Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [347]

Paldea

Unlike the matches at the Battle Frontier, this time, the tournament organizers didn’t assign a fixed venue or time for the battle. In fact, the notes section explicitly said: “Coordinate with Larry to decide the battle location.”

August figured this had something to do with Larry’s day job.

After all, as an employee of the League’s Revenue Division, Larry was notoriously busy. You never knew when work might pull him away.

August had no objections to that.

Most viewers would be watching via livestream anyway. Few would be present in person.

...

Evening – Medali Town, Treasure Eatery

“I asked one of my contacts in the League—she said Larry’s been pulling late nights lately. That means if we wait here tonight, we’re guaranteed to run into him!” Iono pulled out a chair and sat down, then cheerfully called out, “Boss! Two grilled rice balls!”

She turned to August. “The rice balls here are incredible.”

“It’s been a while, Iono… Weren’t you commentating for the World Championships?” the restaurant owner asked.

“I am working right now!” Iono accepted the tea the owner handed over, her hand hidden in her sleeve as she cradled the cup—an unintentionally adorable gesture.

The owner didn’t quite get it, but didn’t pry further. Instead, he turned to August and asked Iono, “So… is this your boyfriend?”

Pffft!

Iono spat out her tea in a fine spray.

“Cough, cough—what?! Of course not!”

Why would anyone assume that August is my boyfriend?!

“Well, this is the first time you’ve come in alone with a guy,” the owner said, stroking his chin.

“I know you streamers can’t go public with relationships. Don’t worry, I’m great at keeping secrets—I won’t say a word!” He patted his chest solemnly.

Iono was on the verge of a breakdown.

That’s not the point! This wasn’t about secrets—she and August weren’t like that!

August was honestly tempted to see how Iono would react if he did admit it, but considering she’d only just recovered from fainting earlier…

Better not push it.

“We’re just friends,” August told the owner. “We’re here for work, that’s all.”

“Uh-huh.”

The owner gave him a knowing nod. “Don’t worry. If any reporters come sniffing around, I’ll vouch for you two!”

Iono: “…..”

You don’t get it at all, do you?!

But from the look in his eyes, no matter what she said, the owner wasn’t going to believe otherwise.

So Iono gave up. Whatever. Once I start commentating their match, the truth will be obvious.

That didn’t mean she wasn’t irritated, though.

She chomped down hard on her rice ball, puffing her cheeks out like a hamster.

But the rice ball was fresh off the grill—too hot to swallow—so she started puffing little breaths, cheeks still bulging.

Click.

August lowered his phone. File name: hamster_iono.gif.

Iono: “Mmph!!”

The owner caught that little moment too.

Owner: —_—

And you’re still saying you’re just friends?!

To be fair, the Treasure Eatery lived up to its reputation—good enough that Larry would drag himself here even after late-night overtime.

Even something as simple as a grilled rice ball was ridiculously tasty.

Just as August was about to eat the last one—

“Mew!”

The rice ball flew from his hand, disappeared midair.

“…Didn’t you just eat dinner?” August muttered. “Why are you stealing my rice ball?”

“Nyah-nyah~”

He couldn’t see Mew, but the teasing tone made it clear—it was sticking out its tongue.

…That’s definitely a challenge.

Unforgivable.

Just as August lunged forward to grab Mew and give it a firm head rub—

Heavy, dragging footsteps echoed from behind.

A sluggish voice followed. “One grilled rice ball… and a fried egg, please…”

August turned around.

A middle-aged man stood there in a wrinkled suit, carrying a briefcase. Faint shadows hung under his eyes, his whole vibe one of total burnout.

“Larry, burning the midnight oil again?” the owner chuckled.

“Quarterly reviews… the pressure’s killing me,” Larry sighed, scanning for an empty seat.

Then he spotted Iono and August.

“Iono?” Confusion flickered across his exhausted face. “Aren’t you doing commentary for the World Championships? What are you doing here?”

“Huh? You didn’t know?” Iono tilted her head. “I’m here to commentate your match with August!”

That surprised her.

Larry should have gotten the official notice from the tournament organizers. Why did he look completely in the dark?

Larry blinked. Thinking back, he had received some kind of message like that…

But at the time, he’d been suffocating under his work pile and promptly shoved it out of his mind.

Now that Iono brought it up, it came flooding back.

He pulled out his phone, found the email, then looked at August. “You’re August? I’m Larry—Gym Leader of Medali.”

“Sorry, just saw the notice. But if it’s time to battle, I’m ready…”

August looked him up and down. With those eye bags, he half-worried Larry might drop dead mid-match.

“…You should eat first,” August said. “No rush.”

He meant it.

Larry opened his mouth to argue, but Iono beat him to it. “Larry, just listen to him!”

She looked just as worried.

With both of them insisting, Larry finally relented, found a seat, and let himself sag into the chair, setting his briefcase beside him and leaning back to rest.

Watching him, August turned to Iono. “Is the Paldea League always this brutal?”

He’d thought Lance drowning in paperwork as the Johto Champion was already the upper limit of work stress in the Pokémon world.

But Larry was on another level.

Iono nodded solemnly. “Larry wears three hats—Gym Leader, League Revenue staffer, and one of Paldea’s Elite Four…”

Honestly, she thought Geeta was pushing it—dumping everything on one guy.

Of course, she’d never say that out loud. Not unless she wanted to be blacklisted.

While they chatted, Larry quietly finished his meal.

“Thanks for the food.”

Looking somewhat revived, he stood and approached August and Iono. “I’m all fueled up. Let’s get this battle started…”

With that, the tatami floor in the center of the restaurant split open, revealing the battle stage beneath.

August didn’t move yet. “Just curious, Larry—you seem like someone who hates hassle. Why’d you sign up for something as messy as the World Championships?”

Usually someone like that would never volunteer for such a chaotic, time-consuming tournament.

Larry sighed. “My boss said if I reached Ultra Ball rank, I’d get a month of paid vacation…”

And now he regretted it. That tempting offer had been a trap from the higher-ups, and he’d walked right into it.

“No more small talk… I still need to finish my end-of-month reports tomorrow. Let’s get this over with.”

With that, he took his position on one end of the battlefield.

August stepped to the other.

Iono, now in full commentator mode, released her Drone Rotom and launched the stream.

“Morning, noon, or night, it’s time to plug in! Welcome back to Iono Zone LIVE~!”

“It’s been a while, huh? I bet you’re all wondering what I’ve been up to!”

“Sharp-eyed viewers might’ve noticed—I’m at the Treasure Eatery in Medali, Paldea!”

“As the official World Championship commentator, I’ll be bringing you a high-level Ultra Ball-tier match!”

She stepped aside, bringing both trainers into frame.

“On one side: Larry, Gym Leader of Medali! And on the other, someone you all know—August!”

[Another Gym Leader? Do the organizers not realize August is a Gym Leader slayer?]

[It’s really Larry? I mean, sure, he’s a Normal-type Gym Leader, but he’s also secretly Paldea’s Flying-type Elite Four!]

[Elite Four? That guy looks like a regular salaryman—one who’s been wrung dry.]

Chat exploded.

Larry’s vibe clearly wasn’t selling his status.

But none of the banter fazed the two trainers on the field, both now ready to battle.

“Championship battles are such a pain…” Larry muttered, “but if I phone it in, my boss will yell at me. So I’ll give it my all. Pleased to meet you.”

The words were fine, but his deadpan delivery stripped them of any conviction.

August smiled. “Glad to hear it. I didn’t come all this way to Paldea for a boring fight.”

[Both trainers have agreed to a 3-on-3 format!]

[Victory goes to the trainer who knocks out all of the opponent’s Pokémon. Rotom, ready when you are.]

[Trainers, raise your hands when ready!]

August and Larry raised their hands in turn.

Iono worked the chat: “Place your bets, folks! What Pokémon do you think August will lead with?”

[Milotic! I need to see Milotic fight! If I don’t, I’m gonna die!]

[Milotic fans chill—Gengar’s the GOAT.]

[Please. Mega Slowbro solos your whole team.]

While Iono rode the hype wave, August basked in the attention. The audience, however, had their chat overwhelmed by meme wars.

BANG.

Two Poké Balls burst open.

Larry’s pick: Staraptor. Sharp-eyed, alert, brimming with energy—a stark contrast to its visibly drained trainer.

August’s light faded more slowly, revealing a hulking figure.

[Snorlax! He actually sent out Snorlax!]

[Is no one gonna talk about how huge this Snorlax is?! I’ve got a life-size Snorlax plush at home, and this one’s like twice as big!]

[You feed a Snorlax this well and raise it that strong… August, you got room for a humanoid Pokémon on your team? I’m available.]

The chat was stunned.

Iono, watching with a knowing grin, felt a twinge of pride. She’d seen this Snorlax back at the Battle Frontier.

But the ones most impacted were Larry and Staraptor.

As a Normal-type specialist, Larry knew Snorlax inside and out.

There’s no way a standard Snorlax reaches that size.

And it didn’t even flinch under Staraptor’s Intimidate. It just stood there lazily, scanning the room.

“…Could it be a Titan Pokémon?” Larry wondered aloud.

But the size wasn’t quite Titan-level either.

Unable to figure it out, he shelved the thought and focused on the battle.

Staraptor met his gaze, understanding immediately. Its eyes sharpened, locking onto Snorlax with new intensity.

Meanwhile…

Snorlax sniffed the air, eyes scanning for food.

August suddenly remembered—they were battling in a restaurant.

He winced.

This could be bad…

He wasn’t worried about losing.

He was worried Snorlax might get hungry mid-battle and demolish the entire restaurant in a food-fueled frenzy.

And yes, his Noble Snorlax absolutely had that capability.

The chat picked up on it too.

[Snorlax enters restaurant.]

[Owner looks terrified.]

[Who wouldn’t be?]

The owner, gripping his ladle, had hands visibly trembling.

August quickly reached out with telepathy—using the hidden Mew on his shoulder to calm Snorlax down.

As Snorlax relaxed, the owner also breathed easier.

Some viewers were disappointed—they’d hoped to see Snorlax rampage through the kitchen—but the tension of the battle soon drew their attention back.

The two Pokémon stared each other down, one at each end of the field.

An uneasy silence settled over the arena, as they searched for an opening.

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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!