Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [239]

Charizard collapsing was exactly what August had expected.

Though he was mildly surprised that Ash’s Charizard managed to withstand Nidoking’s [Thunder Punch] through sheer willpower and take it down, willpower alone wasn’t enough to keep fighting.

That final [Flamethrower] had exhausted all of Charizard’s remaining strength. Even if it forced itself to stand to prove its victory, it couldn’t keep going. Eventually, it went down.

Still, the commentator spared no praise for Charizard.

Gary withdrew his gaze from Charizard, thoughtful.

He’d only battled Ash’s Charizard twice, but both times had left a deep impression.

Surprisingly, this time Gary didn’t say anything to provoke Ash after winning.

But letting up during a match? That was never going to happen.

After a quick moment of thought, Gary threw out his second Poké Ball. “Let’s go—Arcanine!”

Arcanine leapt into the arena, proud and powerful.

Just looking at it made Ash feel immense pressure...

As for choosing his third Pokémon—well, with the lineup already registered in advance, he didn’t exactly have options.

“Go, Pikachu!”

Pikachu jumped onto the field, cheeks sparking with static as it faced Arcanine. Its eyes were firm, unfazed by Arcanine’s [Intimidate].

“The third match begins now! Gary has sent out his Arcanine—who, let’s not forget, achieved three straight wins in under twenty minutes during the preliminaries!”

“Ash’s Pikachu is no pushover either! It might look like just an ordinary Electric Mouse, but the [Thunderbolt] it showed during the prelims was seriously impressive!”

“What kind of battle are we in for now?”

...

Ten Minutes Later...

“Pii...ka...pi...”

Pikachu lay flat on its back, covered in soot, muttering weakly.

Arcanine, on the other hand—though its fur was frizzed and singed in places—still looked full of energy.

“Pikachu is unable to battle! Arcanine wins... and with all three of Ash’s Pokémon defeated, the winner is Gary from Pallet Town!”

Far from the back-and-forth slugfest the commentators had imagined, the battle had been one-sided—utterly so.

Arcanine had used its superior speed to completely dominate Pikachu.

First, it trapped it with [Fire Spin], limiting Pikachu’s movement range.

Then, it finished the job with a well-timed [Extreme Speed].

Exactly as August had expected.

Pikachu still had a long way to go.

And Gary—who August had trained himself—losing to Ash? If that happened, August might as well pack up and go raise Slowpoke in the Safari Zone.

Not long after the match ended, Gary arrived at the VIP seating area.

The moment he saw August, his face lit up in a self-satisfied grin.

“Hah! So, August? I made it to the Top 8! Even the commentator called me the tournament favorite!”

Thinking of the commentator’s glowing praise, Gary looked positively smug.

August remained silent, but Sabrina couldn’t keep a straight face. Her expression turned... odd.

Even Cynthia gave him a sidelong glance.

Gary noticed and frowned slightly.

What? What did I say?

He turned toward August.

August let out a sigh. “Sabrina, go ahead. You tell him.”

Sabrina smoothed her expression and said bluntly, “That commentator? August arranged that.”

“What?”

It took Gary a full ten seconds to process what she’d just said.

The commentator... was planted by August?

No way.

But when Sabrina repeated what August had told her earlier—that the commentator worked for a station owned by the Silph Group, this year’s sponsor, and that August had casually brought Gary’s name up to the CEO during a conversation...

Well, Gary did know that August was acquainted with the Silph president.

And yes, the Silph Group was sponsoring this year’s Indigo Conference.

So... it was true?

And he’d just marched in front of August, puffing himself up like he was hot stuff...

Oh no.

Gary’s toes were practically digging a hole through the floor in embarrassment.

He felt like he was going to die of secondhand shame.

Seeing Gary deflate like a popped balloon, August didn’t push too hard—after all, the kid had just advanced to the Top 8.

He patted Gary on the shoulder. “Don’t let it get to you. It’s a small thing—people will only tease you about it for a few years... give or take.”

Gary: “......”

If you don’t know how to comfort someone, maybe don’t try at all.

“Ahem. Back to business.” August straightened up. “Since you made it through, we can move on to the next stage of the plan!”

Gary seized the chance to escape his own humiliation. “What plan?”

“The star-maker plan!”

“The... star-maker?” Gary echoed.

“That’s right. The commentator earlier? That was part of it.” August nodded. “At your current level, working as a part-time Gym Leader isn’t going to help you improve anymore.”

“So I’ve decided—it’s time to give you a new job.” August smiled warmly.

Gary immediately sensed danger. That smile had never meant anything good.

Sure enough—

“I’m going to turn you into a celebrity Trainer,” August said. “You'll grow under pressure!”

“You know what that is, right? Like Leon, Nessa—famous Trainers who aren’t just beloved by fans, but swimming in endorsements.”

“How’s that for generosity, huh?”

Gary was silent for a moment before blurting out, “Can I... not be in this plan?”

It sounded nice on paper, but given what he knew about August, there had to be a hidden pitfall. A big one.

Every time Gary thought he’d found an easy path, August had made sure to educate him thoroughly.

Honestly, the only reason he was so cautious in battle these days was because August had tripped him up so many times before.

“You really want to turn it down?” August asked with a smile.

He didn’t say no outright—but his face might as well have spelled it out letter by letter.

“....”

Gary wisely swallowed his protest.

He had a feeling that if he didn’t cooperate, August would find a way to make him “cooperate.”

Fine...

A celebrity Trainer it is. Maybe I’ll end up the next Leon.

That’d make me a Champion... right?

Watching Gary suddenly start smiling to himself, August felt a flicker of doubt.

...Did I push him too hard? Did he actually snap?

---

T/N: heh a celebrity ay? thats a wise idea

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!