticket said so, it would behave.

Snorlax pulled back, its power subdued—but even then, Staraptor, having seen what it was capable of, stayed high in the air, unwilling to risk another close-range encounter.

Larry sighed.

He got it. He really did.

When just one punch from the enemy could potentially be lethal, no amount of training could calm your nerves.

Even with Snorlax holding back—what if it slipped?

Staraptor was now officially intimidated, and August wasn't about to waste that opportunity.

Using telepathy through the hidden Mew on his shoulder, he gave Snorlax its next command.

Snorlax suddenly plopped onto the ground, arms curled in tightly to its chest, adopting an odd pose.

“…What’s it doing?” Iono blinked.

Her experience wasn’t deep enough to identify the move—it was clearly some sort of stat buff, but which one?

Fortunately, there was a Normal-type expert present.

“That’s… [Amnesia]!” Larry called out.

[Amnesia]: a move that boosts both defense and special defense. If he didn’t interrupt it now, his chances would drop drastically.

“Staraptor, stop it now!”

Staraptor turned sharply at his command and dove toward Snorlax, wings swept back and claws bared.

It flipped midair—[Acrobatics]. A hit-and-run tactic, quick and precise.

But just as its claws were about to strike—

Snorlax raised its head, eyes sparkling with an innocent grin.

Snorlax: ???

[Amnesia]? Fake.
It was [Belly Drum].

Snorlax clapped its belly hard.

Its aura exploded outward.

[Belly Drum]—trading half its HP to max out its attack stat.

Staraptor’s feathers stood on end. It turned, but too late—

A giant paw seized its wing.

Electric arcs flickered across Snorlax’s free fist.

[Thunder Punch]

The last thing Staraptor heard was August softly saying, “Go easy.”

Then—BOOM.

Pain. Tingling shock. Everything went black.

Snorlax gently lowered the unconscious Staraptor to the ground.

“Snorrr…”

The chat lost it.

[He’s too soft…]
[I hereby declare this the gentlest Snorlax in the world.]
[He’s too kind. I’m crying.]

“…Come back, Staraptor.” Larry sighed, withdrawing his Pokémon.

He stared at the powerhouse across from him, the headache mounting.

It’s like staying up until 2 AM to work, only to wake up at 6 AM for another shift…

“What a headache…”

He hesitated for a long moment before choosing his next Pokémon.

“Espathra… this one’s going to be tough.”

He tossed his next Poké Ball.

Out came a tall, pink flamingo Pokémon balanced on one leg, its long neck tied in a loop at the base.

Espathra.

Larry didn’t choose it just for the Fighting typing.

Nor just because it was his strongest Pokémon.

It was because this Espathra had the [Scrappy] ability.

Normally, [Scrappy] lets Normal and Fighting moves hit Ghost-types—but in this case, it had a bonus side effect:

His Espathra didn’t scare easily.

It wouldn’t be intimidated by Snorlax.

Iono gasped. “Larry’s sent out Espathra—his ace! That tells us just how much pressure he’s under right now!”

“For those unfamiliar, time for a mini Iono Classroom segment!”

“Espathra is a Paldean Pokémon species. They often move in flocks. See that knot at the base of its neck? That’s not an injury—it’s how they store excess internal energy!”

[Oh man, Espathra. I had a run-in once. Picked up a feather off the ground near a pond and got chased by a whole flock all day.]

[Wait. Just from one feather? Where’d you even pick it from?]

[Off one’s butt.]

“….”

Iono stared at her chat.

Her audience was filled with strange, strange people.

Meanwhile, the battle resumed.

Having maxed out its attack, Snorlax was no longer playing defense.

It charged straight at Espathra, each step making the floor quake.

Thank Arceus it was nighttime. If the place were full of customers, there’d be a riot.

Espathra, directly in Snorlax’s path, felt the sheer impact up close.

But true to Larry’s expectations—it didn’t flinch.

It charged forward.

Espathra leapt with a flap of its wings and landed directly in front of Snorlax.

[Low Kick]

A move that trips the opponent for damage—the heavier the foe, the more it hurts.

And with Snorlax’s weight…

August’s hand shot up. “Snorlax—roll! [Heavy Slam]”

You wanna trip Snorlax’s leg? Good luck hitting it!

Snorlax instantly curled into a ball and rolled at Espathra like a wrecking ball.

Espathra yelped, flapping hard to dodge upward.

Crisis averted—but Snorlax’s charge, if it went too far, could wreck the restaurant.

It ground to a halt just at the edge of the field.

The restaurant owner wiped the sweat from his forehead, visibly relieved.

The match wasn’t even thirty minutes in, and he’d already gone through five towels.

This is too much. My heart can’t take it.

But Espathra wasn’t done.

It dove in as Snorlax slowed, aiming to strike during its recovery.

[Double Kick]

Two sharp kicks to the back—Snorlax stumbled.

Electric sparks flared again on Snorlax’s fist as it swung back.

Espathra flipped away just in time.

It smirked, wings slicing out a [Air Slash]—a precise cut of compressed wind.

The damage wasn’t massive, but after [Belly Drum] and multiple hits, Snorlax was definitely feeling it.

Iono’s voice turned tense. “Espathra is using its speed and agility to relentlessly pressure Snorlax—and Snorlax can’t seem to land a clean hit. Things are looking grim for August!”

As a fellow Gym Trainer, Iono should have been rooting for Larry.

But for some reason… she found herself worrying about August instead.

On the field, August heard her and glanced back with a smile.

Then Iono—and all her viewers—watched as Snorlax scratched itself and casually pulled out a Pokéblock made from a Mago Berry.

And popped it in its mouth.

August had crafted those himself—standard berries didn’t work on Snorlax. They were barely enough to get stuck between its teeth.

So he made Pokéblocks specifically to restore Snorlax’s stamina.

He’d even double-checked the tournament rules. No violations.

The moment it swallowed the cube, Snorlax perked right up, eyes shining, expression satisfied.

“…This is exhausting,” Larry muttered, massaging his temples.

After all that effort weakening Snorlax, it was back to full strength.

Still, he had no choice but to keep pressing, commanding Espathra to wear it down with nimble tactics.

But August had had enough.

“Snorlax—[Hammer Arm]!”

Snorlax surged forward, fists raised, charging like a runaway train.

At first, Larry didn’t panic.

Snorlax was slow, Espathra was nimble—it should be easy to dodge.

And just as Espathra slipped to the side, ready to strike—

August smirked.

“Snorlax—[Belch]!”

[Belch]? Larry blinked.

Snorlax twisted its neck, looked Espathra dead in the eyes…

And opened its mouth.

“BUUUURRRRP—!”

A thunderous belch erupted, filled with the smell of recently digested Pokéblocks.

The shockwave hit Espathra point blank.

Its mind went blank.

Nothing but static.

---

T/N: EWWWWWWWW

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!