Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [86]

"Thanks a lot for your help!" Bill said gratefully.

Although he had hired a moving company with Machoke and Machamp to assist him, everyone knew that Fighting-type Pokémon tended to be rather rough in their movements. Since he had a lot of delicate equipment, he had to keep a close eye on them at all times to prevent any damage.

It was an exhausting and nerve-wracking task.

However, with August’s Gardevoir lending a hand, he had nothing to worry about at all.

"It’s nothing," August replied casually.

Bill then invited August and Blue into the lighthouse.

The inside was now quite empty—his research equipment had already been moved out, leaving behind only some basic furniture.

At the top of the lighthouse, the area that had been damaged by the massive Dragonite was temporarily patched up with wooden planks. The repair looked makeshift at best—one good rainstorm might be enough to wash it all away.

It was no surprise Bill had decided to move back to Cerulean City.

Once he had finished making coffee, August asked, "Was the top of the lighthouse damaged by that unknown Pokémon?"

Even though August knew it was an enormous Dragonite, he couldn't exactly explain how he knew. So, he simply played dumb.

Hearing August’s question, Bill immediately perked up with excitement.

"Did Professor Cerise tell you? I really did see that mysterious giant Pokémon! Unfortunately, I never got a clear look at its true form." Bill sighed with regret.

Hearing this, August voiced a long-standing question he’d had ever since watching the original Indigo League arc of the anime.

"Bill, you're a legitimate researcher. You should be familiar with all known Pokémon species. Just from its silhouette alone, you should’ve been able to figure out what it was, right?"

Bill sighed. "See for yourself..."

As he spoke, he took out a tablet, opened a video file, and hit play.

August watched the screen. The surrounding environment was completely shrouded in thick fog. The combination of nightfall and the heavy mist reduced visibility to less than a meter.

In that near-zero-visibility setting, a massive claw suddenly swiped through the fog, accompanied by an angry roar. The screen immediately cut to static.

"See? It’s not that I couldn’t recognize it. The fog was simply too thick, and there was too little information to work with." Bill looked exasperated.

"Under normal circumstances, I could at least identify it by its cry," he added.

He had spent a long time stationed at this lighthouse, and this was all he had to show for it. It was hard not to be disappointed.

But he didn’t notice the strange expression on August’s face.

"Bill, can you rewind to 3 minutes and 42 seconds?"

Bill was puzzled but did as asked, rewinding to the specified timestamp. "Did you notice something?"

August didn’t answer. Instead, he played the video frame by frame, then suddenly hit pause.

The screen froze at the moment the claw was swinging toward the lighthouse.

Setting aside the faint orange hue of the giant claw in the mist, August focused on a specific spot in the corner of the frame.

There, for a brief instant, a blurry pink figure flickered into view.

It was so faint that most people would dismiss it as an illusion caused by the mist refracting light. But August had spent time with Mew before—he knew better.

Mew? Wasn’t it supposed to be looking for Mewtwo? What’s it doing here?

Did it already visit the Rocket Team base and realize it’s too difficult to handle? Is that why it’s looking for the giant Dragonite as backup?

…

August didn’t mention Mew to Bill.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust him, but rather that Mew’s search for Mewtwo wasn’t something Bill could help with anyway.

However, regarding the identity of the "unknown Pokémon," August could at least give him a hint.

Pointing at the faint orange glow in the mist, he asked, "Bill, doesn’t this color look familiar to you?"

Bill scrutinized the image. "Are you saying it’s a Dragonite? But Dragonite doesn’t get that big. That’s probably just the lighthouse’s light refracting through the fog."

Clearly, Bill didn’t believe the mysterious Pokémon could be a Dragonite.

After all, no Dragonite should be that massive.

Kanto wasn’t Galar—there were no special energy sources that could trigger Pokémon gigantification.

Bill remained skeptical, but August wasn’t in a rush. Using a drawing tool, he outlined the silhouette on the frozen frame.

"If you don’t trust the color alone, fine. But take a look at the shape of this claw. Tell me, is there any other Pokémon in all of Kanto that could have a claw like this?"

Bill compared the outline August had drawn with the image in his head. After a brief moment, he realized—

It really did look like a Dragonite’s claw.

Could it really be an enormous Dragonite?

Just as Bill thought he was finally about to uncover the truth behind the mysterious Pokémon, August added, "Of course, this is just my reasonable deduction based on the video. To confirm whether or not it’s a Dragonite, you’ll have to verify it yourself."

Bill: "..."

For a second there, he had almost jumped up in excitement.

August, you really know how to kill the mood.

…

Mew’s appearance at Bill’s lighthouse made August feel that the situation with Mewtwo wasn’t going to be easily resolved.

If it were, Mew wouldn’t still be wandering around here.

Unfortunately, he had arrived too late. If he’d been able to meet Mew, he could’ve asked what had happened—maybe he could’ve even helped.

After finishing their discussion about the giant Dragonite, August brought up the main reason he had come to find Bill.

"…You’re inviting me to join the Kanto Division’s International Police Equipment Development Team?" Bill asked in surprise.

It was clear that Professor Cerise hadn’t told him the reason for August’s visit. In fact, he was quite shocked to learn that August and Blue were even part of the International Police.

"That’s right," August confirmed. "Professor Cerise has already agreed to be an advisor, but he declined to participate in the actual equipment design and development. Instead, he recommended you."

"Well…" Bill hesitated. It was obvious he wasn’t completely unaware of the Kanto Division’s… reputation.

August sighed.

Ever since his unreliable former superior had led a disastrous mission that resulted in mass casualties, the Kanto Division’s reputation had tanked.

Recruiting people had become a real struggle.

Bill, too, was deep in thought.

The Pokémon research field had become incredibly competitive. With an influx of new researchers, investors were growing increasingly selective, preferring to fund those with proven results.

Securing funding was tough—even renowned Pokémon Professors like Cerise had financial gaps when trying to establish research facilities.

Bill had a solid history, having once contributed to the development of Pokémon transfer technology.

But that was years ago.

For the past two years, he had poured all his energy into researching unknown Pokémon.

If he had successfully discovered a brand-new species, his work would have been groundbreaking, ensuring future investment.

But he had failed.

Two years of effort had only led to a possible sighting of a "giant Dragonite"—far from enough to attract investors.

Securing funding for a new research project would be nearly impossible in the near future.

In this situation, August’s offer was an appealing lifeline.

As Professor Cerise had said, Bill had real talent in technological invention.

After thinking it through, Bill looked up. "What exactly would my job be? What kind of equipment do you need developed?"

He mentally braced himself for a list of absurd demands—something every researcher dreads from their clients.

August thought for a moment. "Hmm… Nothing urgent right now. For starters, how about designing a harness that can securely hold a stone slab about this big—" he gestured the size of the Sky Plate, "—on a two-meter-tall avian Pokémon?"

"Oh, and make sure it’s comfortable. The Pokémon shouldn’t feel any discomfort."

Bill: "…"

That’s it?

Compared to his past experiences, this was practically child's play.

Just as Bill was starting to feel relieved, Blue, who had been playing with Torchic, suddenly leaned over with an eager expression.

"Our division can request custom equipment now? Perfect! I’ve got a few ideas!"

Bill was stunned for a moment, but before he could say anything, Blue began counting on her fingers.

"I need a device that can be securely attached to Jigglypuff, so it can carry me while flying with less effort."

"Also, during infiltration missions, my disguises still have some flaws—mainly in scent. I need a spray that can completely eliminate odors, preferably one that can even fool an Arcanine’s nose."

"And since every second counts in Pokémon battles, I want a belt that allows instant Poké Ball release with a single press."

"A fireproof umbrella…"

"Glasses that can see through smoke screens—oh, and they should also block [Flash]."

"A repellent spray that specifically irritates bird Pokémon…"

"A multifunctional makeup kit—can that be done?"

"…Spectral goggles that can track Pokémon auras. I used to have a pair, but they broke…"

"…Boots that enhance jumping ability. Huh? You say those are available in Hoenn? Never mind, then…"

…

The more Blue spoke, the more excited she became.

But for Bill, it was the exact opposite.

As the list went on and on, he felt a creeping sense of dread—one that reminded him all too vividly of the terror of being at the mercy of demanding clients.

---

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!