Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [325]

Volo frowned. “...Let’s not be hasty.”

August raised an eyebrow. “What, don’t tell me you’re scared?”

This isn’t a question of fear…

Volo genuinely felt that August was a little too extreme.

Going to war with the Galaxy Team would almost certainly force Volo to expose himself—completely at odds with his careful, behind-the-scenes scheming.

While Volo was silently contemplating how to extract himself from this situation, August suddenly chuckled. “Relax. I was joking. You didn’t actually think I was serious about overthrowing the Galaxy Team, did you? With the handful of people we have in Team Rocket, we’re no match for Commander Kamado.”

“……”

Volo felt his heart skip a beat.

Is this guy okay in the head? Who makes jokes like that?

“What are you really after?” he asked, tone stiff.

He’d already made up his mind—if August tried to toy with him again, he wouldn’t hesitate to reveal his true strength and eliminate him.

Then August smiled and asked, “Ever heard of the legendary ‘almighty Sinnoh’?”

“Not the false almighty Sinnoh that the Diamond and Pearl Clans worship—I'm talking about the true one.”

A gleam of light flickered in Volo’s eyes. He looked up sharply and locked eyes with August, a look of feverish hope spreading across his face.

“Wait… Are you a descendant of the Sinnoh people too?”

August’s expression shifted from puzzled to surprised. “Too? Wait—don’t tell me you…”

“That’s right! I am one of the Sinnoh people!”

Before the words had even fully left Volo’s mouth, August grabbed his arm with exaggerated emotion.

“We’re long-lost kin!”

From the side, Zinnia turned to Gardevoir through telepathy: How long do you think it'll take for him to realize the truth?

Gary, observing the two like an old sage, replied dryly, “He’ll probably still be smiling even after August sells him out—and thank him for the privilege.”

...

“The true almighty Sinnoh’s real name is Arceus!”

“Dialga and Palkia, the deities worshipped by the Diamond and Pearl Clans, are actually beings created by Arceus to govern time and space.”

“To meet Arceus, one must gather the scattered Plates hidden across Hisui. Once united, and with the help of the ‘Azure Flute’ passed down by the Sinnoh people, a path to Arceus’s realm will be revealed!”

August spoke with the fervor of a seasoned preacher.

Listening to August lay out the Arceus lore in perfect detail, Volo’s doubts vanished completely.

Only those descended from the Sinnoh lineage could possibly understand so much about Arceus, Dialga, and Palkia.

But there was still one lingering question…

“How did you and your companion suddenly fall from the space-time rift?” Volo asked, unable to understand that part.

August sighed dramatically. “That’s... a long story.”

“In short, I was betrayed by Dialga and Palkia…”

Gary and Zinnia exchanged looks and said nothing.

You’re the one who bullies them daily. Since when have they had the guts to betray you?

But Volo took it all in, fully buying into the tragic image August painted.

He quickly offered a consoling pat on the back. “You’ll have your chance for revenge one day.”

August looked up with renewed resolve. “Exactly. But first, the most important task is proving to Hisui that Arceus is the true almighty Sinnoh!”

“You mean…”

“The Plates. I intend to gather them all. I hope you’ll help me track down any information related to them.”

Finally, the real proposal surfaced.

Volo pondered for a moment, then nodded. “The Plates, huh? Understood. I’ll keep an eye out.”

...

After Volo left, Gary leaned in.

“So your goal is to have him help you collect the Plates?”

Of course Gary knew what those were—Gardevoir wouldn’t let go of the one it had for anything. Hard not to notice.

“Of course.” August stretched lazily. “We’re outsiders here. If we want to get anything done, we need local... talent.”

“You really think he’s trustworthy?”

“Nope. But I’m a pragmatist. Trustworthiness is optional—usefulness isn’t. Enough talking, though. Let’s get these Pokéblocks finished. Commander Kamado’s probably waiting already.”

Gary: “……”

So I really was summoned here to be your labor force...

...

The Next Day – Galaxy Team Headquarters

August motioned for Gardevoir to set the large crate down.

“Commander Kamado, your custom Pokéblocks are ready.”

“That fast?”

Kamado was surprised by August’s efficiency.

“Oh, I just had help from a friend,” August said modestly, waving it off.

Kamado glanced over August’s shoulder and saw Gary—now dressed in a full Team Rocket uniform.

“That boy is Gary, right? He’s part of your Team Rocket too?”

August clapped Gary on the shoulder. “You heard that from Akari? Yeah, he’s the grandson of a mentor of mine. He recently joined us.”

“Come on, say hi to Uncle Kamado.”

Gary: “....”

Kamado: “.....”

The silence between them was heavy.

“…Just a joke. Trying to liven the mood.” August opened the crate. “Commander Kamado, feel free to inspect the goods. If everything checks out, I’ll be on my way.”

Kamado collected himself and called out toward the door, “Irida, Adaman, come in.”

The door opened to reveal a man and woman entering the room.

The man wore a deep blue robe and had a wild hairstyle—possibly the only person Gary had ever met whose hair could rival his own.

The woman was dressed in a low-cut outfit in shades of pink. Even though it was fairly breezy, she kept fanning herself, looking overheated.

“Big Brother Kamado, is this the new leader of that Team Rocket you told us about?” Adaman looked August up and down. “Nice to meet you. I’m Adaman from the Diamond Clan.”

“You really need to ask?” Irida scoffed. “I’m Irida from the Pearl Clan. I heard you developed a Pokémon treat called Pokéblocks. Mind letting me see one?”

Irida had harbored some doubts about August.

Ever since arriving in Jubilife Village, she’d heard all kinds of stories—how he’d appeared out of nowhere, founded a team named ‘Rocket,’ and publicly demonstrated the power of his Pokéblocks, drawing the attention of Commander Kamado.

It all felt too purposeful. And she didn’t believe a treat made just from berries could calm wild Pokémon better than traditional bait.

“Pleased to meet you.” August greeted them with a flawless smile.

“In this era, I am the one and only leader of Team Rocket. As for the Pokéblocks…” He gestured to the crate in front of Kamado. “They’re all here.”

Irida looked to Kamado, who nodded. “These are yours to examine.”

She picked one up and sniffed it, her delicate nose twitching slightly.

“Hmm… definitely berry-based. I can smell Pecha and Lum.”

Then she sampled a bit herself, and called out her partner—Glaceon.

Glaceon sniffed the Pokéblock, then gobbled it down in one bite. Its usually aloof face melted into pure contentment.

Irida, who had half-suspected Kamado had been conned, began to waver.

“This is a general-purpose Pokéblock meant to suit most Pokémon,” August explained. “But with specific tailoring for type and species, the effects are even better.”

Noticing her hesitation, August took out a special treat he’d made for his own Eevee. “Care to try this one?”

Irida accepted the Pokéblock and handed it to Glaceon.

Glaceon’s eyes lit up the moment it caught a whiff. It devoured it without hesitation.

The next second—

Glaceon let out a joyful cry, rolled onto its back, and exposed its belly. A chill spread out from its body, icing over the carpet beneath it.

Irida was stunned. In her memory, Glaceon only ever looked that happy at its absolute best moments.

Adaman just shrugged. “Told you Kamado doesn’t have bad judgment. But nooo, you just had to double-check.”

Irida ignored him and turned to August. “My apologies, Mr. August.”

She bowed slightly, offering a sincere apology for her earlier doubts.

August waved it off. “It’s fine. A little healthy skepticism is always warranted.”

Kamado, watching this exchange, was also impressed. He hadn’t expected August to create enhanced Pokéblocks on top of the standard ones.

Unfortunately, the specialized batches were expensive to produce. Still, the ones he had now would suffice.

He portioned some of the crate’s contents for Irida and Adaman.

“With these, we should be able to resolve the Kleavor situation,” Irida said.

At the mention of Kleavor, August’s eyes gleamed with interest. He feigned casual curiosity. “Kleavor?”

Irida, not thinking it a secret, explained, “He’s one of our Pearl Clan nobles. For some reason, he’s entered a state of uncontrollable rage. Nothing we’ve done has calmed him down. We’re hoping these Pokéblocks might help.”

“Oh? If he’s that important… why not let me whip up a custom Pokéblock right now? One tailored to this exact situation.”

“Really? That might be too much trouble...”