Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [280]

August ultimately agreed to take Maxie and Archie back to Kanto with him.

With that weight off his shoulders, Steven looked visibly relieved.

Now he could focus entirely on rebuilding Hoenn.

But that wasn’t his only reason for coming.

“August, for saving Hoenn, the Pokémon Association has prepared a gift…”

“A reward?”

August had come to help Hoenn out of pure idealism—he didn’t care much about compensation.

Gary, on the other hand, perked up immediately.

“The Association will fund the Kanto Police Division… and also…”

Steven pulled out his phone and sent everyone a link.

“Each of you may adopt one Pokémon from the Association’s breeding roster. Just one per person.”

August didn’t react much.

Gary, however, clicked the link—and his eyes popped.

Holy crap…

Nothing but rare Pokémon. The list was huge, and every entry came with detailed data: height, stats, temperament, preferences.

And the species?

Besides Hoenn’s Beldum and Bagon, there were Kanto’s Dratini, Johto’s Larvitar, Sinnoh’s Gible…

It was like a buffet of pseudo-legendaries.

“Wait—we really get to pick one?”

“Of course,” Steven said with a smile. “If you all hadn’t helped, I wouldn’t have been able to stop Groudon alone.”

Gary tried to act modest, waving it off.

Meanwhile, his eyes scanned the list like a starving man at a feast.

Even Zinnia, who still harbored deep hostility toward the Hoenn Pokémon Association, wasn’t about to miss this chance to bleed the League dry.

“This is the perfect way to weaken them!” she told herself while scrolling.

Soon, everyone had made their choice.

Except August.

“August?” Steven prompted.

“This one,” he replied.

Steven glanced at the name August sent over—and paused.

“…You’re sure? That one’s… kind of problematic.”

August smiled faintly. “Absolutely.”

---

The Hoenn League moved quickly.

In no time, the Pokémon selected by the team were transferred over from the League’s breeding center.

All of the Pokémon raised at the League’s facility were well-socialized and comfortable with humans.

Zinnia, a Dragon-type specialist, had chosen a Gible. Cradling the cute little land shark in her arms, her icy heart—so often tormented by August’s antics—felt a fleeting warmth.

Blue’s pick, a Swablu, immediately perched on her head upon emerging, its cottony wings puffed into a bundle like a soft blue-and-white hat.

Beldum hovered quietly beside Sabrina, seemingly drawn to her psychic energy.

“What did you pick?” Gary leaned in curiously.

August didn’t answer. Instead, he turned the question around: “What about you?”

Gary’s face lit up with pride. He tossed a Poké Ball—and with a flash of light, a stern-eyed Larvitar appeared at his side.

“Larvitar! Rock and Ground type. Looks good on me, right?”

August glanced at Gary’s green outfit… then at the equally green Larvitar.

“Yeah… it matches.”

Down to the color scheme.

August didn’t draw it out any further. He opened his own Poké Ball.

Bang.

A Milotic appeared on the training field, letting out a soft, mournful cry.

Milotic—the Pokémon August had chosen.

As for why a fully-evolved Pokémon like Milotic was even available from the breeding center… it had everything to do with the recent battle between Groudon and Kyogre.

The chaos their weather-altering powers unleashed across Hoenn had severely affected wild Pokémon.

According to the League’s records, this Milotic had been one of the casualties.

It was discovered among the reefs after the storms had calmed, grievously injured. Though the League’s medics managed to save its life, the elegant tail that had once defined its beauty now bore a savage scar.

Nearly half the scales on its tail had been torn away. The wound slashed clean through its graceful fins.

Deemed beyond full recovery, the League’s doctors transferred Milotic to the breeding center to live out its days in peace.

This was why Steven had hesitated when August had chosen it—he wasn’t sure August knew the whole story.

As if sensing his gaze, Milotic’s eyes flicked nervously toward August. Its long tail curled beneath it, trying desperately to hide the scarred portion from view.

It clearly didn’t want anyone to see its marred body.

But the injury was too large—no matter how hard it tried to hide, part of the damaged tail still peeked out.

“…Mmm…”

There was sorrow in its eyes.

Milotic’s pain wasn’t just physical—it was emotional.

“August…” Steven started, thinking to offer August the chance to switch Pokémon… but hesitated. Saying it aloud might only wound Milotic further.

He didn’t know August well enough.

But Blue did—and she had full faith that if August chose Milotic, then he must have a reason, and a plan to heal it.

And sure enough—just as that thought passed through her mind, August stepped forward.

“Don’t worry. It’s just a small issue. I’ve got this.”

Under everyone’s gaze, August walked slowly toward Milotic.

He smiled, gently and sincerely, reassuring the anxious Pokémon.

Then he activated his [Viridian Power]

A calming, restorative energy radiated from August’s body.

As Milotic hesitated, caught off guard by the sudden peace it felt, August reached out and touched its scales.

The moment Milotic tried to shy away—warmth flooded through its body from August’s hand, like sinking into a soothing hot spring. The sensation was so comfortable that Milotic froze, unable to pull away.

More than that—it could feel a strange tingling in its tail. A feeling like it was… healing.

For several minutes, neither of them moved.

Only once August finally withdrew his hand did Milotic blink, still basking in the warmth. August smiled at it again, then pulled a Pokéblock from his pocket.

“Eat this. You’ll feel better.”

Milotic stared at the strange, aromatic Pokéblock in his hand. It hesitated… but remembered how humans had helped it before—and more importantly, the overwhelming sense of familiarity it felt from August.

After only a moment’s pause, Milotic gently took the Pokéblock and swallowed.

And then—

A surge of warmth flooded through its body. A bizarre, almost euphoric sensation spread from tail to spine.

“Mmm~!”

Compared to before, Milotic’s cry now had an entirely different tone—there was still melancholy, but… something else.

Gardevoir sighed.

Sabrina blushed and looked away.

Mew, invisible and curled on August’s shoulder, straight-up covered its eyes.

Ten seconds passed.

Milotic blinked again, fully alert now. It turned to look at its tail.

The shattered scales had all fallen away, scattered on the ground. In their place, new scales were forming—shimmering with even more brilliance than before.

“Mmm~!”

This time, its voice rang with pure delight.

With a cry of joy, Milotic lunged forward, twining its long body around August, nuzzling and rubbing against him.

Milotic: Captured!

August finally pried himself free of Milotic’s affectionate embrace, just about to speak—when Steven cut in, clearly intrigued.

“August, that Pokéblock you gave Milotic… was it a new formula? Can I try one?”

The moment those words left his mouth—

Blue, Sabrina, Mew, and Gardevoir all turned to look at Steven with very strange expressions.

Steven blinked. “…What? Is there something wrong with the Pokéblock?”

“I’ve tried one of August’s custom Pokéblocks before. Tastes amazing.”

“I just saw its healing power—it must be safe for humans too, right?”

A single Pokéblock had just restored a Milotic that doctors had deemed permanently disfigured. If mass-produced, it could revolutionize Pokémon care!

August finally spoke, clearing his throat: “Ahem… yes, that Pokéblock was a new custom recipe. It’s harmless to humans.”

“But it has… let’s call them mild side effects. I don’t recommend eating it if you’re human.”

Sabrina: “???”

“As for mass production…” August shook his head. “That might disappoint you. The ingredients are a little… special. I’m running low myself.”

The secret seasonings he’d drawn from the system were nearly used up. If he couldn’t draw more soon, he’d probably have to go hunting for them in Paldea.

Selling them publicly?

Not a chance.

“I see…” Steven looked visibly disappointed.

But it made sense. No ordinary Berry-based formula could have that kind of power.

Steven composed himself. “In any case—if things are wrapped up here, I’ll head off. There’s a lot to do for the reconstruction effort…”

The rebuilding of Hoenn was a joint project between the Pokémon Association and Devon Corp—so as Devon’s heir and Hoenn’s Champion, Steven had to be the bridge between them.

August nodded in understanding.

Not long after Steven left the training grounds, August—still being affectionately clung to by Milotic—was about to explain things to Gardevoir when there came a knock at the door.

Steven forgot something?

August called out, “Come in!”

The door opened.

In stepped a man with tousled brown hair, wearing round sunglasses and a breezy beach outfit. He was slightly overweight, but smiling warmly.

“Excuse me, is Mr. August here?”

---

T/N: NOOO I WANTED TO SEE STEVEN MOANING

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!