Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [139]

Noticing Blue’s increasingly skeptical gaze, August felt completely innocent.

I didn’t even do anything… did I?

He started counting on his fingers all the things he had done involving the Slowpoke.

Using them as bait to lure out poachers? That was a necessary part of his job.

Letting Gardevoir collect their naturally shed tails for roasting? That was just recycling and making good use of available resources.

If he had to pick the worst thing, it would probably be making them participate in combat training from eight in the morning until five in the evening.

But that was for their own good! They needed to learn how to protect themselves from poachers!

It was all for the benefit of the Slowpoke.

Sigh…

As a Ranger, he was vilified by poachers and misunderstood by the Pokémon he protected.

And yet, he endured this hardship for three whole years.

Life is just too hard…

Listening to August’s self-pitying monologue, Blue’s expression became even more conflicted.

She thought back to when they were at Lampurchi—how suspiciously skilled August had been at roasting Slowpoke tails.

So that’s where he learned it…

As for his excuse about training the Slowpoke to defend themselves—

Sure, she believed his intentions were good.

But forcing Slowpoke, a species that could lie motionless for an entire day, into a strict 8 AM to 5 PM combat training schedule?

That was beyond cruel.

No wonder they looked at him like he was a ghost.

...

Standing in the middle of the gathered Slowpoke, August handed out Pokéblocks.

The Slowpoke were initially wary of this sudden act of generosity from the Great Demon King.

But… the Pokéblocks smelled amazing.

Slowpoke weren’t exactly the most thoughtful Pokémon. Faced with such an irresistible temptation, they instinctively used [Amnesia]—erasing all the painful memories of forced morning workouts and immediately diving into their food.

Seeing this, the nearby Poliwag and Poliwhirl couldn't hold back either and joined in on the feast.

Sitting on the grassy shore, Blue reached out and petted a Slowpoke.

Its soft, pink body had an incredibly plush texture.

The Slowpoke, true to its nature, only realized several minutes later that someone was touching it.

Uncomfortably shaking its head, it sluggishly lifted its gaze to glance at Blue.

Oh… it's the Demon King’s companion…

Never mind, then.

Recognizing that it couldn’t afford to cause trouble, the Slowpoke went right back to eating.

Just then, the distant sound of an off-road vehicle rumbled through the forest.

Moments later, a Jeep rolled up beside the lake, driven by a woman in a Park Ranger uniform.

Stepping out, she was surprised to see August and Gardevoir.

"August? You’re back?"

The instruments at the Ranger base had picked up an unusual energy disturbance in this area. She had assumed it was poachers causing trouble again.

She hadn’t expected to find him here instead.

"Jenny! Long time no see!" August greeted her warmly.

He then introduced the two women to each other.

"This is my colleague, Blue. Jenny is the new Ranger in charge of the Safari Zone after I left."

Jenny was slightly taken aback.

This young girl was also August’s colleague?

Then that meant… she was with the International Police too?

Blue simply smiled in response.

After they exchanged pleasantries, August turned back to Jenny.

"You looked pretty tense when you drove up just now. Is there a problem? Poachers again?"

Back when he was stationed here, he had nearly wiped out the poaching problem entirely.

At the mention of poachers, Jenny scowled.

"Thanks to the reputation you left behind, most of the remaining poachers in Kanto don’t dare set foot in the Safari Zone anymore."

"But about a week ago, a group of poachers arrived from another region. Supposedly, they’re subordinates of Hunter J—and they’ve set their sights on the Safari Zone."

Hunter J?

August’s expression darkened.

His reputation as the "Demon Ranger" had been certified by Team Rocket itself.

Yet now, after only two months away, even a random group of Hunter J’s lackeys thought they could waltz in and do as they pleased?

Hunter J herself had never been a threat to him.

And now, her underlings dared to act so boldly in his old territory?

August took this as a personal challenge.

"Where are they?"

His tone was calm, but a dangerous glint flashed in his eyes.

"Since I’m back, I might as well deal with them before I leave."

These idiots needed to learn that even though he was no longer a Ranger, some lines should never be crossed.

Jenny, seeing August’s fierce determination, felt a wave of reassurance.

"Can you track their location?" August asked.

Jenny tapped a Poké Ball on her belt.

"I’ve already had Arcanine memorize their scent from our last encounter."

"Perfect!"

With that settled, August turned his attention back to the group of Slowpoke sprawled out in the sun.

Looking at them, he sighed, utterly disappointed.

"The enemy is at our doorstep, and you’re all just lying around like this?"

"Get up. You’re coming with me on this mission!"

The Slowpoke froze mid-chew.

…Why us?

We are weak, helpless, and completely unqualified for this responsibility.

But then they remembered what would happen if they defied the Great Demon King.

Reluctantly, they dragged themselves up and very slowly followed behind August.

...

Whoosh!

Arcanine sprinted through the dense forest, nose to the ground, tracking the scent of the Pokémon hunters. The open-top off-road vehicle followed closely behind.

But… something about this scene looked off.

Officer Jenny sat in the driver’s seat, August, holding Eevee, sat in the passenger seat, while Gardevoir and Blue occupied the back.

So far, so normal.

The not-so-normal part was the Slowpoke sprawled across the roof of the vehicle.

"Slow—!"

Led by a Slowbro, an entire group of Slowpoke clung to the Jeep.

Eyes wide, they experienced speed for the first time in their slow, uneventful lives.

Occasionally, one or two lost their grip and tumbled off the moving vehicle, only to be caught midair by Gardevoir’s [Psychic] and gently placed back on top.

"…August, are you really planning to bring this group of Slowpoke into battle?"

Blue, watching the bizarre scene from the backseat, couldn’t help but ask.

She glanced up at the Slowpoke hanging onto the Jeep and, no matter how she looked at them, she just couldn’t see them as battle-ready Pokémon.

Jenny, too, glanced sideways while keeping her hands on the wheel.

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing…"

"Don’t underestimate them," August said confidently. "Gardevoir personally trained them."

He wasn’t lying.

Back when he was still a Ranger, he had put them through hellish combat training—as repayment for all the delicious Slowpoke tails they had "provided" him over the years.

Blue and Jenny exchanged skeptical glances.

As if on cue, another Slowpoke lost its grip and tumbled off the roof.

Gardevoir effortlessly lifted it with [Psychic] and placed it back in position.

The girls looked back at August.

Skepticism intensifies.

But considering August’s strength, they figured he didn’t actually need the Slowpoke to win this fight.

So, they decided to let it slide.

===

The Poachers' Camp

Inside a well-hidden camp, the leader of the Pokémon poachers was on a video call with Hunter J, who was currently in Sinnoh.

"Lady J, we’ve been searching the Safari Zone for a week, but there’s no sign of Dratini."

Hunter J’s cold, sharp eyes narrowed.

"Then expand the search. The client specifically requested a Kanto-region Dratini and is offering three times the usual price. If you fail—don’t bother coming back."

The poacher captain broke out in a cold sweat.

"Understood."

Pausing for a moment, Hunter J asked, "I’ve heard rumors about a Ranger in Kanto who’s been interfering with Pokémon hunters. What’s his strength like?"

The captain scoffed.

"According to my sources, that so-called Demon Ranger already quit his job."

"In my personal experience, the Pokémon hunters in Kanto are all weaklings. That Ranger was probably nothing special either."

"Hmph. Is that so?" Hunter J lost interest.

"Just finish the job. Don’t disappoint me."

"Yes, ma’am!"

Just as Hunter J was about to end the call, a loud explosion echoed from outside the camp.

She hesitated.

The captain, face darkening, immediately grabbed his radio.

"What the hell is going on out there?"

The voice on the other end was panicked.

"Boss! We’re under attack! That Officer Jenny is back—and she brought two people with her! Also… a bunch of Slowpoke?!"

"…Slowpoke?"

The poacher captain was completely baffled.

An enemy attack made sense.

That Officer Jenny? He had fought her before—she wasn’t much of a threat.

But Slowpoke?

Since when were they a viable combat force?

Those sluggish, brain-dead Pokémon? The ones that took a full five seconds to realize they were being hit?

Utterly ridiculous.

Apologizing to Hunter J, the captain stepped outside to see what was happening for himself.

What he saw shattered his entire worldview.

An army of Slowpoke had infiltrated the camp.

Each one glowed faintly with psychic energy, displaying an unprecedented level of focus.

Led by a Slowbro, they completely overwhelmed his subordinates.

But the most absurd part?

An Eevee—one single Eevee—had just slapped a Bibarel flat on its back.

Then, as if it had done nothing impressive at all, the tiny Normal-type leaped atop a pile of defeated Pokémon, lazily licking its fur.

"…What in the actual hell?"

The poacher captain felt his perception of reality crumbling.

Slowpoke? Eevee?

How were his top-tier hunters losing to these Pokémon?!

Then, a voice spoke behind him:

"Confused?"

He spun around.

Perched casually on a rock sat a man he recognized all too well.

At first, he didn’t react.

But then—he saw her.

A shiny Gardevoir.

His face drained of color.

"You…! You’re—!"

"Ah, so you do know me," August smiled.

Then his expression turned ice-cold.

"And yet, you still had the guts to step onto my turf… You must be very, very brave."

The poacher didn’t hesitate.

His hand shot toward his Poké Ball.

"Skuntank—!"

But he was too slow.

Before he could even release his Pokémon, Gardevoir’s eyes flashed blue.

[Psychic]

His entire body froze mid-motion, lifted effortlessly into the air.

He struggled, but without any foothold, he couldn’t break free from the telekinetic hold.

August casually picked up his Poké Balls, inspecting them one by one.

"Skuntank, Toxicroak, Purugly… Wow, you really went all in on the evil villain aesthetic, huh?"

Scoffing, he tossed the Poké Balls into the Jeep.

The poacher’s face turned red—not from embarrassment, but from sheer frustration.

Without his Pokémon, he had no chance of escape.

"What’s your connection to Hunter J?" August asked.

The man clamped his mouth shut.

August wasn’t surprised.

He had dealt with plenty of stubborn poachers before.

If this guy didn’t talk, one of his men would.

Meanwhile, Eevee—having finished its grooming session—stretched lazily before jumping onto August’s shoulder.

The Slowpoke, under Slowbro’s command, had already won the battle.

One by one, the poachers were pinned to the ground, utterly defeated.

Watching this unfold, both Blue and Jenny stared at the Slowpoke army in complete disbelief.

Especially Jenny.

She had patrolled this area for a while now, but never once had she realized that the Slowpoke here were this powerful.

"August… how did you do this?" she finally asked.

"I told you—hellish training!"

Then, glancing at the beaten-down poachers, he added,

"And honestly, the Slowpoke aren’t even my strongest force."

He counted on his fingers.

"The Kangaskhan clan in Area A3… The Gyarados pack in C5… The Tauros herd in D2…"

"All of them are way stronger than these Slowpoke."

"If these idiots had really stepped into one of those territories… they wouldn’t have lived long enough for me to catch them."

Jenny finally understood.

Why August had been able to capture over a thousand poachers during his time here.

It wasn’t just his legendary "bait tactics"—

He had an entire army of trained wild Pokémon backing him up.

While she was still digesting this revelation, August tossed a bundle of handcuffs to Blue.

"Help me tie these guys up."

Then, turning to Gardevoir, he gestured toward the largest tent in the camp.

"I want to know what gave these fools the confidence to invade my land."

...

Inside the main tent, a large display screen was still connected to a video call.

A familiar figure filled the screen.

Hunter J.

August raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? Hunter J?"

He smirked.

"Looks like I interrupted an important conversation."

Hunter J’s cold gaze locked onto him.

"…Demon Ranger."

---

This is a fan translation of 人在实教，一之濑你会后悔的 by 作者：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!