Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [334]

Cynthia had faced August’s Gardevoir before, back on the Indigo Plateau. She knew its capabilities all too well.

The moment Gardevoir’s eyes lit up with a soft blue glow, Cynthia realized it was tracking Garchomp’s position underground.

Gardevoir couldn’t use [Earthquake], so it had no way to strike Garchomp directly below. But if it pinpointed Garchomp’s exact location, the battle would swing against her.

Without hesitation, Cynthia gave her command. “Garchomp—[Sand Tomb], now!”

Still beneath the surface, Garchomp sprang into action.

With its hide lined in fine, razor-edged scales, it burrowed like a tunneling drill. Rocks and earth beneath Gardevoir’s feet were instantly shredded into dust-like grains.

The ground around Gardevoir began to collapse at alarming speed, shifting into a sandpit.

“That’s... Cynthia’s Garchomp using [Sand Tomb]!” Iono announced from the commentary booth. “Gardevoir’s footing is vanishing—she’s getting trapped!”

If Gardevoir was immobilized, the flow of battle would shift entirely to Cynthia and Garchomp’s hands.

And with Cynthia’s skill, once she gained momentum, the outcome was almost a given.

Chat was lighting up.

[Streamer! Who do you think is going to win?]

Iono hesitated. She had misjudged things once already today…

But a true streamer doesn’t flinch from a hot take.

So she raised her chin and said confidently, “I think Cynthia and Garchomp have the advantage!”

And she wasn’t just saying it blindly.

Sure, August was strong—but Cynthia was the reigning favorite to win the whole Championship. Betting on her made sense.

Yet even as Iono spoke, August made a subtle hand gesture.

Gardevoir’s figure shimmered—and in the blink of an eye, she appeared across the field, standing where Garchomp had originally emerged, gracefully sidestepping the pitfall.

Iono’s face froze. Then she quickly shifted gears:

“Gardevoir can’t attack Garchomp directly while it’s underground. Even if she dodged that [Sand Tomb] with [Teleport], there’s no way she can avoid every trap...”

And indeed, Garchomp was already adjusting course underground, guided by subtle vibrations in the earth, zeroing in on Gardevoir’s new position.

But just as it got close—

Gardevoir lifted into the air, enveloped in blue psychic light, her gown fluttering as she floated upward, gazing down from above.

Iono’s eyes widened.

Gardevoir can fly?!

Chat exploded.

[Gardevoir: Heard you say I couldn’t dodge?]

[Garchomp: Stop jinxing me!!]

[Flying Gardevoir… Is that even legal?]

It was legal.

In official League battles, unlike in online matches, anything within rules and reason was fair play. Even if Gardevoir used [Precipice Blades] next, as long as it didn’t violate regulations, it was allowed.

Still, thinking back on how confidently she’d called the advantage for Garchomp, Iono had the urge to crawl under the desk.

“Ugh...”

But the battle raged on, regardless of how awkward she felt—or how entertained chat was.

Hovering in midair, Gardevoir began her counterattack.

She closed her eyes, cupped her hands to her chest—and sang.

A haunting, melodic voice spread through the stadium.

[Captivate]

To the average listener, it was beautiful. But to Garchomp, the sound was agony.

The notes seeped through the sand and into its ears, sending sharp pain reverberating through its skull.

Suddenly, the ground bulged upward—two massive rocks shot out from the broken earth and hurtled toward Gardevoir.

[Rock Tomb]

Whoosh—!

The boulders screamed through the air, but both August and Gardevoir smiled.

“She’s out,” August said softly.

As the boulders neared, they twisted off-course, nudged aside by Gardevoir’s psychic force, crashing harmlessly to the sides of the battlefield.

Watching, Cynthia couldn’t help but notice—

August’s Gardevoir… She’s gotten stronger since our last spar.

But she pushed that thought aside. This was a battle—even if it was just an exhibition, she had to give it her all.

She looked up at Gardevoir in the sky. If she wanted to fight airborne…

“Garchomp, use [Aerial Ace]!”

Garchomp’s eyes sharpened. With a beat of its fins, it rocketed upward.

It leapt with almost no runway, becoming a blur as it launched skyward. A blast of wind spiraled behind it.

Courtney gasped. “That’s insane!”

Gary blinked. “Is it really that impressive?”

“So much more than just a short takeoff,” Courtney said, shaking her head. “Cynthia’s Garchomp is moving way faster than normal! I’ve never seen one with flight speed like that!”

“See the wind trails behind it? That’s called a jetstream line—only high-velocity Dragon-types in long-range flight produce that!”

“If Garchomp’s moving fast enough to create those in such a short burst—what do you think?”

As she spoke, Garchomp had already flown hundreds of meters, stabilizing its form midair.

Then it turned sharply.

[Aerial Ace]

With even greater speed than before, Garchomp reversed course, slicing through the sky toward Gardevoir. The air shrieked as its razor-sharp fins cleaved wind into shimmering blades.

Its eyes locked on target.

No escape.

But—

Gardevoir didn’t flinch.

She met Garchomp’s charge head-on, raising her arm calmly.

A gleaming, compressed blade of psychic energy took shape.

[Psyblade]

Boom!

The two attacks collided.

As soon as [Psyblade] formed, the twin horn-like receptors on Garchomp’s head lit up, signaling a psychic threat. It twisted instinctively—

Shhk!

The [Psyblade] scraped past its side, the edge searing along its scales.

Then it struck the ground behind.

KRAK!

The battlefield trembled as [Psyblade] carved a trench ten meters long and several meters deep into the stadium floor.

And all of it had come from Gardevoir—slender, graceful, seemingly delicate.

Everyone watching—from the stadium seats to TVs to livestreams—was stunned.

This… is Champion-level power?

[Now I finally get how so many Gym Trainers ended up losing to this guy.]

[It’s not that Giovanni was weak—it’s that this man’s too strong!]

[Streamer, next time he tries to arrest you, just surrender immediately.]

Iono, still recovering from the previous whiffed prediction, felt her head spin.

Could the chat please stop clowning on her?

But the fight wasn’t over.

Even though Garchomp had dodged the [Psyblade], it was still barrelling toward Gardevoir, closing the gap fast.

In a blink, it was right in front of her.

Its wings, edged with compressed air, slashed like blades—

Gardevoir didn’t move.

She stared blankly, unmoving, as the attack descended—

Slice!

Garchomp’s wing passed right through.

But it didn’t hit anything.

The illusion flickered—faded—

“A substitute?! No—!”

Cynthia’s alarm was instant.

The real Gardevoir appeared directly behind Garchomp.

She smiled gently, lifted an arm, and pointed it at Garchomp’s exposed back.

A soft pink glow began to pulse.

[Dazzling Gleam]

BOOM!

The hit struck clean.

Garchomp, caught midflight, was thrown off balance, tumbling downward in a steep spiral.

“Garchomp!”

Cynthia’s voice rang out, sharp with concern.

Garchomp had been with her since the beginning. They’d fought countless battles side-by-side.

Hearing her call, its mind snapped back into focus.

But even so, the attack had stunned it—its body spiraled downward, unable to regain control.

From Cynthia’s vantage point, she could see Gardevoir raising her hand again—another attack incoming.

“Garchomp—!”

But before she could issue a command—

“Gardevoir, [Moonblast],” August said calmly.

A brilliant orb of silvery light formed in Gardevoir’s hand.

Fwshhh—!

It fired, streaking past Garchomp and slamming into the ground below.

KABOOM.

The earth erupted. Dust and remnants of Sand Tomb scattered like confetti.

[Moonblast] hadn’t hit.

Everyone watching, Garchomp included, paused in disbelief.

Then they remembered—

This was an exhibition match.

The two Trainers had been so focused, the audience so enthralled, that everyone had started treating it like a real battle.

Even Iono had nearly stopped breathing from the tension.

Only now, at the very end, did it sink in—they’d both held back.

Which, honestly, was probably for the best.

“That was incredible!” Iono said breathlessly. “Word is Mr. August is competing in the Championships—can’t wait to see what rank he ends up with!”

[Is that even a question? First place, obviously!]

[It was 1v1 with type advantage—let’s see how he handles 6v6.]

[Don’t forget, Leon’s still insanely strong—even without Dynamax this time.]

As the chat debated furiously, Iono quietly exhaled.

Whew. At least they’re not roasting me for my bad predictions anymore...

Then—

A new SC appeared on screen.

[SlackingAtWorkAgain]: Just saw in the VIP group chat—did Iono say she didn’t think I’d win? 👀

As soon as August’s name popped up, the chat exploded.

[He’s watching the stream already?!]

[Don’t let her off the hook!]

[Punish her! Mercilessly!]

[Arrest the streamer! Arrest!!]

Time for reckoning.

Iono’s vision went dark.

Why. Why can’t they just forget...

At that moment, the host finally returned to the mic.

“Let’s have a huge round of applause for Mr. August and Miss Cynthia!”

August tucked his phone away and waved at the cheering crowd.

In the stands, Scott beamed proudly.

Aside from the opening match, the World Championships also featured a speech by rotating League Council Chair Darmanich.

August—no fan of long-winded speeches—slipped away unnoticed.

Lounging on a sofa, he could still recall the look Cynthia gave him when he bailed.

Sorry, but you’re the Champion. You’re stuck.

As for August, working under the International Police, he had the luxury of ignoring most League formalities.

He let out a sigh, channeling the [Power of Viridian] to heal Gardevoir.

Though she hadn’t taken a direct hit, the air blade from Garchomp’s [Aerial Ace] had grazed her briefly during the [Substitution] swap.

The pale green glow of the [Power of Viridian] mended the last scratch on her arm.

Releasing her wrist, August looked into her eyes.

“No more reckless moves like that next time.”

Gardevoir nodded gently.

Just as August was about to continue—

WHUMP!

Eevee cannonballed into his stomach.

“Ugh—my stomach... Eevee, I’m not a Snorlax trampoline...”

Eevee looked sheepishly apologetic. “Bui~!”

“Hm? Iono’s here?”

August turned—and sure enough, Iono stood at the door.

She bowed a full 180 degrees.

“I was wrong. Please don’t arrest me!”

August: “…”

After everything I explained to you before, that’s what you took away?!

---

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!