Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [81]

As soon as Little Lugia was born, it looked around, as if searching for something.

The moment it saw August and Gardevoir, it sniffed the air and immediately dove toward August, sending a wave of affection through psychic energy to both him and Gardevoir.

"…If I’m not mistaken, it thinks we’re its parents?"

August asked Gardevoir telepathically.

Gardevoir hesitated for a moment before nodding.

Since Little Lugia had just been born, it couldn’t fully articulate its thoughts, but that seemed to be the general idea.

"It’s probably because we healed it."

August reasoned.

It made sense. Back then, Little Lugia had been on the brink of death, its life force flickering like a dying flame.

In that dire moment, August and Gardevoir had pulled it back from the edge with their power. It wasn’t surprising that Little Lugia now saw them as its parents.

August let out a long breath of relief.

"Good thing it can’t talk yet. If it actually called me 'Dad' out loud, I’d die of embarrassment on the spot. And if someone overheard, they’d probably think I did something to Gardevoir…"

Gardevoir: …

August: …!

Crap. He forgot to cut off their telepathic link before making that comment.

An awkward silence fell between him and Gardevoir. To escape it, August quickly shifted his focus to the Little Lugia clinging tightly to him.

Aside from the dark blue fins on its back and the patches around its eyes, which contrasted with the light blue shade of its belly, Little Lugia’s body was completely white.

Its two wing-like arms wrapped tightly around August, showing no intention of letting go.

“It seems to really like you,” Professor Cerise remarked in surprise.

Nearby, Blue watched Lugia with a mix of curiosity and lingering nervousness.

It was clear that her fear of birds hadn’t fully disappeared yet.

Still, since she had personally suggested hatching Lugia’s egg and witnessed the entire process, the fear wasn’t as overwhelming as before. Her recent interactions with Pidgey had also helped her gradually adjust. Now, she was only a little tense rather than outright terrified.

Noticing her unease, August flashed her a reassuring smile, signaling her to relax.

At that moment, Professor Oak, who had been observing Little Lugia carefully since its birth, spoke up. “By the looks of it, Little Lugia is still somewhat weak. It may need some extra nourishment.”

Hearing this, August activated his [Viridian Power] to check on Lugia’s condition—and indeed, it needed replenishment.

Without hesitation, he took out a [Mystic Energy Pokéblocks] and offered it to Little Lugia.

Lugia, showing no wariness toward August, immediately swallowed it without a second thought.

The cube, made primarily from [Herba Mystica], was delicious. As soon as Lugia tasted it, its eyes curved into happy crescents. At the same time, its body visibly grew larger before their eyes.

As expected, these specially crafted energy cubes contain an immense amount of energy. They can even accelerate a Pokémon’s growth.

Comparing Lugia’s reaction to what had happened with Magikarp earlier, August confirmed his theory.

Of course, there was a slight difference between the two cases.

Magikarp had grown in size, while Lugia was simply accelerating toward its natural mature form.

“Wuu~”

Lugia clearly noticed the benefits of the energy cubes. It nudged its head against August, an unmistakable I want more expression in its eyes.

Faced with this childlike behavior, August felt helpless but gave in. He handed over another [Mystic Energy Pokéblocks], along with a few regular ones.

Lugia had no particular preferences—it devoured anything August offered without hesitation.

By the time it had finished an entire box of energy cubes, it was finally full. But even then, it refused to loosen its grip around August.

Seeing this, August thought for a moment before asking, “Would you like to be my partner?”

He took out an Ultra Ball and gave it a slight shake, conveying his intent to Lugia through his [Viridian Power].

Given Lugia’s current state, releasing it into the wild could be dangerous.

Of course, there was another reason…

I won’t lie—I just really want to keep it.

┓(￣∇￣)┏ August mentally shrugged.

Lugia tilted its head in thought, then glanced at Gardevoir. After pondering the meaning of “partner” for a brief moment, it didn’t hesitate any longer. It gently pressed its head against the Ultra Ball’s button.

A beam of red light shot out, pulling Lugia inside.

With barely a flicker, the light on the Ultra Ball dimmed, and a soft click confirmed the capture.

The whole process was far smoother than August had expected.

He had assumed that, no matter how much Lugia liked him, it would at least hesitate a little. But instead, it had agreed instantly.

August released Lugia from the Poké Ball.

Having never experienced this kind of capture before, Lugia found the sensation fascinating. It eagerly clung to August, nudging him as if asking to go back inside, then out again.

August had no choice but to humor it, playing the in and out of the Poké Ball game.

This… this really feels like taking care of a child.

Shaking his head, August quickly banished the thought. He didn’t even have a girlfriend yet—there was no way he was ready to be a father!

Meanwhile, watching this repeated back-and-forth, Professors Oak and Cerise were utterly stunned.

So this… is what a Legendary Pokémon is like?

It was nothing like what they had imagined!

Lugia quickly tired itself out.

Breaking out of its shell had already drained a lot of its energy, and digesting all the food only added to its exhaustion. After one final exit from the Ultra Ball, it nestled against August’s chest and fell into a deep sleep, a look of pure contentment on its face.

As he held Lugia in his arms, August failed to notice the [Silver Wing] within his grasp glowing faintly before the light eventually faded, returning it to normal.

At the moment, he had another problem on his mind.

Hugging the little Pokémon, August couldn’t help but notice that the strange scent from before still lingered—it wasn’t fading at all.

Has the smell… soaked in permanently?

He had already considered this possibility, but now that it had actually happened, he couldn’t help but twitch at the thought. Especially now that Lugia was his partner.

August could already picture the awkward battles he’d have in the future.

His opponent: “My Pokémon is Shadow Lugia! What’s yours?”

August: “Uh… mine’s Five-Spiced Lugia.”

Opponent: “…”

Just thinking about it made August want to curl his toes in embarrassment.

“…I have to find a way to wash off this scent.”

This was the Pokémon world—surely there was some kind of item that could remove Pokémon odors.

…Right?

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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!