Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [275]

Archie stared at the scene before him, his brain momentarily freezing.

Originally, he had rushed over after realizing Kyogre had awakened earlier than Groudon and seemed to be gaining the upper hand. He suspected Maxie and Team Magma were up to something.

But instead of the expected Magma–Aqua standoff, he walked in on... this.

Who the hell are these two? Why are they here? And how did Maxie go down so fast!?

A flood of questions surged through Archie’s mind.

But his hands didn’t hesitate — he instantly threw out a Poké Ball and dropped into a battle stance.

Pop!

A massive Walrein bared its twin tusks and lunged at August.

August raised an eyebrow. “...First Maxie, now you. Always leading with violence. You Hoenn gangs really have no manners.”

He sighed and snapped his fingers.

Mega Gardevoir gracefully lifted her slender arm and flicked it forward—

Boom!

A shockwave shot out, slamming into Walrein’s belly, sending ripples through its thick rolls of fat.

Then August's tone shifted: “But actually, this works out. I was planning to track you down anyway — might as well take you all in at once.”

At that moment, Mega Gardevoir lifted Walrein effortlessly with one hand, suspended it in the air — then shoved.

Crash!

The blubbery beast went flying like a wrecking ball toward Archie and his men.

Archie reacted quickly, throwing out another Poké Ball.

A nimble Ariados spat out a thick web in front of them, and with the resilience of its silk, somehow managed to stop Walrein mid-flight.

Archie’s voice was hoarse. “Who are you?!”

He’d thought he had already accounted for how dangerous August was — but cold sweat broke out across his back.

He’d assumed Maxie had gone down because of a sneak attack.
Clearly, he’d underestimated the situation.

“Who I am?” August smirked, sweeping aside his coat to reveal the black uniform underneath. “Team Rocket. Scared yet?”

Sabrina: “?”

Why... are you still wearing a Rocket uniform during a high-priority mission?!

Archie visibly flinched.

Team Rocket?

Aren’t they the Kanto crew? What are they doing here?

His brain stalled again.

August didn’t miss the hesitation. He snapped his fingers.

Gardevoir raised her hand, releasing a shimmering pink pulse — [Hypnosis].

The same move she had once used on Sabrina, rarely deployed.

Archie realized too late that he’d missed the timing to dodge. Cursing, he dove behind Walrein and barked a command at Ariados.

“[Sleep Talk] — now!”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Half the Aqua grunts behind him dropped like dominoes under [Hypnosis]. Only a few with quicker reflexes remained upright.

Ariados, now asleep but executing [Sleep Talk], shot forward like a streak of lightning, aiming straight for Gardevoir.

But Gardevoir, who had no trouble handling a fully awake Ariados, certainly wasn’t worried about one that was half-asleep.

A single gesture — [Reflect] shimmered into place.

Whump!

Ariados slammed into the barrier.

Then, from the shadow behind August, Gengar’s head silently emerged.

It grinned, opened its mouth wide, and chomped.

A puff of pink mist — the dream energy — was ripped from Ariados and devoured whole.

Ariados’s expression froze in terror as it collapsed, knocked out in its sleep.

Archie knew things were turning south fast.

Kyogre’s already awakened. Maxie’s down. If I run now, victory will still belong to Team Aqua...

Without hesitation, he grabbed a bewildered grunt and shoved them forward to cover his escape.

But he didn’t get far before he felt his entire body lock up.

Behind him, August’s voice rang out:

“Leaving so soon? That’s just rude, Mr. Archie.”

...

Outside Slateport City

Rain poured in sheets.

The sight of Kyogre rampaging like a primordial beast out at sea made the gathered Elite Four and Gym Leaders feel like their scalps were going numb.

[Stone Edge]?
No effect.

[Dragon Pulse]?
No effect.

[Hurricane]?
Still no effect.

[Thunder]?
Nope.

It didn’t matter whether the moves were super effective or not — they had thrown everything they had at Kyogre, and the result was the same:

Not a scratch.

Worse, Kyogre looked like it was enjoying the show — even throwing in a taunting smirk.

“This bastard...”

Sidney, the Dark-type Elite, burned with rage under Kyogre’s mocking stare. He was about to charge in—

But Phoebe yanked him back.

“Don’t be reckless!”

Charging in now would be suicide.

Kyogre’s grin widened. It whipped its tail, stirring up a colossal wave and sending it crashing toward them.

The Trainers worked together to blast it apart — but by the time the sea calmed, Kyogre had already drifted leisurely farther ahead.

Phoebe looked toward Wallace — Steven’s close friend and widely recognized heir.

Wallace’s face was pale. “I already contacted Steven. His situation... isn’t much better than ours. The power of these ancient Pokémon is just too overwhelming.”

They had already thrown everything they had to slow Kyogre down, and all they’d managed was to slightly delay its advance.

Now, with Slateport directly behind them — there was nowhere left to retreat.

“Isn’t the Association doing anything?” Dahlia growled. “Are we really just going to watch Kyogre destroy Slateport?!”

Many of the Gym Leaders here had heard whispers about the League’s attempt to capture Rayquaza...

And things are already this bad — who cares about red tape now?! Fire up the tech already!

Wallace understood what she meant and shook his head grimly.

“All data from that incident has been sealed. We don’t have time to recover it... Plus, the people and companies who originally helped — Zizalk Holdings went bankrupt, and the Berlitz family is all the way in Sinnoh…”

“The League is focusing on evacuating the refugees near Slateport. The Association... is preparing for the worst. If it comes down to it—”

“They’re ready to abandon the city.”

A heavy silence fell.

It might be the only option left.

...

Meanwhile — Sootopolis City

The sun blazed like a furnace.

Cracks spiderwebbed across the scorched ground like festering wounds.
Temperatures neared 50°C. Even the air felt boiled dry.

Yet despite the inferno, battle raged on.

Here, the situation was slightly better than at sea.
With Mewtwo and the newly-arrived Steven joining the fight, Groudon had barely advanced.

High in the air, cloaked in a shimmering blue shield, Mewtwo launched [Shadow Balls] in rapid succession.

Steven, standing on his Metagross, coordinated cannon blasts from both it and his Aggron.

Zinnia’s Mega Salamence unleashed a roaring [Dragon Pulse].

Gary’s Venusaur drew upon [Drought] to fire off a [Solar Beam].

Blue’s Clefable used [Helping Hand], amplifying everyone’s attacks.

The flurry of moves struck Groudon in unison — a massive explosion engulfed its form in smoke.

Everyone held their breath, eyes locked on the swirling dust.

“Is it down?” Gary asked, brushing away sweat that had already evaporated from his brow.

Mega evolution, Mewtwo, Steven, Zinnia, Blue, and me...
Even Groudon can’t take all that head-on... right?

Before he could finish the thought—

ROAR—!

A thunderous howl ripped through the air, blowing the smoke away.

Flames surged outward with choking black smoke — Groudon’s retaliation: [Heat Crash]!

“Damn it!” Steven’s face turned grim.

But Mewtwo moved faster.

It immediately summoned a [Light Screen] with a wave of its hand.

The flames struck — the shield flickered violently.

Mewtwo layered another one just in time, barely holding the attack at bay.

But no one looked relieved.

When the smoke cleared, Groudon’s massive body stood tall — covered in scorch marks and wounds, yes, but its aura was even more furious than before.

Gary had only one thought:

August, if you don’t show up soon, someone’s going to die!

...

Undersea Cavern

Having taken Archie down, August finally bent to pick up the [Red and Blue Orbs].

He stared at the orbs — the very ones the system had tried to offer him multiple times, but he’d always ignored — and for a moment, he felt like he’d just scored a bargain.

But he quickly shook his head.

The system’s version of the Orbs and the originals weren’t quite the same.

Take the [Verdant Orb] he’d gotten before — he was pretty sure that’s why Rayquaza had acknowledged him so easily, even if Rayquaza itself would never admit it.

But the manufactured Orbs used by the Association to try and control Rayquaza? Those didn’t come close.

As August studied the Orbs, Sabrina tried using her psychic senses to probe them.

“August... these Orbs don’t feel right,” she said, frowning.

She could sense wildly different, turbulent auras within — like they were alive, filled with powerful, hostile wills.

Something told her that holding onto them for long would end very badly.

“I know,” August nodded.

He understood exactly what she meant.

In the original plot, Maxie and Archie had tried to control Groudon and Kyogre — and ended up becoming mindless puppets.

But he was different.

Reaching into his coat, August pulled out a Master Ball and tossed it.

Flash!

Rayquaza appeared, taking up nearly the entire cavern with its massive form.

The moment it sensed the Orbs, Rayquaza’s eyes sharpened. Its claws flexed instinctively.

It looked around, but seeing no Groudon nearby, it turned its confused gaze on August.

"...?"

You didn’t call me here for a fight?

August stood with his back to Rayquaza, using its oppressive aura to suppress the will of the Orbs.
To his left, Gardevoir.
To his right, Mew perched on his shoulder.

Closing his eyes, August reached out with aura to communicate with the Orbs.

Two visions surged into his mind.

On the left: an endless ocean. Hoenn’s Trainers and Elites bombarding Kyogre in vain.

On the right: scorched earth. Mewtwo, Steven, Gary, Blue — barely holding Groudon in place.

Guess it’s my turn.

August inhaled deeply and poured his aura into the Orbs.

Instantly, two fierce minds pushed back against him — far more aggressive than Rayquaza had ever been. Groudon and Kyogre fought to overpower him, trying to reverse the link and control him instead.

“Tch. I’m not Maxie or Archie, you know...”

Playing along, August pretended to falter, baiting them.

Secretly, he activated the [Mewtwo Cells] embedded in his arm — safeguarding himself first.
Then he gave Gardevoir and Mew a glance.

They understood and linked their minds with his.

Then, with a sharp command, August unleashed the combined power of his [Aura], Gardevoir’s psychic force, and Mew’s mythical energy.

The two raging wills were caught off guard — and overwhelmed.

SLAM — August’s will smashed into theirs and seized control.

[Cease all destructive activity. Retreat to Sootopolis.]

With that, August immediately severed the connection and — as if the Orbs were burning hot — flung them away.

Sabrina looked over, confused—
Then the Orbs pulsed with light, and twin roars of rage echoed from within.

Even from a distance, she could feel the terrifying force behind them.

“What... did you do?” she asked.

August shrugged. “Just gave them a simple command through the Orbs.”

He wasn’t strong enough to maintain control of them yet — his aura hadn’t reached that level.

But he didn’t need long-term control.

He just needed to neutralize their destructive rampage, reduce their impact on Hoenn’s climate, and stop the catastrophe.

As for why he chose Sootopolis...

It was the location with the least environmental impact for a final battle.

“Let’s go. To Sootopolis.”

Recalling Rayquaza to its Poké Ball and loading their prisoners aboard the Deep Abyss I, August broke through the ice and set the sub’s course for the final battlefield.

There, the endgame awaits.

---

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!