Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [338]

The rules for Great Ball Tier weren’t any different from those of Poké Ball Tier.

But the trainers’ mindset—now that was a whole other level.

Take August’s current opponent, for example. The moment he saw who he was up against, sweat broke out on his forehead. But even so, he didn’t surrender. He stood his ground.

[This battle will be officiated by World Championship Official Aerial Rotom No. 672. To ensure a fair, open, and impartial match environment, the entire battle will be recorded, audio and video. Loto!]

[Both trainers, please signal when ready. Loto!]

The Rotom floating in the sky made its formal announcement.

August’s opponent was visibly tense but still gritted his teeth and raised his hand.

August glanced over at Iono.

She gave an OK gesture alongside her Bellibolt, who was hoisting the camera rig.

Seeing that, August raised his hand as well.

[Both trainers are ready. This will be a 1v1 match. Please send out your Pokémon. Loto!]

At the cue, both trainers threw their Poké Balls simultaneously.

Bang!

August’s opponent sent out a Manectric.

Its sleek blue body, golden mane, and fierce gaze radiated power.

In contrast…

The Psyduck in front of August scratched its head in a daze, looking more like a confused wild Pokémon that wandered onto the field than a trained battler.

The moment Psyduck appeared, everyone went silent.

Even Iono’s livestream chat exploded with question marks and disbelief.

[??? Did I see that right? Psyduck? Does Psyduck even have combat potential?]
[That’s not fair. Technically, Psyduck does have potential. I read an article saying Psyduck can unleash powerful psychic energy when it’s in extreme pain.]
[But this Psyduck doesn’t look like it’s in pain…]

Iono stared at the chat, her own thoughts aligned with theirs.

She didn’t know much about Psyduck, but as a former Electric-type Gym Trainer, she did know Manectric well—she used to discuss training with Wattson, who had a Manectric as his ace.

Manectric is a Pokémon that thrives under stormy skies, channeling electricity through its golden mane. The condition of its mane—gloss and volume—was a reliable indicator of its battle strength.

The one on the field right now had a mane that, while not as thick as Wattson’s Manectric, still shone with a well-groomed luster. Clearly, it had been raised with care.

Then there was August’s Psyduck... scratching its head with a blank look on its face, radiating an innocent stupidity that made it seem completely out of place.

Is August underestimating his opponent?

That thought crossed Iono’s mind—and the same thought was clearly bothering the opposing trainer.

Does he think he can beat me with just a Psyduck?!

He was a little annoyed, but even more thrilled. It felt like a rare jackpot had just fallen into his lap.

The moment the Aerial Rotom declared the battle started, he launched his opening move.

“Manectric, [Quick Attack]!”

Any trainer who made it to Great Ball Tier had long outgrown the rookie stage.

Even excited, he didn’t let his guard down. He led with the fastest move in his Pokémon’s arsenal to seize momentum.

Electric sparks flared from Manectric’s mane, surging through its body—

Fwoosh!

Like a bolt of lightning, it launched straight at Psyduck.

Bang!

It landed squarely—hitting Psyduck dead-on.

Was I being overly cautious?
Maybe August really is just being cocky.

The opposing trainer froze, watching Psyduck slump to the ground. He instinctively turned toward August, expecting to see frustration on his face.

But August was still smiling.

Wait—what?

An ominous feeling crept in as the trainer turned back to the battlefield.

Sure enough, something was off.

Psyduck’s three head feathers twitched. It got up as if nothing had happened—completely unfazed.

Meanwhile, Manectric’s front paw trembled slightly, like it had struck something unnaturally hard.

“Impossible! My Manectric is—!”

He stopped mid-sentence.

He suddenly remembered: his Manectric was his ace, carefully raised over time. So would August really toss out a random wild Psyduck for an official battle?

No way.

Still, he clung to hope.

No matter what, Psyduck is still just a Psyduck—and weak to Electric-types.

That [Quick Attack] didn’t work, but the advantage is still mine!

He raised his hand sharply. “Manectric, [Shock Wave]!”

“Psyduck, [Brick Break].”

The two commands rang out simultaneously—from August and his opponent.

Electricity crackled along Manectric’s mane as it prepared to launch a [Shock Wave].

But Psyduck’s brow furrowed—

Everyone watching saw only a flash of white.

And then the battlefield came back into view.

Psyduck, once in front of Manectric, was now behind it.

“Manectric?” the trainer called out uncertainly.

Right as he spoke, Manectric’s body wobbled…

Thud.

It collapsed.

Fainted.

Psyduck gave a little shiver, its three head feathers trembling.

“Kwa~!”

August understood exactly what it said.

So tingly…

Manectric’s [Static] ability had paralyzed it.

Iono’s livestream fell into eerie silence.

Then, all at once, the chat exploded:

[Did anyone get a recording?! What just happened?!]
[Brick Break?! Can a Psyduck’s Brick Break even do that?!]
[Manectric, get up!!]

After confirming Manectric was down for the count, the Aerial Rotom made its announcement.

[Manectric is unable to battle. Psyduck wins. August wins!]
[Congratulations to Trainer August on your victory and ranking increase. Loto!]

The opposing trainer looked up at August and asked the question that had consumed everyone watching:

“…Why is your Psyduck so strong?”

August blinked. “Strong? I think it’s... okay.”

Sabrina, just returning with a tub of popcorn, watched August’s smug expression and muttered,

“…Unbelievable.”

Watching August show off stung even more than the time he hypnotized her into submission.

After the battle, with the opposing trainer having left in a daze, Iono approached Psyduck curiously.

Even having witnessed it knock out a Manectric, she still couldn’t pinpoint what made it so powerful.

As if sensing her gaze, Psyduck blinked and waddled over.

Then it extended a hand.

“Eh? You want to shake hands with me?” Iono asked, surprised.

She was used to being popular with Pokémon—but this was the first time one had initiated a handshake.

She reached out.

August, just finishing checking his ranking on the app, looked up and shouted, “Wait—!”

Too late. Their hands met.

“Kwa~!”

[Static] jolted through Iono’s body like a lightning rod. She trembled violently.

“So... tingly...!”

She felt like she was about to be electrocuted into a crispy little Magikarp.

Eventually, August handed each of them an anti-paralysis Pokéblock. Only then did both Iono and Psyduck recover.

[Recording saved. Link in chat—get it yourself.]
[Iono may not be the sharpest bulb in the room...]
[LMAO first time I’ve seen a trainer tricked by a Psyduck.]

Iono blushed furiously as the chat teased her, muttering that it was a one-time fluke and it wouldn’t happen again.

August glanced down at the innocent-faced Psyduck blinking up at him.

Sigh... What a fine Psyduck it used to be. Now it’s been corrupted by that damn Slowpoke!

Terrible influence. Absolutely terrible.

Far away, on a beach behind the villa, Slowpoke sneezed.

It warily lifted its head, looked around—and, seeing only a Crawdaunt chasing a Spheal nearby and no sign of August—relaxed and went back to its sunbathing.

That afternoon, August went on to match with three more trainers.

He used a different Pokémon each time: Lapras, Wingull, even Togepi.

Though he won all three matches, the one with Togepi came dangerously close to a loss. In the end, he pulled through thanks to Togepi’s maxed-out luck and August’s precise, hands-on command, dodging the opponent’s [Razor Leaf] by inches.

Each battle was intense and full of surprises, sending Iono’s stream into a frenzy of excitement.

When she asked afterward why August didn’t just use his main team, he sighed and said:

“Because of work, I often can’t spend much time with them. But I can tell—they want to fight. So I figured I’d use this chance to let them join a few matches and fulfill their wish.”

Sabrina: “…”

If she didn’t know better, she might’ve believed him.

But Lapras was always cuddling with its parents, Wingull was obsessed with stealing fries, and Togepi spent its days gambling with Gold’s Togetic in the base.

And yet Iono didn’t know that. She earnestly took notes, already planning to include that touching sentiment in the documentary.

...

Back at the villa.

As soon as they stepped inside, August saw Gary, practically glowing with pride as he talked to Pearl and Diamond.

“I’m telling you, I just sent out Nidoking and the other trainer immediately forfeited! Didn't even fight!”

“I’m ranked 1,108 now. Tomorrow—I’m hitting Great Ball Tier for sure!”

Diamond: “That’s amazing, Gary-senpai!”

Pearl nodded in agreement.

Among non-cheaters, the fastest known promotion speed was still Leon’s one-day advance.

Gary was nearly on pace with him.

Basking in their admiration, Gary turned to August and grinned. “How’s that, August? Not bad, right?”

“Very solid,” August said sincerely.

For once, there was no teasing in his tone. Reaching that level in a single day was truly impressive.

All that training had paid off.

Gary’s ego soared from the praise. “So what rank are you now?”

“Me? Ah... not that high,” August replied vaguely.

Gary perked up.

Could it be... August hasn’t gotten as far? Is that why he’s brushing it off?

The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

His curiosity burning, Gary pressed, “C’mon, just tell me—I promise I won’t laugh.”

“Alright then...” August sighed, clearly reluctant. He really didn’t want to do this, but Gary had asked for it.

He opened the app and showed him.

Great Ball Tier. Rank 173.

August sighed again. “Still too slow… If I hadn’t spent time training Wingull and Togepi, I’d be in Ultra Ball Tier by now.”

Gary: “…”

He felt like something was crawling all over him. Something smug. Something August-shaped.

He came to laugh at August—and ended up as the joke himself.

“Whoa, August, you’re back already? I just made it into Great Ball Tier today!” Gold entered the villa with a fishing rod slung over his back and his Aipom by his side—his announcement landing like a hammer blow on Gary.

“I’m almost there too,” Silver added, dragging in two unconscious trainers. “These Rocket grunts were tailing me. Caught ’em myself.”

“I tried questioning them, but they’re tight-lipped. Didn’t give up anything.”

Blue and Zinnia returned soon after, chatting about their day with Cynthia. Despite spending hours shopping, they had also reached ranks 1,600 and 1,300 respectively.

Wave after wave of psychological damage.

Gary was officially speechless.

I’m done. Emotionally done.

He just wanted to go to his room and lie down. Quietly. Alone.

---

T/N: gary never learns

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!