Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [272]

Slateport City.

Gary watched in bewilderment as August stood there holding a box of fries, trying to lure a flock of Wingull circling overhead.

Weren't they supposed to be here to assist Steven against Team Magma and Team Aqua?

So why was he busy feeding Wingull...?

Just as Gary was about to ask, one of the Wingull could no longer resist the temptation of the fries. Locking its eyes onto August’s hand, it dove from the sky like a bolt of lightning, aiming straight for the prize.

Its dive was lightning-fast — in the blink of an eye, it was right over August’s head, beak darting toward the fries.

But at that moment, August’s other hand — the one hidden behind his back holding a Poké Ball — moved in front of the fries.

The Wingull panicked, but it was flying too fast to change course. All it could do was crash into the Poké Ball, disappearing in a flash of red light.

The ball shook violently for a few seconds before finally falling still.

After everything was done, August popped a fry into his mouth as if nothing had happened.

Everyone: "....."

He’s the head of the Kanto Division, for goodness' sake... and he still needed to pull a stunt like that just to catch a tiny Wingull?

When it comes to shamelessness, no one can surpass August.

Stowing the Poké Ball containing the Wingull into his backpack, August didn’t seem bothered at all.

"What’s the plan now?" Gary asked.

Surely they hadn’t come all the way here just to catch a Wingull...

August didn’t answer. Instead, he casually offered a ketchup-covered fry to Gardevoir — who promptly turned her head away in disdain.

She wasn’t a Wingull. She had no special affection for fries.

Shrugging, August stuffed the rejected fry into his own mouth.

At that moment, a new file finally came through from Steven.

[Route to the Undersea Cavern.zip]

Opening it, August studied the 3D map carefully, then tossed the remaining fries to Gary.

"Time to get to work!"

Caught off guard, Gary fumbled to catch the box just as August threw a Poké Ball into the air.

With a flash of light, a small Lugia, its feathers shimmering with silver light, landed gracefully on the beach.

Rubbing the Lugia Jr.'s head as it affectionately nudged against him, August turned to the others.

"I need one person to come with me to the Undersea Cavern. We have to stop Maxie and Archie from awakening Groudon and Kyogre."

"The Undersea Cavern... it's really deep underwater, right?" Gary asked.

"About a thousand meters or so."

Gary tried to imagine just how deep a thousand meters was.

From what he knew of oceanography — which wasn't much — it was a depth even many Water-type Pokémon couldn’t withstand.

It would be extremely dangerous; the pressure alone could crush them into pulp if they weren't careful.

But this was exactly the moment for Gary Oak to show off his champion spirit!

He stepped forward proudly, about to declare, "I’ll—"

But Sabrina and Blue were both faster.

"I’ll go." / "I’m going with you!"

Standing off to the side, Zinnia — who had just joined the group — watched the three of them bickering to volunteer for such a dangerous mission, completely baffled.

August, however, wasn’t surprised. After a moment of thought, he said, "Sabrina, you come with me."

According to the Special manga settings, Maxie and Archie — after obtaining the [Red Orb] and [Blue Orb] — would be partly controlled by Groudon and Kyogre, but they would also gain the ability to draw on their powers. Their strength would be formidable.

Gary and Blue, though strong, were still a bit lacking.

Sabrina, with her mastery of psychic abilities and Elite Four-level power, was the perfect choice to partner with him.

Especially since she had just obtained an [Alakazite] for [Mega Evolution]!

August shot an apologetic glance at the slightly disappointed Blue and the frustrated Gary.

He then entrusted Mewtwo with protecting the others.

Finally, August patted Lugia Jr.’s head.

"Ooo~!"

With a long, melodic cry, Lugia flared with silver light and dove into the ocean, carrying August and Sabrina beneath the waves.

...

Watching August disappear underwater, Blue quickly collected herself. She gave Mewtwo a nod, then turned to look curiously at Gary — who still looked frustrated.

Since when was Gary so eager? she wondered.

Sensing her confusion, Gary pounded his chest. "Hey, I’m a Champion too! Of course I want to do my part for the League!"

"And besides... staying close to August is the safest place to be! Who knows what kind of chaos Groudon and Kyogre might cause when they’re awakened."

Zinnia: "...."

Blue: "...."

Yeah... it was really the second reason that mattered most, wasn’t it.

---

Under the Sea

The moment they entered the deep ocean, August immediately sensed a change.

The Water-type Pokémon around them had become incredibly active. Creatures that usually guarded their territories jealously were now swimming side by side without a hint of hostility.

All the signs pointed to one thing:
The sea was awakening.

Lugia Jr. transmitted the same warning to August through their bond.

"What’s wrong?" Sabrina asked, noticing the serious look on August’s face.

Perhaps because of the gravity of the mission, she — for once — didn’t tease or snipe at him.

"Kyogre is about to awaken," August said grimly. "We need to hurry! Hold on tight!"

The words had barely left his mouth when—

"Ooo~!"

With a resonant cry that echoed through the depths, Lugia’s body flared silver, and they rocketed downward at incredible speed, diving straight toward the seabed.

...

Led by Lugia Jr., August and Sabrina dove deeper into the ocean, following the navigation map Steven had provided. Finally, the entrance to the Undersea Cavern came into view.

Exchanging a glance, August made a hand signal.

Sabrina understood immediately. She gripped a Poké Ball tightly in her hand and silently counted down in her heart — 3, 2, 1—

With a sudden burst of speed, Lugia Jr. flared its wings and shot out of the water, surging straight into the cavern.

Their sudden arrival startled the Team Aqua members, who had been preparing to seize control of a submarine while Team Magma’s attention was elsewhere.

Instinctively, they commanded their Pokémon to attack the intruders.

"Sharpedo, [Hydro Pump]!"

"Ludicolo, [Razor Leaf]!"

"Pelipper, [Hurricane]!"

A barrage of attacks, chaotic and overwhelming, flew toward August and Sabrina.

Without hesitation, August hurled a Poké Ball.

Gardevoir materialized before him, folding her arms across her chest as a shimmering psychic barrier formed, perfectly shielding August and Sabrina from the assault.

At the same time, Lugia Jr. Launched a counterattack.

The [Sky Plate] around its neck vibrated faintly as it beat its wings hard, stirring up a localized storm inside the confined cavern.

In such a narrow space, a storm’s power was devastating.

Whoosh!

The howling winds ripped through the cavern. In an instant, several Team Aqua members and their Pokémon were blown violently off their feet.

The others barely managed to hang on — but then Sabrina moved.

A cold blue gleam flashed through her eyes, and instantly the remaining Aqua grunts found their bodies refusing to obey their commands.

In a situation like this, losing control of one's body was no different from being handed over for slaughter.

One after another, the grunts were swept up by the raging winds, slammed against the cavern walls, and knocked out cold.

Within just one minute, only a single Aqua Officer remained standing — Dee.

"You… what the hell are you people?!" Dee looked as if he had seen a ghost.

This was the deep sea — even Team Aqua had been forced to cooperate with Team Magma just to reach this place using the stolen Deep Abyss I submarine!

But these two — they had just appeared here, effortlessly crushing everyone like it was nothing…

Dee couldn’t even find words to describe his current feelings.

There was no time to waste. August didn’t bother exchanging words with the defeated Aqua Officer. Instead, he sent a thought to Gardevoir.

She raised a hand, and a burst of psychic energy knocked the unprepared Dee unconscious.

The Pelipper still tried to fight back — but with a flick of Sabrina’s wrist, her Alakazam’s spoons bent, and the Pelipper froze, completely paralyzed.

August glanced around at the bodies littering the ground, then returned Lugia Jr. to its Poké Ball — the cramped cavern wasn’t the best place for it to move around.

"What about these people?" Sabrina asked, glancing at the unconscious Team Aqua grunts.

The situation was urgent. They couldn’t waste time guarding prisoners — but leaving them unattended risked them escaping.

August thought for a moment, then pulled out another Poké Ball.

Pop!

Slowpoke appeared inside the cavern, looking drowsy and slightly confused.

August reached into Gengar’s stomach (his odd storage space) and pulled out the [Icicle Plate] he had drawn when he captured Glacia. He handed it to the sleepy Slowpoke.

"Freeze that submarine with [Ice Beam]. If you do a good job, I’ll cut your training workload in half."

The moment the words left August’s mouth, Slowpoke’s ears twitched, and it immediately perked up, wide awake.

Grabbing the Plate from August, it focused, its eyes sharpening with sudden intensity.
It opened its mouth and unleashed a freezing beam toward the waters surrounding the submarine.

With the power boost from the [Icicle Plate], the [Ice Beam]'s strength multiplied dramatically.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

In less than ten seconds, the entrance of the Undersea Cavern — along with the submarine — was completely encased in solid ice.

Slowpoke stared at its handiwork, astonished, unable to believe it had managed something so impressive.

August, however, didn’t spare it a glance.

While Sabrina gathered up the Team Aqua members’ Poké Balls, August turned his attention elsewhere.

At the fork in the cavern, he extended his aura, sensing the conditions inside the two tunnels.

Both tunnels were eerily empty — no traces of Groudon’s or Kyogre’s aura remained.

He had suspected as much when they first entered, but now that it was confirmed, a tinge of disappointment flickered across August’s face.

"Team Magma and Team Aqua moved fast..."

Sabrina frowned slightly, feeling the weight of the situation.

"What now? Are you heading back to the surface to fight Groudon and Kyogre directly?"

It wasn’t that she doubted Hoenn’s Trainers — but experience had taught her: only Legendary Pokémon could truly stand against other Legendary Pokémon.

Facing Groudon and Kyogre head-on with just regular Trainers would be nearly impossible.

But August slowly shook his head. "Since Groudon and Kyogre have both awakened, it means they've established a precarious balance between them. As fragile as it is, if we attack either one first, we’ll only make things worse."

"Then what are you planning...?"

August had already considered several options.

Since keeping Groudon and Kyogre contained within the caverns was no longer possible, it was time to move to Plan B.

As he started walking toward where he had sensed the Red and Blue Orbs, he explained:

"The [Red Orb] and [Blue Orb]... we need to take those two key items from Maxie and Archie. With them, we can restrain Groudon and Kyogre, minimizing the destruction they cause — and then..."

He smiled grimly.

"...then we bring them together and settle this once and for all!"

---

Meanwhile, as August prepared to execute his plan—

The clear skies above Slateport City suddenly darkened.

Urgent alarm sirens blared from the loudspeakers throughout the city.

The ocean surged dramatically, flooding the beaches and pouring over the seawalls, rushing toward the city streets.

Gym Trainers who had already evacuated Slateport’s citizens to higher ground watched the scene unfold with wide, shocked eyes.

At that moment, they truly understood the terror of being at the mercy of ancient super-Pokémon.

Earlier, some had grumbled that August’s insistence on evacuating the entire city was an overreaction.

But seeing the overwhelming wall of water now, no one questioned him anymore.

Instead, there was only gratitude.

Thank goodness we listened...
Otherwise, the casualties would have been unimaginable.

Bad news flooded into the operations channel one after another.

"A tsunami has struck Mauville City! Fortunately, all residents had already been relocated to New Mauville. No casualties reported so far..."

"The Mossdeep Space Center reports satellite imagery confirming Kyogre’s appearance near the coastline of Mossdeep — it's moving toward Slateport!"

"The Pokémon Association orders: Do everything possible to stop Kyogre! Keep it away from Slateport City!"

A heavy silence fell over the Gym Leaders.

Kyogre — capable of summoning storms and flooding entire cities — was an opponent far beyond anything they could handle.

Yet, they knew they had no choice.

Behind them lay Slateport and its thousands of evacuated citizens.

If they let Kyogre get any closer, the already-rising tides would bring devastation to the people sheltering on the high ground.

Even if they could only buy a little time — they had to try.

Without hesitation, the Trainers exchanged resolute looks and began heading toward Mossdeep’s coastline.

But just then, a voice crackled through the channel, filled with disbelief and growing terror.

"Gentian City...! Groudon has been spotted near Sootopolis City!"

Everyone’s faces changed dramatically.

Both Groudon and Kyogre had appeared?!

What now? Should they split forces to deal with both?

Confusion and panic threatened to erupt — until Steven’s steady voice came through the channel:

"Groudon will be handled by me and August’s team. Sidney and the other Elites are already en route to Slateport!"

"Our backs are to Hoenn — I’m counting on all of you!"

---

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!