Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [95]

So this is the shiny Gardevoir I heard about…

Giovanni studied August and Gardevoir carefully.

His appearance at Mt. Moon and his encounter with August were, of course, no coincidence.

As a high-ranking member of the League Council, he had received the news about the Gym Leader evaluations as soon as it was announced.

That was also how he learned that August had been appointed as an examiner.

He still remembered this so-called “Demon” of a Ranger—who had wiped out an entire Team Rocket operation during their hunt for Mew.

And now, that same Ranger had suddenly become an official Gym Examiner for the League.

It was enough to pique Giovanni’s curiosity.

Which was why he had deliberately arranged this meeting.

Watching the wave of Graveler and Geodude charging toward them, a glint flickered in Giovanni’s eyes.

Let’s see what you’re capable of…

August had no idea what Giovanni was thinking.

But he could easily guess that this was some kind of test.

So—

Gardevoir, don’t use the [Mind Plate].

August instructed Gardevoir telepathically.

He didn’t mind revealing some of Gardevoir’s power, but he couldn’t risk exposing the existence of the [Mind Plate] in front of Giovanni.

Gardevoir understood immediately.

Its eyes glowed blue, and an overwhelming wave of psychic energy burst forth, covering the entire stampeding horde in an instant.

[Psychic]

The sheer force of the attack hit like a tidal wave.

Almost immediately, every Graveler and Geodude was writhing in pain.

The weaker ones collapsed on the spot, knocked out in a single strike.

Such immense psychic power… No wonder he wiped out two entire Rocket squads back then.

Giovanni analyzed the scene with keen interest.

He had personally selected these Graveler and Geodude. He knew exactly how strong they were.

And yet, Gardevoir had effortlessly incapacitated most of them in one move.

Definitely at an Elite Four level already.

It matched the intel he had gathered so far.

But… how will you handle this next part?

The remaining Geodude, seeing their comrades fall, weren’t deterred.

Instead, it seemed to trigger their aggression even more.

One after another, they curled their four arms around their bodies and rolled at high speed, hurtling toward Gardevoir like boulders.

Among them, some that had barely survived thanks to their [Sturdy] ability were glowing ominously.

“Careful! They’re going to [Self-Destruct]!”

Giovanni reached for a Poké Ball as if ready to intervene.

Oh, I know it’s [Self-Destruct]. So why don’t you actually do something?

August grumbled internally but outwardly smiled.

“No need, Giovanni—I’ve got this.”

"Gardevoir."

No detailed commands were needed.

Gardevoir raised a hand, and a dazzling rainbow-colored beam shot forward.

[Psybeam]

The moment the attack struck, the charging Geodude suddenly became disoriented.

They turned on each other, crashing into their own allies, throwing the formation into chaos.

As for those that still attempted to [Self-Destruct], Gardevoir lifted them effortlessly with its psychic energy.

Suspended mid-air with no leverage, the Geodude exploded—

But without the ground beneath them, the blasts dissipated harmlessly.

The shockwaves, however, hit the already-confused Geodude below, sending them flying in all directions.

The tunnel was left in utter disarray.

Now, the only one still standing was the leading Graveler.

Seeing all its subordinates defeated, it roared and charged at August and Gardevoir.

August was just about to wrap things up with a final attack—

But suddenly, the ground beneath Graveler caved in.

It lost its footing and tumbled forward.

At the same time, as if some hidden switch had been activated, the entire area began to collapse.

The few remaining conscious Geodude were also swallowed up by the sudden pitfall.

When did that happen?

August’s brow furrowed as he instinctively glanced at Giovanni.

Giovanni, still wearing his ever-friendly smile, simply said,

“Well, August, since you already stepped in, I couldn’t just stand back and do nothing.”

As he spoke, the ground trembled again.

The pit expanded, completely burying the defeated Pokémon underground.

The crisis was over.

And in that moment, August caught sight of Giovanni’s Pokémon—

A Dugtrio, barely visible as it poked its heads out of the ground before disappearing into its Poké Ball.

He managed to set up such a large-scale trap without me noticing…

Not only is Giovanni incredibly discreet in his actions, but that Dugtrio must be at least Elite Four level—possibly even Champion level.

After the battle, the Trainers who had been fleeing earlier finally caught their breath and came over to thank them.

August responded with a polite smile but was deep in thought.

Destroying evidence? Covering his tracks?

This confirms it—this attack was most likely Giovanni’s doing.

He wasn’t sure what method Giovanni had used to rile up the Geodude and Graveler, but there had to be some clues left behind.

If he had managed to capture one of them alive, he might have been able to use it as proof to further his suspicions with Lance.

But now, Giovanni had wiped away all traces.

The man was way too cautious.

Once the crowd dispersed, August turned to Giovanni and said,

“That was [Earthquake], wasn’t it? As expected from the author of The Principles of Earth, your control over Ground-type moves is unmatched.”

This time, August wasn’t just acting.

It was genuine praise.

Using [Earthquake] inside a tunnel was incredibly risky—it could cause the entire structure to collapse.

The fact that Giovanni dared to use it here meant he knew he could control the tremors precisely.

Having someone like this as an enemy… what a headache.

August estimated that his best chance against Giovanni would be a Mega Evolved Gardevoir with the [Mind Plate], paired with his Lugia holding the [Sky Plate].

Even his Elite-level Eevee wasn’t quite enough.

Giovanni accepted the compliment graciously.

“If you hadn’t confused the Geodude first, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to set up my trap.”

Then, as if casually, he added,

“But still… isn’t it odd for so many wild Pokémon to suddenly go berserk like that? I should investigate before heading back. Looks like I won’t be traveling with you after all.”

“When we meet again at the Gym assessment, I hope we have another good chat.”

With that, Giovanni turned and walked off into the darkness of Mt. Moon.

August watched him go.

Then he let out a quiet sigh.

What a nightmare of a guy.

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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!