Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [274]

The deafening rumble of crumbling earth echoed endlessly.

Looking down at the shattered ground beneath him, Gary broke into a cold sweat.

If Mewtwo hadn’t pulled me up just now, I’d be lying down there waiting for an ambulance...
Or worse — maybe not even an ambulance would make it in time.

Hurriedly, he released his Pidgeot and mounted it, hovering nervously in midair, his gaze darting between Mewtwo and Groudon.

But Mewtwo had no time to worry about Gary.
After rescuing him, it focused all its attention on Groudon.

Blue light flared in its eyes as it telekinetically hurled a rain of boulders toward the massive creature.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Groudon swung its arms, smashing the rocks apart with [Hammer Arm], fragments exploding in all directions.

The sound of shattering stone reverberated across the battlefield.

Gabby and Ty, who had only just retreated from Groudon’s immediate vicinity, heard the commotion from afar.

They exchanged a glance, swallowed hard, and shared a single thought:

So strong!

No wonder this Trainer could stay calm even in the face of Groudon.

They silently made a decision:
If they made it out of here alive, they would absolutely write a special feature to introduce this incredible Trainer to the world!

---

Whether or not Gary was truly "strong" could be debated another time.

Meanwhile, at the Undersea Cavern—

Sabrina followed August into the corridor, only to find Team Magma members posted as sentries every few steps.

Those selected by Maxie to be here were the most fanatic of fanatics.
August didn’t waste time with them.

He simply took them all down in passing.

They pushed forward until they reached the end of the cavern — where a searingly hot sight awaited them.

At the center of the cavern, a pool of molten magma bubbled and churned.
Glowing red runes lined the walls, casting an eerie light.

This... is where Groudon lives?

Sabrina scanned the surroundings, a little skeptical.

She had imagined the dwelling place of a super-ancient Pokémon would be grander —
At the very least, it should look as majestic as the Sky Pillar from Gary’s photos...

Hearing her thought, August chuckled.

"Back in ancient Hoenn, these two knuckleheads fought so much they were hated by everyone."

"You really think ancient civilizations had the time or energy to build them fancy palaces after having their homes smashed to pieces?"

Sabrina: "...."

That... actually makes a lot of sense.

While they exchanged mental banter for a few seconds, the Team Magma guards finally noticed them.

Panicking, they threw out all their Poké Balls at once, desperate to eliminate the intruders.

Their intentions were fine, but—

"[Psybeam]!"

With a graceful flick of her wrist, Gardevoir unleashed a wave of dazzling light.

Every Pokémon struck by it immediately fell into confusion.

Magcargo, Torkoal, and other Fire-types turned on each other in chaotic brawls, catching their Trainers completely off guard.

Meanwhile, Maxie — who had been pouring all his energy into controlling Groudon and Kyogre via the [Red and Blue Orbs] — was forcibly jolted out of his concentration.

Sweat streamed down his forehead as he gasped for air, glaring at August.

"You... you are—"

He hadn’t even finished speaking when a flash of white light erupted.

The next second, a massive Camerupt charged at August, molten lava spewing from its volcano humps, its body encased in a layer of burning magma like a living tank.

"..."

August, who had been about to listen patiently, looked utterly speechless.

Who taught you people to fight like this?

And at least finish your line! What were you about to say?!

Since Maxie had already made the first move, August didn't bother holding back.

"Gardevoir!"

A transparent psychic barrier shimmered into existence in front of him.

Bang!

The charging Camerupt smashed into it, molten lava spraying outward — but all of it harmlessly slid down the barrier to the floor.

Camerupt staggered back, completely dazed.

Seeing this, Maxie wasted no time — he threw out every Poké Ball he had.

Out came a Torkoal, a Houndoom, and — oddly enough — a Swellow.

Torkoal spewed scalding steam from its nostrils and shell vents.
Houndoom lowered its head, baring its fangs with a menacing growl.
Swellow circled above, looking wildly out of place among the Fire-types.

August gave them a quick glance but wasn’t impressed.

"That’s it?"

It wasn’t arrogance.

Maxie had managed to escape from Steven’s grasp — he clearly had some ability.

But right now, Maxie looked half-dead — forcing himself to control both Orbs at once had left him so drained he could barely stand, let alone command his Pokémon properly.

Without a Trainer giving orders, these Pokémon — already battered by Steven before — were little more than rabble.

Calling them third-rate would be generous.

August’s gaze drifted to the [Red and Blue Orbs] clutched tightly in Maxie's hands.

To speed things up—

"Gardevoir, [Mega Evolve]!"

A radiant sphere of light enveloped Gardevoir.
When it faded, she stood cloaked in an elegant black dress, exuding an aura of lethal beauty.

Torkoal’s [Flamethrower], Houndoom’s [Fire Blast], and Swellow’s [Air Slash] — all were blocked effortlessly by invisible barriers.

With a wave of her hand, Gardevoir flung the enemy Pokémon straight into the brawling crowd of confused Magma Pokémon.

Crushed underfoot and pummeled from all sides, they were quickly swallowed up by the chaos.

In the blink of an eye, they were gone.

"Terrifying..." August smiled at Maxie, whose face had gone deathly pale.

Even with no Pokémon left at his side, Maxie stubbornly clutched the [Red and Blue Orbs], refusing to let go.

"Let it go," August said calmly.

"That’s not a power you can control."

With Maxie’s strength, forcing control over Groudon and Kyogre could only end badly — if he didn’t get his mind shattered by the strain first, he’d end up possessed by the Legendary Pokémon.

And without Archie here to share the burden...

Well, it wouldn't be long before Maxie cracked completely.

Honestly, I'm doing you a favor.

But clearly, Maxie didn’t appreciate it.

"This world—"

Smack!

Before he could finish, August knocked him out cleanly with a blast of psychic energy.

Looking down at Maxie, who still clutched the [Red and Blue Orbs] even while unconscious, August curled his lip.

"Just hand it over already. Why all the dramatic speeches?"

Turning his head, he glanced toward the entrance of the cavern.

There — standing stiff and utterly dumbfounded — was Archie, having just arrived to find this complete mess.

A string of question marks seemed practically written across his face.

---

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!