Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [243]

With two straight victories under his belt, Gary was riding high—but he wasn’t letting it go to his head.

Not because he’d suddenly become humble, but mainly because… August was watching from the sidelines!

Arcanine paced across the battlefield. Though clearly exhausted, its presence was still imposing enough that Akira, having seen what it had just done to his Onix with [Reversal], wasn’t about to let his guard down.

Four Pokémon remained on his side... and he had to take Arcanine down without a scratch.

He couldn’t afford to lose another teammate—or even let one get injured—because of this monster.

So...

Akira’s expression hardened. “It’s on you now—Hypno!”

A flash of light revealed a yellow-skinned Pokémon with a long nose and a somewhat sleazy grin. In one hand, it held a pendulum suspended by a string—Hypno had entered the field.

The moment it appeared, Hypno flinched under the pressure of Arcanine’s [Intimidate] ability. But from a battle perspective, a drop in Attack hardly mattered to a Psychic-type like Hypno.

“The third Pokémon Akira sends out is Hypno!” the commentator announced. “As a Psychic-type, it poses a serious threat to Gary’s Arcanine, whose stamina is nearly depleted!”

In its current state, even a single [Psybeam] from Hypno could knock Arcanine out.

Gary clearly understood that.

“Arcanine, [Extreme Speed]!” he ordered without hesitation.

He still clung to the fast-attack style August had drilled into him.

So what if one hit could end Arcanine? All he had to do was strike first.

Arcanine vanished from view.

But Akira had been prepared. “Hypno, [Protect]!”

Shing—!

A shimmering barrier snapped into place around Hypno. The very next moment, Arcanine reappeared behind it, paw raised mid-swipe—only for its attack to bounce harmlessly off the shimmering dome.

From behind the shield, Hypno smirked.

So did Akira. “Your ambush failed. This is over.”

The only thing scary about Arcanine was its speed. Now that that advantage had been neutralized, and with Arcanine hanging on by a thread, it didn’t stand a chance against Hypno.

But just as Akira prepared to launch his counterattack—

“Arcanine, [Roar]!” Gary shouted.

“Huh? What—?”

Arcanine opened its jaws and let out a thunderous bellow.

The soundwave enveloped Hypno, who froze, eyes wide in alarm. In the blink of an eye, its body turned to light and was forcibly sucked back into its Poké Ball.

“That’s [Roar]!” the commentator shouted. “Gary’s Arcanine used [Roar] to force Hypno back into its ball!”

Akira stood frozen, stunned.

He glanced down at Hypno’s Poké Ball—only to find Hypno now refusing to re-enter the field.

Under the referee’s watchful eye, Akira had no choice but to pick from his remaining three Pokémon…

“Machamp, it’s up to you.”

If he had a choice, he’d never have sent Machamp out against Arcanine.

But the rest of his team was weak to Fire-type moves. He had no other option.

Muscles rippling and four arms flexed, Machamp locked eyes with Arcanine. Despite the lingering effect of [Intimidate], it stood tall, trying to shake off the pressure.

Arcanine, on the other hand, was clearly running on fumes. It was panting now, each breath labored. Its lips curled back into a snarl, but the growl it managed was more of a strained rasp. It no longer had the strength to intimidate anyone.

A glint of resolve flashed in Machamp’s eyes.

It kicked off the ground with explosive force, all four arms—two fists and two open palms—barreling toward Arcanine in a full-on charge.

Machamp’s strategy was simple and direct: don’t give Arcanine any space to kite or outmaneuver it. Close the gap, and end the fight.

Gary didn’t retreat.

He knew that if Arcanine ran now, it might be able to dodge Machamp’s initial strike thanks to its speed.

But that would also mean giving up its final chance to deal damage.

Once again—this is a coward’s game. When two paths cross, the bold one wins.

Besides, August had taught him—

Even if a Pokémon’s about to go down, don’t waste it. Squeeze out... every last drop of its remaining value.

Gary’s gaze turned steely. He raised his arm and gave the signal.

“Arcanine—go!”

Arcanine understood instantly. It didn’t hesitate.

It broke into a full sprint straight toward Machamp—and as it ran, flames erupted across its body.

Under the sunlight, the blaze danced wildly across its fur, flickering like a living thing.

“Gary’s not backing down!” the commentator cried. “He’s ordered a [Flare Blitz] with his nearly spent Arcanine—it’s a last-ditch effort!”

The flaming Arcanine hurtled toward Machamp like a comet.

Machamp had no interest in trading blows with a worn-down opponent, but Arcanine’s speed was overwhelming—it didn’t give Machamp a chance to dodge. In the blink of an eye, they collided.

BOOM.

Machamp’s two forward arms moved on instinct—one chopped at Arcanine’s side with [Karate Chop], the other punched it square in the stomach.

But Arcanine, fully engulfed in flames, slammed headfirst into Machamp’s chest.

[Flare Blitz] versus [Karate Chop].

There was no question about it—between the recoil from [Flare Blitz] and the direct counter from Machamp, Arcanine’s remaining stamina hit zero.

It dropped to the ground, unconscious.

But Machamp hadn’t escaped unscathed.

The full-force [Flare Blitz] had hit clean. Burn marks now covered its arms and chest.

And yet, Machamp’s expression didn’t contort in pain. Instead, it stood even straighter—eyes burning with fierce intensity.

[Guts] ability activated.

“Oh no—this isn’t good!” the commentator exclaimed. “The burn from Arcanine’s [Flare Blitz] didn’t weaken Machamp—on the contrary, it triggered its [Guts] ability, boosting its Attack stat dramatically! This could be a major misstep from Gary!”

Gary: “…..”

Seriously? Out of all possible outcomes... it just had to burn now?

Where was this burn chance when he was spamming [Flamethrower] on Onix?

Up in the stands, August couldn’t help but chuckle.

Gary’s luck—hard to say whether it was brilliant or abysmal.

He’d intended to have Arcanine chip away at Machamp’s HP, setting up an easier path for his remaining team.

And sure, the damage was done—but now Machamp was fully buffed and twice as dangerous.

Still, what’s done was done. No matter how frustrating, Gary had to own it.

He recalled Arcanine, then reached to his belt and unhooked another Poké Ball.

“…It’s your turn, Ninetales!”

---

T/N: 2 FIRE TYPES????

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!