Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [324]

After sending Zinnia and Akari off to gather berries nearby, August sat down to investigate the new icon that had appeared in his app.

[Friend Voucher: Select one friend to invite to Hisui.]
[Friend System unlocked. Accumulate Hisui mileage to earn Friend Vouchers.]

August: “……”

Did you seriously just rip off that other app? You didn’t even bother changing the word ‘mileage’...

Plagiarism suspicions aside, he had to admit—this feature was pretty useful.

He tapped open the app. A prompt appeared:

[Please choose a friend to invite.]

August tried typing in: [Giovanni]

Meanwhile, in the Alola region...

Giovanni, lounging in his villa, glanced at his phone as a strange notification popped up.

[August invites you to the Hisui region. Click [Teleport] to join August and his friends on an exciting journey!]

Giovanni stared at it, bewildered. “...?”

How the hell did August get my new number?

And what was with this suspiciously scam-like message?

Only a handful of his current Rocket admin staff even had this number. Could there be another traitor in the ranks?

Frowning deeply, Giovanni tapped the table with a finger, thoughts racing.

...

Hisui

August waited for a good while—but Giovanni never showed.

“Does the system not consider Giovanni a friend?” August murmured, rubbing his chin.

It’s definitely not a problem on my end. I’ve always considered Giovanni a ‘friend’... Which means—there’s only one explanation.

He never saw me as one in return.

Feeling a rare sting of betrayal, August sighed. “Tch... After everything, I even warned him about Sird... When something good happens, I think of him first. And he just ignores me.”

He tried typing in: [Gary]

This time, within seconds, a golden rift tore open in the sky—and out dropped Gary in beachwear, looking thoroughly disoriented.

Gary: “...?”

What the hell just happened...?

“Ahem.”

That familiar cough jolted him to alertness.

Gary spun around—and nearly leapt out of his skin. “A-August?! When did you get back?!”

“Correction: I didn’t come back. You came here.”

Gary froze. “Wait...”

“And judging by your guilty look, don’t tell me you did something behind my back...?” August narrowed his eyes, smiling in that way that wasn’t really a smile.

“W-what? Of course not!” Gary coughed awkwardly. He couldn’t stop himself from thinking about the champagne celebration he’d held during that team meeting... “Anyway, uh, where are we? Why am I even here?”

He’d been on vacation a moment ago. His phone got a weird alert, he tapped it instinctively—and bam. Now he was in some godforsaken wilderness.

“Where is this? Good question. Welcome to Hisui—ancient Sinnoh. As for how you got here, well, that was me.”

Gary’s expression darkened. He didn’t dare speak up, so he changed the subject: “Wait, so this is the past?”

He’d already suspected time travel was involved after seeing that ancient “Team Rocket” photo during the last meeting... but hearing it from August himself hit differently.

“So that photo the Sinnoh archaeologists published—the one with ‘Team Rocket’—that was real?!”

“Huh?” August touched his chin. “Guess what I’ve been doing has impacted our timeline after all.”

“Of course it has! It made national news! You’re not worried you’ll cause some kind of time paradox? What if we mess up the future and blink out of existence?!”

August glanced sideways at him. “...You think the Dialga I left back at the estate is for decoration?”

As the Pokémon of time, if anything really went wrong, Dialga wouldn’t just sit on its hands.

Hearing that, Gary finally relaxed.

But before he could breathe easy, August continued, “Let’s get back to the point—what was that guilty expression earlier? You didn’t do something behind my back, did you?”

Gary froze.

...

When Zinnia and Akari returned, they were carrying two bulging sacks full of berries.

Akari blinked at the new guy with spiky brown hair. “And you are...?”

She didn’t recall seeing anyone with such a strange hairstyle nearby.

“Platinum?” Gary said at the same time, wearing the same confused expression as Zinnia had once given her.

August was about to explain, but—

Zinnia’s eyes widened like she’d seen a ghost. “Gary, you got scammed by August too?!”

August: “?”

Excuse me? What do you mean ‘got scammed’?!

If I’m not home chilling on my couch with Eevee right now, and instead trapped in ancient Hisui, it’s literally because of you.

If you can’t say anything helpful, just shut up.

As soon as the words left her mouth, Zinnia knew she’d screwed up. August still hadn’t reinstated her duty to care for Rayquaza. Her earlier flattery had just gone up in smoke...

“You’re not mad... right, August?” she whispered, sidling up to him.

“Oh, I don’t know. What do you think?”

And just like that, Zinnia wilted like a crushed bamboo shoot—completely deflated.

Akari, standing off to the side, glanced between them all.

So this new guy—Gary, was it? He must be from the same place as Mr. August...

...

When August returned to Jubilife Village, he drew plenty of stares.

He’d founded Team Rocket, conversed with Commander Kamado like old friends, and had a personal guide assigned by the Galaxy Team—his legend was growing fast.

“Why’s everyone looking at you like that?” Gary asked.

“Some people are born protagonists.”

“Tch...”

Gary rolled his eyes at the narcissism.

August, taking his reaction as jealousy, led Gary and Zinnia (Akari had to return for reporting duties) back to the temporary Team Rocket base he’d rented.

The moment they walked in, Gary nearly threw a Poké Ball out of reflex.

Inside were a group of trainers in black uniforms emblazoned with a bright red R.

He almost had a full-blown panic response—until he caught himself and lowered his hand.

“August, if this is a joke, you didn’t have to go this far. These Team Rocket uniforms... You didn’t strip these off the real Rocket members, did you?”

They were identical—right down to the stitching.

August blinked. “What’re you talking about? Do I look like the kind of guy who strips people for their clothes?”

Before Gary could relax, August added, “I confiscated these from the Team Rocket warehouse.”

He tossed one to Gary.

The tag was still attached.

Okay, maybe not stolen off someone’s back... but you carry Rocket uniforms around like souvenirs?! That’s even more unhinged!

They were still chatting when a knock came at the door.

“I’m pretty sure the delivery deadline I agreed on with Kamado hasn’t come yet...” August said, gesturing for Gengar to open it.

But it wasn’t Kamado or Cyllene standing at the door.

It was a blond young man in the uniform of the Ginkgo Guild, backpack slung over his shoulder.

Volo greeted them with a warm smile. “Apologies for the sudden visit. You must be the leader of Team Rocket—Mr. August, yes?”

August recognized him instantly. The final hidden antagonist of Legends: Arceus.

In the original plot, Volo sought to tear open space-time using the powers of Dialga and Palkia, desperate for a glimpse of the so-called ‘almighty Sinnoh’—Arceus.

His methods weren’t so different from Cyrus’s, even if the goal was different.

“What do you want?” August asked.

“I’d like to propose a business deal.”

“A deal?” August raised an eyebrow.

Volo leaned forward, lowering his voice. “Mr. August... I suspect you’re not from this world, are you?”

August: “...?”

“That day—I saw you and your companion appear suddenly by the coastline. From afar, of course...”

His expression said it all: You can drop the act. I know your secret.

What he didn’t expect was August casually confirming it.

“You’re right. I’m from another world. My real name’s ‘Traveler,’ and she’s called ‘Emergency Food.’ We’re searching for my long-lost family. Just fifty bucks and we’ll have enough for a bus ticket out of here. If you donate now, I’ll make you King of Hisui when I ascend.”

“...What?”

Volo was completely thrown off.

It took him a moment to realize August was mocking him.

“You’re not afraid I’ll tell Commander Kamado your secret?” Volo asked incredulously. “You’re hiding your origins. If he finds out, you’ll be banished from Jubilife!”

August gave him a you-must-be-an-idiot look.

“You think he’d believe that? Kamado’s no fool.”

“But I’m from the Ginkgo Guild—”

“And I’m the Galaxy Team’s sole Pokéblock supplier. I’ll just say your guild is jealous of my business and trying to sabotage me. What then?”

Volo: “.....”

He’d come thinking he had the upper hand.

But August had flipped the board on him instantly.

It wasn’t that Volo was stupid—it was just that August was too damned sly!

“Now it’s my turn...” August smiled faintly. “Volo, right? I don’t know what shady business you were planning, but from how secretive you’re acting, I’d bet my left foot it’s nothing good.”

“And you wouldn’t want your blackmail attempt leaking to Kamado, now would you...?”

Volo: “?”

Wait—who’s the villain here?! Me or you?!

Still, despite the veiled threat, Volo wasn’t panicked. He wasn’t just some nobody from the Ginkgo Guild.

He had cards yet to play.

Maybe it’s better to play along for now... see what August is really up to.

With that, Volo put on a strained expression. “What do you want from me?”

August immediately saw through the performance.

Like this guy could be that fragile? He literally worked with Giratina. I’d sooner believe Giovanni’s vacationing in beach shorts than that.

Still, August didn’t call him out. He smiled instead.

“To be honest... I’ve had it with the Galaxy Team. What do you say we overthrow them together and let Team Rocket take their place? I’ll be leader, you be my deputy.”

“...Huh? What?!”

Volo was well and truly stunned.

---

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!