Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [276]

Slateport City

Hoenn’s Elite Four and Gym Leaders were still fighting desperately, trying to stop Kyogre’s advance.

But in the face of Kyogre’s power, all their efforts felt hopeless.

The skyline of Slateport was already visible in the distance.

The tsunami had struck ahead of the beast, utterly demolishing the city’s coastal defenses.

Not all the civilians sheltering around Slateport had been evacuated. If Kyogre continued moving forward, it wouldn’t just swallow the already-flooded city—it would endanger countless lives.

Everyone wore grim expressions.

And just then, Kyogre—until now moving at an unhurried pace—suddenly stopped. Its aura surged violently.

A collective chill ran down their spines.

Was Kyogre about to unleash something even worse than a tsunami? A devastating attack meant to level the entire city?

“We can’t let it destroy the city!”

Drake’s face was solemn, prepared for the worst.

But just as he was about to command his Pokémon to fight Kyogre to the death, the legendary Pokémon let out a guttural roar—then dove into the ocean, leaving behind nothing but a massive whirlpool.

“…?”

The Trainers who had rallied under Drake’s lead were stunned.

What just happened?

Phoebe narrowed her eyes. “Be careful. Kyogre might just be messing with us.”

The moment she spoke, everyone nodded in agreement.

It must be that!

They’d been toyed with by Kyogre the whole way here—they were all too familiar with its cunning and mean-spirited nature.

So they stayed on edge, watching the waves, waiting for the ancient beast to strike again.

However…

The storm clouds above began to scatter. The sea gradually calmed. A shaft of sunlight broke through the clouds and fell on them.

Still, no sign of Kyogre.

“Caw~!”

A Wingull flew overhead, glancing down at the strange humans still lingering, clearly puzzled why they hadn’t left.

“…Ahem.” Phoebe cleared her throat awkwardly. “Looks like I was wrong. Kyogre… really left.”

The weather had stabilized. It was unlikely Kyogre would go to such lengths just to play a prank.

They all exchanged looks—was this really happening?

What could’ve happened to make Kyogre, who’d been tearing across the sea, retreat like that?

At that moment, Wallace’s communicator buzzed. He answered it, and the moment he heard the voice on the other end, his face tightened again.

When he hung up, all eyes turned to him.

“Any word from the League?” Drake asked.

Wallace let out a slow breath. “Steven just reported that Groudon has disappeared underground as well.”

Faces lit up in collective relief.

But Sidney caught the heavy look that still lingered on Wallace’s face. If that was all, Wallace wouldn’t look like that.

“There’s more, isn’t there?”

Wallace nodded. “The Association’s energy monitors show the energy signatures of both Groudon and Kyogre moving rapidly toward Sootopolis City.”

His voice was calm, but serious.

They didn’t know the cause—but whatever it was, Groudon and Kyogre weren’t heading there for a friendly reunion. A clash between the ancient titans was inevitable.

And the worst part…

Sootopolis. That was his city. His Gym.

The others quickly realized what that meant. For a moment, no one knew whether to be relieved that Slateport was spared, or worried for Sootopolis, now caught in the eye of the storm.

---

Submarine Abyss One

August was contacting Steven to get a read on the situation above.

But before he could speak, Steven unloaded a barrage of questions.

“August, are you alright?”

“What’s the situation with Archie and Maxie?”

“Groudon and Kyogre suddenly turned and headed for Sootopolis—do you know why?”

August sighed, rubbing his forehead.

“You ask me all that in one breath—how am I supposed to answer?”

Still, he tackled each question in turn.

“I’m doing great. Fantastic, really.”

“Archie and Maxie? They’re right next to me. Sleeping like babies. I’ll send you a picture later.”

“And as for Groudon and Kyogre suddenly leaving… that was me.”

Steven froze on the other end.

“You what?!” he blurted. “How did you manage that?!”

These weren’t ordinary Pokémon—they were Groudon and Kyogre. Steven had been pushed to his limits fighting just one of them. And August had handled both?

That could only mean—

Just as Steven began to imagine some terrifying possibility, August splashed him with a bucket of reality.

“I only used the [Red and Blue Orbs] to give them a short-term command. I’m nowhere near being able to control them.”

Steven thought for a moment. That made sense.

If Groudon and Kyogre were that easily controlled, their status as super-ancient Pokémon wouldn’t mean much.

“Anyway, I’m heading to Sootopolis now. Steven, get over here to take custody of the prisoners… and bring Gary too.”

Immediately, Gary’s voice came through: “Uh, I think I’ll sit this one out…”

It wasn’t that he was backing down.

It was just that after his clash with Groudon, he really understood the difference in power. He had zero desire to get caught up in that mess again.

Unfortunately…

“You sure you want Ash asking later if you were there for the big showdown—and you had to admit you backed out because you were scared?” August said casually.

He didn’t even need to finish.

Gary: “Groudon and Kyogre? Just wait, I’m on my way!”

August smiled in satisfaction.

Steven: “……”

No wonder August had become the head of the Kanto branch of the International Police in just a few months. When it came to handling people, Steven could train for ten years and still not match him.

Maybe I really am a terrible Champion… Steven thought grimly, that familiar urge to resign creeping up again.

---

Sootopolis City

The residents had already been evacuated to the safety of Verdanturf. All that remained was an empty city.

From the ocean’s depths, a submarine broke the surface, bubbling as it rose.

The hatch opened, and August and Sabrina stepped out.

As he looked across the city, August recalled the lore surrounding Sootopolis.

There were two theories. One claimed a volcano lay beneath the city, and long ago, an eruption created new land that eventually became Sootopolis. The other said a meteor crashed here a thousand years ago, forming the massive crater the city now sits in.

“Sabrina, which one do you think is true?” August asked as he hopped from the sub onto the dock.

Sabrina tilted her head. “The second?”

She’d read up on Hoenn’s history during their journey. Given that Zinnia and the Draconid people were real, the meteor theory seemed more believable.

“Actually, both are true.” August climbed the steps to a high vantage point. “When the meteor hit, it shattered the earth and released natural energy. That energy triggered volcanic eruptions. The ancient people saw that and assumed the land came from magma—hence the first version.”

He looked around. The view was excellent—perfect for watching Groudon and Kyogre clash.

“Natural energy erupting…”

Sabrina looked down at the ground beneath them, trying to picture it.

At that moment, a shadow streaked through the sky.

Mewtwo descended, holding a spoon, bearing a few wounds and looking fatigued. Behind it came Steven and his Metagross, Gary, Blue, and Zinnia—arriving together.

“August!” Steven called, waving.

After his harrowing fight with Groudon, seeing August safe was a rare relief.

Though… Steven eyed August’s outfit with a strange expression.

Just as he was about to say something, Hoenn’s full team of Gym Leaders and Elite Four arrived.

One Champion. Four Elites. Eight Gym Leaders.

Hoenn’s full might had gathered in Sootopolis.

And right now, all of them were staring at August.

With everyone staring, August started feeling a bit awkward—until Blue tugged at his sleeve.

He glanced down—and realized he was still wearing the Team Rocket uniform from earlier, black with a bright red “R.”

“…Ahem.” He quickly stripped it off and shoved it into Gengar’s dimensional stomach, then changed the subject:

“Anyway… Archie and Maxie and their underlings are still in the sub. I suggest we move them out now—because when Groudon and Kyogre show up and start fighting…”

He didn’t even finish.

A roar echoed from the heart of the bay.

From the center of Sootopolis’s waters, the sea churned—and the blue, rounded head of Kyogre broke the surface.

Meanwhile, up on the volcanic ridge surrounding the city, Groudon scaled the slope—its fiery red body emerging into view.

Suddenly, the weather broke into chaos.

To the left: blinding sunlight and a blazing sky.

To the right: dark clouds pouring rain.

August stared at the bizarre scene. They arrived even faster than I expected…

But that wasn’t the issue.

The issue was…

They weren’t fighting.

Instead, both Groudon and Kyogre turned toward the cliffs.

More specifically—they were both staring straight at him.

“…?”

You’re not fighting… so why the hell are you looking at me?

---

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!