Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [138]

By the time August and Blue left Celadon Gym, the sun was already setting.

Their conversation with Erika had gone smoothly.

For her, Team Rocket’s resurgence in Celadon City was a significant concern.

Before, she had hesitated to report her findings, fearing that the League’s internal leaks would compromise her information.

But with August in the picture, those concerns were gone.

For August, securing Erika as an ally was another step toward dismantling Team Rocket.

Among the Kanto Gym Leaders, the only ones with a stronger sense of responsibility than her—like Brock—weren’t as powerful in battle.

And those who were stronger—Giovanni, Koga, and Blaine—all had ties to Team Rocket.

August mentally counted the current state of the Gym Leaders:

On the League’s side: Pewter Gym, Celadon Gym, the recently reformed Saffron Gym, and Cerulean Gym (halfway).

On Team Rocket’s side: Giovanni, Koga, and Blaine—minus Lt. Surge, who he had already dealt with.

After doing the math…

"3.5 against 3. We have the advantage!" August declared confidently.

Blue twitched slightly at his logic.

That’s… one way to look at it, I guess.

Just as August was about to find a hotel for the night, his communicator buzzed.

A message from Sabrina—short but explosive.

[The Four Admins encountered the Masked Man’s forces in Johto. Ariana was critically injured, and Petrel barely escaped.]

Oh?

August’s eyebrows shot up.

Had the trap he set for Team Rocket finally sprung?

Blue, peeking at the message, was even more excited than he was.

Sure, it was satisfying to see Team Rocket suffer, but more importantly—the Masked Man was in trouble too.

And she was very good at holding grudges.

---

Team Rocket Headquarters

Giovanni, usually composed in all situations, wore a dark, stormy expression.

Even his ever-carefree Persian remained still, tail tucked in submission.

That morning, he had received good news—Project Mewtwo had made a major breakthrough.

But now, this Johto disaster had completely soured his mood.

Petrel stood stiffly in front of the screen, visibly uneasy.

Since he had led the failed operation, responsibility fell squarely on his shoulders.

"Explain what happened."

Giovanni’s voice was calm but cold.

Petrel swallowed hard and recounted the events.

"…My team discovered traces of a Masked Man’s base. Ariana and I led an assault to wipe them out."

"At first, everything went smoothly. Apart from some grunts, only a bunch of kids tried to stop us."

"But just as we were about to breach the inner stronghold—he appeared."

"He?" Giovanni’s eyes narrowed.

Remembering the encounter, Petrel couldn’t hide his lingering fear.

"He had a Delibird. In a single move, its [Ice Beam] froze Ariana’s Arbok solid."

"I only managed to escape by detonating my Weezing…"

Truthfully, the Masked Man had let him go. If the enemy had really wanted him dead, no amount of explosions would’ve saved him.

But there was no need to admit that. It was much better to paint himself as a desperate survivor.

Giovanni, unaware of Petrel’s embellishments, was lost in thought.

A trainer strong enough to defeat Ariana and Petrel so easily had to be Champion-tier.

But he had kept a close eye on all known Champions in Kanto and Johto—none of them were known for using a Delibird.

A local Johto powerhouse? Or an outsider?

Petrel, watching Giovanni’s silent contemplation, grew increasingly nervous.

He knew full well that this failure was his own recklessness.

Had he taken more time to gather intel, even a failed mission wouldn’t have led to such a disaster.

"I’m very disappointed in you, Petrel."

Giovanni’s voice jolted him back to reality.

"You and the other three Admins have failed me."

"There’s an entire organization in Johto—one that we knew nothing about. We had to rely on an outside source to even learn about them."

By now, Giovanni was certain that someone had deliberately provoked Team Rocket into attacking the Masked Man’s group.

An organization that had remained hidden for years wouldn’t just appear out of nowhere and start causing trouble in Celadon without reason.

"This was our mistake!" Petrel admitted without hesitation. "What are your orders, Giovanni?"

A group of this caliber emerging in Johto put all four Admins on edge.

"For now, withdraw our forces in Johto. Avoid the Masked Man’s territory."

Petrel was stunned.

"…Avoid them?"

He hadn’t expected Giovanni to back down.

Giovanni, however, saw no shame in strategic retreat.

"Mewtwo’s completion is imminent. Once we have it, I will use its power to eliminate all obstacles in our way."

"As for you, Petrel—consider this failure noted. There won’t be a second chance."

Without another word, Giovanni cut the transmission.

Leaning back in his chair, he turned his attention to the map of Kanto and Johto projected before him.

Lt. Surge’s Vermilion Gym had been compromised.

A powerful new faction had emerged in Johto.

Challenges to Team Rocket’s reign were mounting.

His gaze hardened.

No matter who opposed them, Team Rocket would come out on top.

"Matori, inform Sabrina—it’s time to depart for the Seafoam Islands."

"Understood."

---

The Safari Zone

While Giovanni focused on his final preparations, August instructed Sabrina to continue monitoring Team Rocket and report back.

Meanwhile, he and Blue took a brief respite in Celadon City before heading toward the Safari Zone, a place he had called home for several years.

Walking through the dense forest with Eevee in his arms, August breathed in the familiar scent of nature.

Gardevoir, beside him, looked nostalgic, while Blue curiously observed her surroundings.

"This is where you worked as a Ranger?" she asked.

"Yep. Looking back, that was probably the most peaceful time of my life." August sighed.

He had thought joining the International Police would let him slack off.

Instead, one thing led to another, and now… he was their division head.

Compared to dealing with Team Rocket, the poachers in the Safari Zone almost felt adorable.

As they walked, they reached a lakeside clearing.

There, a group of Slowpoke lounged in the grass, lazily basking in the sun.

Nearby, Poliwag and Poliwhirl could be seen frolicking along the water’s edge.

The atmosphere was calm and serene.

…Until it wasn’t.

Noticing the movement, the Slowpoke sluggishly turned their heads.

At first, they didn’t react.

Then they saw August and Gardevoir.

Their eyes went wide.

As if they had been struck by a Shellder’s bite, they bolted toward the lake with unprecedented speed.

"Waaah! Daaaaaah!"

They even called out to their fellow Pokémon as they fled.

The Poliwag and Poliwhirl didn’t hesitate either.

The moment they spotted Gardevoir, they leaped into the lake with synchronized splashes.

Within seconds, the once-peaceful waters were eerily still.

"…What the hell?"

Blue frowned. "Did they think we were poachers?"

That didn’t make sense.

August had been a Ranger here for years.

There was no way the Pokémon would have forgotten him so quickly.

August’s expression turned slightly awkward.

He knew exactly why they were running.

This all traced back to Gardevoir’s unfortunate reputation.

Clearing his throat, he quickly improvised.

"From my experience, Safari Zone Pokémon are very sensitive to new faces. Maybe they’re just shy around you."

"Wait a minute! They can’t just run away like that! That’s so rude!"

Turning to Gardevoir, he gave a silent nod.

Back when he was a Ranger, Gardevoir had managed all these Pokémon.

Feeling equally slighted, Gardevoir’s eyes gleamed blue as she released a powerful [Psychic] pulse.

The lake water began to churn.

Realizing they had angered the Witch, the Slowpoke and Poliwag resurfaced, forced into submission by their own survival instincts.

Now obediently floating in the lake, they nervously looked toward August and Gardevoir.

"This is Blue," August said, gesturing to his companion. "Say hello."

The Slowpoke trembled and spoke in unison.

"…Dah!"

Even the Poliwag chimed in.

Blue’s expression was unreadable.

If you’re being threatened, blink twice.

She had heard stories about August capturing tons of poachers.

But now…

Why did it feel like the Pokémon were terrified of him?

---

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!