Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [340]

News that August’s very first Ultra Ball Tier match was against Sabrina spread quickly throughout the entire Kanto Division.

Everyone who heard couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.

Running into August in your first Ultra Ball match? That’s just plain bad luck.

Gary, in particular, wasted no time offering his thoughts, drawing from personal experience:

“Sabrina-sensei, there’s no shame in losing to August!”

Sabrina: ...

The match hasn’t even started yet, and you’re talking like I’ve already lost.

In that moment, she suddenly found herself understanding August a little better.

Gary really does need stricter training.

As for surrendering? Out of the question. She’d been preparing for this battle with August for a long time now!

...

Battle Pyramid

As one of the six facilities in Hoenn’s Battle Frontier, the Battle Pyramid was originally under the charge of the Frontier Brain known as "Pyramid King" Brandon.

However, with the World Championship underway, the facility had been temporarily repurposed to host Ultra Ball Tier matches.

Brandon himself had been invited to act as a guest commentator.

“Good morning, afternoon, and night~! Zapping your eyeballs with the power of the net—it’s your girl, Iono!” Iono swept into frame, sleeves flaring dramatically.

“You’re tuned into the only official online stream for this year’s World Championship—brought to you live from the Denden Platform, hosted by yours truly, Iono!”

Next to her, Brandon stood tall, noticeably more composed. “I’m Brandon, Frontier Brain of the Battle Pyramid.”

“We’ll be your commentators for today’s battle.”

The broadcast streamed across the globe via satellite networks.

And the moment Iono thought about how Pokémon fans from all over the world were watching her stream, her excitement skyrocketed.

Brandon, observing her calmness in front of the camera, finally understood why the higher-ups had picked a livestreamer like her for such a prestigious official role.

So it wasn’t just a case of idol-chasing.

Her energy and charisma—it was clearly what she was made for.

“There may be viewers who didn’t catch the pre-match coverage,” Iono said brightly. “So let me introduce our two trainers.”

“First up, the challenger! Ranked 91st in the Ultra Ball Tier, Saffron City Gym Trainer Sabrina! A master of Psychic-types and a psychic herself, she’s also known as the ‘Psychic Pretty Girl’!”

Above her head, her twin Magnemite spun excitedly. The latest holoprojector—sourced from the Flare Lab—projected a high-res battle clip of Sabrina beside her.

In the footage, Sabrina looked lazy and languid, casually flicking her hand to command Alakazam to wipe out her opponent with ease.

[Miss Sabrina!]
[Miss Sabrina all the way!]

The chat exploded with scrolling messages—proof that, as the Gym Leader of Saffron, Sabrina had a solid fanbase online.

Brandon chimed in: “Her opponent is August—guest of the opening ceremony, who used his Gardevoir to defeat Cynthia’s Garchomp.”

As he spoke, a hologram of August descending from the sky on Rayquaza lit up beside him.

The reaction in chat blew past anything seen during Sabrina’s intro.

[Every time I see this, I’m like—god-tier entrance.]
[He soloed the Champion like picking berries.]
[When’s he going to arrest Iono already?]

Iono: “…Huh?”

Who snuck that comment in?

While Iono and Brandon hyped up the match, August and Sabrina had already stepped onto the battlefield.

“You’re seriously going with a 3v3 format?” August raised an eyebrow.

He’d expected Sabrina to pick a quick 1v1 and be done with it. He hadn’t thought she’d actually opt for a real match.

But the determined look in her eyes left no room for doubt.

August sighed.

This is all Gary’s fault.

If Gary hadn’t said what he did and provoked her, this could’ve been a relaxed, friendly match. Now? Not so much.

So yes—Gary was entirely to blame.

In the stands, Gary—who had just advanced to Great Ball Tier and was watching during a break—suddenly sneezed.

Though the Ultra Ball Tier came with new rules, the matches were still officiated by Aerial Rotom.

After confirming the 3v3 format in the app and submitting their Pokémon lineup, August waved up to the hovering Rotom.

Rotom instantly kicked into gear.

[Match format confirmed: 3v3 battle!]
[Both trainers may switch Pokémon during the match. The first trainer to knock out all three of their opponent’s Pokémon will be declared the winner. Loto!]
[Both trainers are ready. Battle—begin!]

At the signal, August and Sabrina tossed their Poké Balls simultaneously.

In front of August, a dazzling Milotic emerged, its radiant form so mesmerizing it was impossible to look away.

From Sabrina’s side—

“Metagross!”

With a resounding metallic clang, the massive Metagross landed, legs planted firmly on the field.

Seeing it, August blinked in surprise. Isn’t that the same Beldum she picked up from the Hoenn League after the crisis?

He hadn’t seen her use it before and assumed she’d never trained it.

So she’d secretly raised it into a fully evolved Metagross without telling anyone?

August’s brief surprise didn’t escape Sabrina’s notice. She smiled, brushing her hair behind her ear with a graceful hand.

“Ever since I joined the International Police, I haven’t slacked off at all~”

“Metaaa!”

Metagross roared in sync with her.

But instead of reacting with shock, August’s face twisted into something else entirely—

“You said we’d slack off together—and here you are grinding in secret…!”

He looked heartbroken.

Sabrina: ...Please stop. People are watching.

August seemed to remember the livestream too, and quickly composed himself.

The battle began in earnest.

Without waiting for a command, Milotic launched the first attack.

With a flick of its tail, it summoned an [Aqua Ring] around itself, then raised its head and unleashed a pulse of shimmering water charged with rippling psychic energy.

[Water Pulse]

Brandon narrated, “August’s Milotic makes the first move! You can see how smoothly it transitions from [Aqua Ring] to [Water Pulse]—that kind of execution comes from extensive battle experience!”

Of course it does, August thought.

Milotic had survived the Groudon and Kyogre disaster, after all.

As that memory flashed across his mind, [Water Pulse] struck forward toward Metagross.

But neither Sabrina nor Metagross panicked.

“[Light Screen].”

A shimmering barrier of psychic energy appeared before Metagross, absorbing the blast. Water splashed everywhere, but Metagross gave Milotic no room to follow up.

Next—

“Metagross, [Magnet Rise]!”

Electric arcs crackled across its body as the massive steel Pokémon suddenly lifted into the air—rising with a speed far beyond what its size suggested.

Most Metagross, even with [Magnet Rise], weren’t this agile.

So the truth could only be—

“[Light Metal]?”

The [Light Metal] ability halves a Pokémon’s weight, making even Metagross unexpectedly nimble.

When it suddenly lunged toward Milotic—

August didn’t flinch.

A sneak attack?

He’d seen it coming.

“Milotic, [Surf]!”

Milotic's tail swept out.

A massive wave rose behind it, surging forward to crash into the oncoming Metagross.

SPLASH!

The wave slammed toward the airborne Metagross, who quickly pulled up to evade it.

But the higher it flew, the greater the strain.

After dodging the first wave, it immediately dropped back to normal altitude.

Which was when—

“[Hydro Pump]!”

A jet of water, thick as a firehose, shot upward.

Metagross, still adjusting its height, couldn’t gain enough lift in time.

Sabrina called out calmly, “Metagross, [Metal Claw]!”

In the blink of an eye, Metagross’s eyes flashed blue. Its four brains, like synchronized supercomputers, analyzed the incoming [Hydro Pump]—

Angle. Trajectory. Weak point…

It raised one glowing claw in perfect defense.

CLANG!

The white flash of [Metal Claw] split the [Hydro Pump] into a shimmering spray of harmless droplets.

But that didn’t mean Metagross escaped unscathed.

The initial impact sent it drifting backward through the air by over ten meters, and water now coated its entire frame.

And that was when August made his next move.

“[Icy Wind]!”

Iono gasped. “An Ice-type move? Against a Steel-type?”

Ice was notoriously ineffective against Steel. Did August have a strategy?

Of course he did.

Before she finished speaking, Milotic unleashed a frigid gale.

The cold swept across the soaked battlefield—and over the drenched Metagross.

CRACK!

The combination of water and cold caused frost to form instantly, encasing Metagross’s limbs and joints.

Icy Wind didn’t deal much damage—but that wasn’t the point.

What mattered was the thin layer of ice now hindering Metagross’s movement, especially around its spherical joints. Its once-fluid flight became stiff and sluggish.

“That your tactic?” Sabrina asked.

“Guess and find out,” August replied. “Milotic, [Muddy Water]!”

Milotic’s tail stirred, summoning a torrent of murky, silt-laden water that crashed over Metagross.

It struck head-on, splattering mud everywhere—and blinding its vision.

Restricted movement. Obstructed sight…

It looked like Metagross was completely at August’s mercy.

Yet on the sidelines, Brandon noticed something odd—Sabrina wasn’t showing the slightest sign of worry.

“Sabrina doesn’t look concerned at all… Could it be she’s still holding something back?”

She was.

As a psychic herself, she hadn’t yet used any of her signature Psychic-type tactics.

Sabrina raised her hand. “Metagross, [Psychic]!”

A blue light flared in Metagross’s eyes as a tremendous psychic wave burst outward, shredding everything in its path.

The ice. The mud. Every single hindrance vanished under the raw force of [Psychic].

Spectators gaped in awe.

So this is the power of a Psychic-type Pokémon…

The wave surged forward—unstoppable.

Milotic had no time to dodge. It was struck, knocked off balance, and thrown across the icy field.

It hit the ground hard, shards of ice scattering everywhere.

Her pained expression stirred a strange protective instinct in the hearts of the audience.

If it were any other male Pokémon, Milotic’s beauty might have stunned them into inaction.

But against Metagross?

It may as well have been batting its lashes at a wall.

With four supercomputer-like brains, Metagross was entirely immune to such charm.

Its claws glowed again as it charged.

“Wait… is Sabrina actually going to win?” Gary whispered, stunned.

He began nervously wondering if he’d been too loud when teasing her earlier.

But at that moment, Milotic’s delicate eyes narrowed—and her expression shifted.

Suddenly, a strange glint flashed across her face. Twin beams of shimmering light shot from her eyes, striking Metagross squarely in its line of sight.

[Confuse Ray]. A Ghost-type move that induces confusion.

The good news: Metagross had four brains. The attack only scrambled one.

The bad news: Metagross had four interconnected brains.

The moment one brain went haywire, its conflicting commands interfered with the others.

In mid-air, one of Metagross’s arms twitched—and swung around to smack itself in the face.

CLANG!

The crash of steel-on-steel echoed across the arena.

Sparks flew.

Metagross tumbled sideways and slammed face-first into the icy ground—sliding over ten meters across the battlefield.

---

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!