Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [137]

"Five o'clock direction, twenty meters!"

"Twelve o'clock direction, ten meters!"

Under August's command, Gengar continuously formed [Shadow Balls] and hurled them at the ground.

After multiple consecutive attacks, Gengar was visibly exhausted.

Despite its round and chubby appearance, that was mostly an illusion—Gengar had never been known for endurance.

"Gah... gah..."

Panting heavily, Gengar landed on the ground, signaling to August that it was completely spent and needed a break.

"Gengar, your stamina is seriously lacking. You need more training." August shook his head.

He was starting to think he should get Gengar some battle gear.

Too bad the system had been stingy with its rewards. If only it had given him a [Spooky Plate] from you-know-who, then he wouldn't have to worry about Gengar's energy management at all.

Arceus: Excuse me, where’s your manners?

Hearing August’s words, Gengar looked down in shame.

Just then, the long-dormant ground suddenly bulged slightly.

Seeing Gengar touch down, Leafeon finally couldn't hold back any longer.

Whoosh!

The ground burst open as Leafeon shot out.

Gone was its elegant composure—Leafeon was covered in dirt, its fur matted and scratched in multiple places, some wounds still tinged with ghostly energy from the [Shadow Ball] explosions.

"Leafeon!"

Seeing her usually pristine Pokémon in such a battered state, Erika felt a pang of guilt.

But Leafeon's expression remained fierce, its tail gleaming with a razor-sharp edge as it swung at Gengar.

Having been on the receiving end of Gengar's relentless "whack-a-mole" game, Leafeon was furious.

But anger alone wouldn’t win the battle.

Gengar had been on guard ever since it detected movement underground.

The moment Leafeon emerged, Gengar’s body flickered and reappeared behind it, easily dodging the attack.

Sensing the sinister aura at its back, Leafeon instantly whipped its tail around, sending a flurry of razor-sharp leaves flying.

[Razor Leaf]

Compared to the beginning of the match, however, these leaves lacked their usual speed and force.

Although Gengar had expended a lot of energy in the previous exchange, Leafeon had endured far more damage while underground.

"Gengar, [Shadow Claw]!"

A single swipe of spectral claws effortlessly deflected the incoming [Razor Leaf], confirming August’s suspicions.

Seeing this, Erika’s brows furrowed.

She knew that if they didn’t make a decisive move now, Leafeon would either be knocked out or collapse from exhaustion.

Her eyes steeled with determination as she waved her hand.

"Leafeon, use [Solar Beam]!"

The [Sunny Day] setup at the start of the match wasn’t just for activating Leafeon’s [Leaf Guard] ability—it was also for this moment.

Leafeon dashed away using [Quick Attack], narrowly avoiding another [Shadow Ball].

Ignoring the residual shockwave from the explosion, it lifted its leafy ears toward the sunlight, rapidly gathering energy.

In an instant, dazzling light concentrated between its ears.

[Solar Beam]

A brilliant beam of energy shot straight toward Gengar in the sky.

Gengar's expression twisted in horror—it had no time to evade.

Leafeon's [Solar Beam] hit dead-on?!

The sudden turn of events shocked even Erika.

Leafeon, too, blinked in disbelief.

It hadn't expected to land the attack so cleanly.

The referee, standing by on the sidelines, was elated for Erika—this was a serious Gym evaluation match, after all.

But Blue, watching from the side, couldn't shake off a sense of unease.

Would August really make such a careless mistake?

Her gaze shifted toward him, and sure enough, he didn’t look the least bit flustered.

Instead, he wore an amused smirk.

"You guys don’t actually think my Gengar is down, do you?"

His voice cut through the brief moment of celebration.

Erika froze.

Then she saw it—

The Gengar that had been struck by [Solar Beam] was now semi-transparent, its form gradually dissipating into thin air.

"This is... no, this is bad!"

Erika’s face tightened. She rushed to warn Leafeon, but—

Too late.

A sinister chuckle echoed from directly behind Leafeon.

Ka-kaka...

Grinning wickedly, Gengar emerged from Leafeon’s own shadow.

A cold chill ran down Leafeon’s spine, its fur bristling in alarm.

Before it could react, ghostly claws formed around its body, locking it in place.

[Shadow Claw]

"Gah..."

Bound tightly in Gengar’s spectral grasp, Leafeon trembled.

Erika, who had been celebrating just moments ago, now tasted the bitter sting of defeat.

She knew August had gone easy on her just now.

But one question nagged at her—

"When did Gengar use [Substitute]?"

She hadn't noticed Gengar substituting itself or when it had slipped into Leafeon's shadow.

"Right when Leafeon attacked," August explained casually.

"While dodging, Gengar used [Substitute] and slipped into Leafeon's shadow at the same time."

Erika replayed the moment in her mind.

Indeed, Gengar's form had flickered briefly.

She had dismissed it as a mere afterimage caused by its speed—never realizing it was actually [Substitute].

It wasn’t a failure of observation; it was simply that Gengar was too fast.

Watching Gengar proudly puff out its chest and gesture at August for praise, Erika felt a wave of frustration.

Two battles, two losses.

Erika was facing an unprecedented challenge.

Even during Team Rocket’s raid, she hadn’t felt this helpless.

Taking up her final arrow, she drew her bow with a grave expression.

"This is my strongest partner. Please, August, do your best."

The arrow flew—

A vibrant flash accompanied the release of a Vileplume, its bright red petals releasing a sweet but dangerous scent.

Erika locked eyes with August, her determination unwavering.

She refused to believe he could use that Gengar to defeat this Pokémon.

She was already considering strategies to conserve energy for her next battle when she noticed something—

August had withdrawn Gengar.

Erika: ...Huh?

She shot him a confused look.

August merely smiled.

"Since you've sent out your ace, it would be impolite for me to keep using Gengar."

"So, out of respect, I’ll show you a little of my true strength."

With that, he casually tossed out a Poké Ball.

Boom!

A flash of white light.

ROOOOAAARRR!

A deep, earth-shaking roar filled the battlefield.

A Salamence—massive, crimson-winged—appeared, easily dwarfing Vileplume several times over.

Its wings unfurled, casting a dark shadow over Vileplume, completely blocking out the sunlight.

Its predatory gaze fixed on the trembling flower Pokémon.

Tiny sparks of fire dripped from its maw.

Erika: .....

She turned to glare at August.

Are you kidding me?!

August simply shrugged.

"Gengar and Salamence are both my Pokémon. Where’s the problem?"

Erika clenched her fists, suppressing the urge to punch him.

Instead, she steeled herself, knowing she had no choice but to face his monstrous Salamence head-on.

...

Ten Minutes Later

"Stop it already! I surrender!"

Erika covered her face, unable to bear watching the scene unfold in the arena any longer.

Even the referee, who had remained largely silent throughout the match, couldn’t hide his discomfort as he glanced at the brutal spectacle before him. He quickly raised his flag, eager to put an end to the suffering.

"Vileplume is unable to battle! The winner is Salamence!"

Hearing the official declaration of victory, Salamence finally—albeit reluctantly—released Vileplume from its grasp.

Licking its lips, the dragon savored the lingering taste of Vileplume’s nectar.

This is the best nectar I’ve ever had... it mused. Though the pollen made my tongue all tingly...

But a little numbing sensation wasn’t enough to deter its craving.

Its gaze drifted back to Vileplume.

Covered in wounds, Vileplume trembled under Salamence’s stare. The memories of what had just transpired sent a shudder through its body before it quickly scampered behind Erika for cover.

"Return."

August sighed, rubbing his temples.

He hadn’t expected things to turn out like this.

But could he really be blamed?

This Salamence had been a gift from Lance. If anyone deserved the blame, it was him.

Far away, in a conference room at the Indigo League headquarters, Lance suddenly sneezed.

Salamence, meanwhile, knew it had messed up. It lowered its massive frame, lying down beside August like a schoolkid caught misbehaving.

But…

That nectar was really, really good…

August glanced at his Pokémon, which was clearly lost in thought, reminiscing about the taste.

Completely speechless, he decided there was no saving this glutton.

Returning Salamence to its Poké Ball, August turned to Erika.

"Ahem. If I told you that was an accident… would you believe me?"

Erika shot him a cold glare.

Believe him? Not a chance.

He had specifically switched out Gengar for Salamence—there was no way that wasn’t intentional.

Blue, standing nearby, was well aware of Salamence’s food-obsessed nature.

But even if she vouched for August, would it really make a difference?

Judging from Erika’s expression, August knew she wasn’t buying his excuse no matter what he said.

So, he decided to move on.

His expression turned serious. "Now, I officially announce the results of Celadon Gym’s evaluation."

At those words, Erika and her staff stiffened in anticipation.

Losing three consecutive battles…

It would be a lie to say they weren’t nervous.

Though there was precedent—Pewter Gym had also lost all three matches and still passed their evaluation—rumors had it that Brock, the Gym Leader, was only approved because of his close ties with August.

Erika, on the other hand, had no such prior relationship with him.

Facing her and the gathered Gym staff, August smiled.

"Celadon Gym's, Gym Leader assessment—approved!"

"Yes!"

The staff erupted into cheers.

But before they could celebrate too much—

August continued, "However…"

Their joy was abruptly cut short.

A however?

The entire Gym staff felt a chill run down their spines.

Everyone knew that whatever came after a "however" was what truly mattered.

August didn’t leave them in suspense.

"However, your Gym’s fire safety measures are seriously concerning."

He glanced around at the lush greenhouse setting.

"The Gym is filled with highly flammable plants, yet your fire prevention measures follow only the standard building regulations. The escape routes are also blocked by overgrown vegetation. If a fire were to break out, the consequences could be disastrous."

Silence.

Everyone was expecting something about battle standards or Pokémon training.

But… fire safety?

Even Erika was caught off guard.

She suddenly recalled how August had been jotting things down in his notebook during their tour.

So that was what he had been recording?

In an instant, all the complaints she had harbored toward him disappeared.

What remained was a newfound respect.

Most assessment officers focused solely on a Gym Trainer’s strength. Some evaluations were just formalities.

But August was different.

The fact that he pointed out such a critical issue showed his professionalism.

Erika straightened up, her tone serious.

"Thank you, Agent August. We will take this issue very seriously."

August nodded. "What are your plans for addressing it?"

Erika smiled.

"I was already considering expanding the botanical garden. Since you've pointed this out, I’ll incorporate a small artificial lake into the new section and hire a dedicated Blastoise Fire Brigade to handle the Gym’s fire safety."

August: …

He had been expecting talk of additional sprinklers or emergency drills.

Instead, she was casually planning a Blastoise Fire Brigade.

The sheer wealth.

The sheer audacity.

For a second, he felt like shaking her by the shoulders and yelling, Damn rich people!

But then he remembered—Oh right. I’m rich too.

"That’s a fantastic solution," August said, regaining his composure.

Erika chuckled.

"Shall we move to the reception room for some tea?"

August had no objections—he had a few things he wanted to discuss with her anyway.

After dismissing the Gym staff, Erika led him and Blue toward the reception room.

...

Erika knelt gracefully, preparing tea with practiced elegance.

She placed four cups in front of August, Blue, Gardevoir, and Eevee.

"This tea is made from leaves cultivated by my family. Please, enjoy."

August took a sip.

Having grown up on fruit juice and soda, he couldn't really tell the difference between good and bad tea.

But since Erika had personally prepared it, he assumed it must be high quality.

Blue was in the same boat.

Gardevoir, however, had some knowledge of tea. She usually preferred black tea, but this was her first time trying green tea.

After a sip, her eyes lit up with pleasant surprise.

Eevee, seeing Gardevoir’s reaction, assumed it must be delicious and eagerly took a big gulp.

A second later, its tiny face scrunched up.

So bitter!

Erika chuckled at Eevee’s reaction before turning to August.

"Speaking of which, Agent August, I noticed we share something in common—we’re both lecturers at Celadon University."

She had learned this while researching his background.

She hadn’t mentioned it earlier to avoid the appearance of favoritism.

But now that the evaluation was over, there was no longer a need for restraint.

"Just call me August," he said, waving a hand dismissively. "I’m only a guest lecturer in name. Haven’t even taught a single class yet."

He had been meaning to hold a lecture or two, partly for fun and partly to rank up his Teaching Credentials.

But he had been far too busy—

Between dealing with Team Rocket and handling Gym evaluations, there simply hadn’t been time.

"By the way, there’s something I’d like to ask you," he said.

Erika tilted her head, curious.

Given August’s role, could he be asking about Sabrina from the Saffron Gym?

But his actual question caught her off guard.

"I wanted to ask about Team Rocket’s activity in Celadon City."

Erika’s hands paused mid-pour.

Her expression wavered slightly before she carefully set the teapot down.

After a brief hesitation, she spoke.

"If Lance trusts you…"

She met his gaze.

"Then you’re right. I’ve received intelligence suggesting that Team Rocket is making moves to reestablish a foothold in Celadon. I haven’t reported it to the League because we lack solid proof."

"Or maybe," August said, "because it’s not just about evidence."

Erika remained silent, but her faint smile confirmed his suspicions.

The League had already been heavily infiltrated.

Reporting to the wrong person could do more harm than good.

Recognizing the trust barrier, August simply placed his credentials on the table.

Erika glanced at them—

Her eyes widened.

"International Police?"

"Weren't the International Police completely wiped out by Team Rocket? When did they rebuild?"

"That's right. The Kanto division has been reestablished," August confirmed. "If you have any information on Team Rocket, please feel free to share it with us." He gestured toward himself and Blue.

At that moment, Erika finally understood why Lance had entrusted August with something as important as the Gym evaluations.

Collecting herself, she gave a firm nod.

"If you're with the International Police, then I have no reason to withhold information. I’ve worked with your department before, but… your predecessors were rather… difficult to work with."

August nodded in agreement.

"That’s putting it mildly."

For her to describe those guys as merely difficult was an act of supreme generosity.

---

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!