Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [132]

Gulp…

Blue stared at the staircase ahead, shrouded in an ominous aura, and swallowed hard.

“…Are we really going up there?” she asked August.

Every instinct in her body told her that stepping forward was not going to end well.

Eevee, nestled in August’s arms, nodded vigorously in agreement.

“Of course, we’re not walking up there like this.”

August could also sense the overwhelming malicious energy coiling around the stairs.

If they recklessly stepped onto those steps, he wouldn’t be surprised if they mysteriously tripped and fell to their deaths.

So…

He looked toward Gardevoir.

A flicker of blue light flashed in Gardevoir’s eyes, and in the next instant, August, Blue, and her Wartortle were all lifted into the air.

What staircase? I don’t see a staircase. We’re flying.

Instead of stepping onto the cursed stairs, they simply floated toward the seventh floor.

But just as they were about to leave the sixth floor completely, August’s gaze briefly flicked toward one of the gravestones.

Once they had disappeared—

The shadow beneath that gravestone shifted.

A Gastly slowly emerged from within, its expression visibly relieved.

It carefully checked the staircase, making sure August wasn’t coming back.

Only after confirming he was truly gone did it cautiously inch toward the seventh floor entrance.

Unlike the cluttered, chaotic layout of the previous floors, the seventh floor of Pokémon Tower was normally kept in pristine condition.

Since it was used for funeral services, the floor was arranged in a solemn, orderly manner.

Two neat rows of tombstones lined the walls, leaving a single clear path leading directly to the altar at the back.

But now—

Now, it was wrecked.

Scattered across the floor were piles of broken and intact machinery.

Most of the tombstones had been destroyed, the battle scars still visible.

And at the altar—

A gleaming purple portal, radiating an eerie glow, stood ominously in place.

But even that wasn’t the most shocking sight.

The real eye-catcher was above the altar.

“…That’s a Dusknoir?” Blue gasped.

Suspended in midair, a massive Dusknoir was chained to the wall—its body bound by glowing restraints.

The Ghost World portal was draining energy from Dusknoir, feeding off of it to keep itself open.

The ghost’s lone, red eye was dim with exhaustion.

August immediately understood why the portal hadn’t been sealed.

The Spirit Messenger itself was trapped. Who was supposed to close it?

But—

“Who the hell has the power to chain up a Dusknoir and use it as a power source?” Blue questioned.

August wondered the same thing.

Staring at the restrained Dusknoir, he figured the fastest way to get answers was to ask it directly.

Surely, as a Messenger, Dusknoir would be able to communicate—unlike the other Ghost Pokémon they had encountered earlier.

With that in mind, he stepped forward.

But just as he moved—

His [Aura] and Gardevoir’s psychic senses flared in alarm.

Shing!

Gardevoir immediately raised a [Light Screen], shielding August and Blue.

A second later—

Boom!

A pulse of ghostly energy slammed into the barrier, causing it to shudder violently.

August’s expression darkened.

For something to shake Gardevoir’s [Light Screen] like that—

This opponent was strong.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, a soft, melancholic voice drifted into the air.

“Oh dear… You arrived at such an unfortunate time, big brother…”

The voice was barely above a whisper—sweet, sorrowful, and laced with eerie calm.

A figure slowly materialized before them.

A young girl floated gently in the air, her delicate hands clasped in front of her chest.

Her wide, innocent eyes brimmed with sadness—

As if she were the one being wronged.

August let his [Aura] sweep over her, instantly recognizing the cold, lifeless presence she radiated.

Then, considering the way she had just appeared out of thin air—

The answer was obvious.

She wasn’t human.

She was a spirit.

A true ghost, from the Ghost World.

Blue also quickly realized this, but instead of panicking—

She calmly reached up, turned on her scanner goggles, and began recording the spectral energy waves surrounding the girl.

A real ghost.

If she could record legitimate data on actual spirits, she could definitely sell that for a fortune.

Sure, working for the International Police paid well.

But Blue would never complain about having more money.

The girl extended her hand toward August.

“Big brother,” she murmured sweetly, “won’t you play a game with me?”

August immediately felt his consciousness waver.

A thick, drowsy fog crept over his thoughts—

But the moment his [Aura] reacted, the effect was dispelled.

Of course, he didn’t show any reaction.

Instead, he pretended to be dazed, taking a slow step forward.

“…A game?” he echoed absently. “What game?”

The girl smiled softly.

“The Ghost Wor—”

Mid-sentence, she froze.

Her eyes narrowed.

Then, her expression snapped into one of suspicion.

“Wait.”

She stared at August, realization dawning.

“…You’re not under my spell, are you?”

August smirked.

“Wow, aren’t you quick?”

The girl’s expression twisted into frustration.

“You cheater!” she shrieked.

With a furious wail, her form distorted—

And from behind her, a Mismagius emerged, its entire body cloaked in dark, ominous mist.

The Ghost Pokémon chanted an incantation, shadows coiling in its wake. A [Shadow Ball] crackled in front of it, pulsing with dangerous energy.

August clicked his tongue.

“I love how the cheating ghost is calling me a cheater.”

But he didn’t waste any more time.

“Mismagius is pure Ghost-type,” he noted. “It counters Gardevoir.”

So—

“Gardevoir, [Psyshock]!”

Sure, Mismagius resisted Psychic attacks—

But [Psyshock] calculated damage based on physical defense instead of special defense.

The two forces collided midair, triggering a violent explosion.

Then—

Without hesitation, August threw Eevee forward.

“Eevee! It’s your time to shine! Overcome your fear—[Bite]!”

Eevee, caught off guard, had no time to react.

Its mind blanked.

How did I get thrown in?!

But years of trusting August kicked in—

And without thinking, Eevee bit down onto something soft.

The ghostly girl screamed.

A burst of Dark-type energy flared around her arm, sending waves of pain through her ethereal form.

She frantically tried to shake Eevee off—

But Eevee refused to let go.

Mismagius, seeing its master in distress, attempted to rush back—

But Gardevoir intercepted it, pinning it in place.

There was no fatal strike—

Just a slow, drawn-out battle, forcing Mismagius to watch as its master suffered.

August’s lips curled into an all-too-familiar smirk.

The kind that villains wore.

And just as the scene reached its climax—

A dark, shadowy figure peeked its head out from the stairwell—

Watching it all unfold.

---

T/N: poor girl... time to tweet about August!

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!