Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [288]

“Damn it, I was this close...”

Zinnia clenched her fists in frustration.

If only I could’ve used [Mega Evolution], I would’ve won...

Across from her, Courtney blew a bubble with her gum, looking immensely pleased.

Back when she was still in Team Magma, Zinnia had infiltrated their ranks and made a complete fool of her.

Now that she’d finally turned the tables, the satisfaction was overwhelming.

All the frustration August had caused her earlier vanished in an instant.

Watching Courtney’s cheerful face, it was now Zinnia’s turn to stew in silence.

With a huff, she pulled a [Mega Stone] for Camerupt out of her pocket. “Here, take it...”

That had been the wager before the match.

If Courtney lost, she had to agree to one request from Zinnia.
If Zinnia lost, she'd hand over a [Mega Stone].

Originally, Zinnia had planned to ally with Courtney and turn the tables on August.
Instead, she ended up down one [Mega Stone].

She rubbed her now-empty pocket, full of nostalgia for the days when her stash of [Mega Stones] could barely fit.

"All your fault, August..."

She muttered the words under her breath.

“What’d I do? You lose a battle, and suddenly it’s my fault?”

August’s voice cut in abruptly from behind.

Zinnia jolted, whipped around, and saw him standing right behind her with Eevee in his arms.

“No, no, you must’ve misheard... Um, aren’t we supposed to head to headquarters today? I’ve never seen it before...” she said hastily, eyes darting everywhere but at him.

Her clumsy attempt to change the subject was almost painful to watch.

Still, she had a point—it was time to head back to headquarters.

Hopefully Indeedee had been taking decent care of Matori and Pryce, who were still locked in the basement.

They shouldn’t have starved to death... probably.

Since Sabrina had to return to the Saffron Gym to deal with her backlog of work, and Gary planned to stop by the Oak Lab, this time only August, Blue, Zinnia, Courtney, and the three prisoners made the trip back.

“So this is our headquarters? Kinda underwhelming...”

Zinnia scoffed, but her darting eyes betrayed a keen curiosity that didn’t match her words.

Compared to her posturing, Courtney had a very different focus.

As a former Team Magma admin, her instincts immediately zeroed in on the manor’s security.

Forget the Pokémon for now—just the gate they’d passed through earlier seemed to be fitted with the latest defense systems from Devon Corp.

That must’ve cost a fortune...

Back when they’d raided the Kusunoki Shipyard for the Abyssal One, even the outdated systems there had put up a fierce resistance. This? Next level.

Just then, Indeedee emerged from the manor and immediately caught her attention.

Those two Indeedee Pokémon looked anything but weak.

“Luv~!”

The female Indeedee greeted August with a cheerful smile.

Just as the male Indeedee was about to remind her to mind her manners in front of guests, a hand suddenly landed on his head.

“This is your Indeedee? He’s adorable~” Zinnia said, stroking the horn on his head as she turned to August.

Blue hesitated as if about to speak, while August just watched with an amused expression.

The moment of surprise didn’t last long. The Indeedee’s eyes glowed blue—[Psychic] activated—

Wham!

Zinnia was flung across the yard, landing face-first in the grass.

Only then did August saunter over and remark, “...Forgot to mention—he really hates strangers touching his horn.”

An Indeedee Pokémon’s horn was sensitive—it allowed them to sense emotions, and was strictly off-limits.

As if to prove the point, the Indeedee daintily pulled out a handkerchief and began wiping the spot Zinnia had touched.

Groaning, Zinnia picked herself up from the ground, dizzy and disoriented. “...Why didn’t you say that sooner?”

August gave her a faint smile.

And miss out on that show?

Led by the Indeedee Pokémon, the group entered the manor.

The moment they stepped inside, Zinnia’s eyes landed on a Dragonair, curled around a massive, deep crimson gemstone and seemingly asleep.

As a Dragon-type specialist, she was instantly drawn in.

“What a gorgeous Dragonair!”

Zinnia leaned in for a closer look, tempted to reach out and touch it—but remembering the Indeedee incident, she turned to glance at August.

Dragonair were famously gentle. Surely petting one wouldn’t get her launched across the room...

“It’s fine.”

The moment she heard August’s reassurance, her caution evaporated.

She reached out and gently stroked Dragonair’s head.

The texture was soft and silky.

“So smooth~” Zinnia sighed contentedly.

Feeling the touch, Dragonair slowly opened its eyes.
It tensed slightly at the unfamiliar face—
But then noticed August nearby, and relaxed.

“Vuu~”

With a happy cry, Dragonair abandoned Zinnia entirely, slithering over to nuzzle August, rubbing its head against his cheek.

It had missed him dearly.

Zinnia looked on, eyes full of envy—
Only to be distracted by something else a moment later.

“What’s this...?”

She turned to the deep red gemstone that had been hidden beneath Dragonair until now.

She’d been so focused on the Pokémon she hadn’t noticed it earlier.
But now that it was exposed, she could feel it—an intense, overwhelming Dragon-type energy radiating from it.

August gently patted Dragonair, then turned to her and explained, “That? It’s a [Dragon Crystal].”

“[Dragon Crystal]...?” Zinnia muttered. The name rang a bell.

Wasn’t that something from those ancient legends the Elders used to tell—?

“Nothing special. Just... the material Regigigas used to create Regidrago,” August said offhandedly.

Wait—what?!

Even someone as inattentive in history class as Zinnia knew those names.

Regigigas—the Titan said to have dragged continents across the earth.
And Regidrago—a creation imbued with concentrated dragon energy.

And you’re just... using the crafting material of a legendary Pokémon as Dragonair’s pillow?

She was dumbstruck.

Even Courtney looked a little shaken, though considering August had caught Rayquaza and taken down Team Magma... it kind of tracked.

“Alright then... Blue, show her around. Courtney, with me—we’re heading to the basement.”

August waved her over as he turned to go.

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This is a fan translation of 我，宝可梦称号大师！ by 落唯 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!