Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [217]

Once it became clear there was no convincing Giovanni, Pryce stopped holding back.

With a heavy thud of his cane on the ground, Swinub unleashed a blizzard that surged toward Team Rocket's position like a tidal wave.

In that moment, everyone present finally understood what true cold felt like.

Especially Orm and Ariana, whose teams included Grass-type Pokémon.

Orm’s Jumpluff and Ariana’s Bellossom began showing signs of frostbite within seconds, forcing them to recall their Pokémon into their Poké Balls.

Even August and Sabrina, perched in a distant tree, felt the cold cutting through the early summer air. Sabrina instinctively shrank into herself—she wasn’t dressed for this kind of weather.

Right then...

【GardevoirSupremacy】: Here, take this.

A piece of clothing was handed to her.

Sabrina looked at the sweater August held out. Her first reaction wasn’t gratitude—it was suspicion.

【Psychic Girl Extraordinaire】: What’s with the sudden kindness?

She stared at him warily, eyes sharp with doubt.

[...]

August sighed. “It’s just a sweater. You make me sound like some villain. I’ve never done anything to you, have I?”

Heaven help him—August was supposed to be a model citizen. A five-star young man. Justice incarnate. The League’s rising star.

So why did Sabrina look at him like he was a crook?

The misunderstanding ran way too deep.

Sabrina’s only response was a flat: 【Heh.】

Still, after a brief hesitation, she took the sweater.

A sweater...?

The battle below was still in full swing. August probably wouldn’t mess around at a time like this… right?

With that thought, she slipped it on.

Warmth flooded over her. It fit perfectly.

But then... she noticed something strange.

There was a vertical slit at the chest, and she stared at it in confusion.

August followed her gaze. “Oh, that? Don’t worry about it... That sweater was originally made for Gardevoir.”

“She, uh… filled out a bit recently, so it got too small for her. I was going to toss it, but hey—it fits you fine.”

He sounded rather pleased with himself. He hadn’t knit it, sure, but it was custom-ordered. And he hated wasting good stuff.

Sabrina: [...]

Even though he said it was for Gardevoir, she couldn’t shake the feeling he was mocking her figure.

I’m not mad. I’m not mad.

She repeated it to herself. But still, her fists clenched of their own accord. She should never have expected anything decent from him.

---

While August was busy pretending to be thoughtful, the battle below had turned brutal.

The ground was torn by jagged fissures, and towering ice pillars had sprung up in the cracks, forming a twisted, frozen forest.

Archer clutched his arm, glaring across the field at Karen, who was taking aim with her Umbreon.

If Orm’s Shuckle hadn’t blocked that last hit, he’d be down already. As it stood, he was barely hanging on—with only Arbok and Houndoom still able to battle, both already wounded.

Karen wasn’t much better. The earlier [Explosion] from Weezing had taken out both her Murkrow and Houndoom. Now she was unleashing her rage on Orm’s Shuckle, trying everything to break through.

Elsewhere, Ariana and Proton had teamed up against Carl and Will—and they were getting crushed.

They weren’t as strong as Archer to begin with, and against Will’s mastery of Psychic-types, they were barely managing to hold the line.

“Why not surrender and join our Masked Corps?” Will said smoothly, arms open beneath his mask. His tone was almost welcoming.

“Hmph!”

Ariana and Proton sneered in unison.

Was this guy serious?

Will’s expression turned cold. “So be it. Die, then.”

Xatu’s eyes flashed with a sinister glow, and a heavy psychic force descended.

Ariana’s Murkrow weathered it—but Proton’s Weezing was knocked out instantly.

Still, the executives’ battle, as intense as it was, wouldn’t change the tide.

The real fight was between Giovanni and Pryce.

In the heart of the frozen forest—

Swinub launched an [Ice Beam].

Rhydon took the hit. Already worn down by successive blizzards, it barely stayed on its feet before finally collapsing, kicking up a wave of snow.

Giovanni silently recalled it.

It wasn’t the first to fall. Persian and Nidoking had already been taken out by Pryce’s relentless winter-like assault.

Meanwhile, Pryce had only lost Ariados, Gastly, and Dewgong—his lower-tier Pokémon. His real threats—Delibird and Swinub—were still in good condition, despite some injuries.

He's efficient. Too efficient.

Giovanni watched the seconds tick away in his mind. Then he gave a sharp order to Aggron.

“[Rock Tomb]!”

Chunks of stone rained down toward Swinub—but it dodged with ease.

Not that Giovanni had expected to land a hit. That wasn’t the point.

Unseen, the scattered stones were subtly guiding Swinub into a very specific zone—a battlefield Giovanni had already mapped out in his mind.

And the moment the final rock hit the ground—

Before Swinub could even relax—

Dugtrio exploded from behind.

It burst out of the earth in a blur, three heads, three attacks—each with a different type.

“[Tri-Attack]!”

Swinub was sent flying by the [Tri-Attack].

Dugtrio immediately retreated underground, not even attempting a follow-up strike.

As it turned out, Dugtrio’s instincts were correct—just moments after it vanished into the ground, Delibird dove out of the sky in a sudden ambush.

Had it been struck, the Ground-type Dugtrio would’ve taken a heavy hit for sure.

Its attack missed, but Delibird wasn’t done yet.

With a deep breath, it sucked in the frigid air—then blasted it straight into the burrow Dugtrio had left behind.

[Icy Wind] spread through the tunnels beneath the battlefield. Moments later, Dugtrio resurfaced in a panic, its body frosted over with a layer of ice.

Delibird wore an almost smug, humanlike expression.

Just as it was about to dive in for another strike, it paused mid-air—sensing something—and abruptly veered off-course.

A flash of metallic light exploded where it had just been, blasting apart several surrounding ice pillars.

[Flash Cannon]

Delibird soared back into the sky, circling to reposition. Once it had found the perfect angle, it reached into its hollow tail and pulled out a stack of brightly wrapped boxes—

[Present]

Watching from above, August couldn’t help clicking his tongue. Pryce’s Delibird really doesn’t hold back.

[Present] was one of those moves as unpredictable as [Metronome]—its effect relied entirely on luck. Of the four possible outcomes, three dealt increasing levels of damage… but the last one actually healed the opponent.

And sure, the damage was variable, but...

Is Delibird seriously not worried Giovanni’s some kind of luck god and lands the healing effect? What if it restores Mega Beedrill’s HP back to full?

That would be… something.

But Giovanni wasn’t the gambling type. He clearly didn’t trust his luck. Instead, his response was cautious—borderline conservative:

“[Pin Missile]! [Rock Blast]!”

Mega Beedrill, now partially recovered, hurled a barrage of [Pin Missiles] into the sky, shredding the falling presents before they could reach him.

One by one, the boxes exploded midair.

Meanwhile, Aggron slammed its fist into a boulder beside it, breaking it into soccer-ball-sized chunks. With a powerful toss, it launched the rocks toward the airborne Delibird.

But Delibird was nimble, weaving effortlessly through the hail of stone.

And while Aggron and Beedrill were distracted, all eyes on the sky—

Swinub crept forward.

Unnoticed.

And then—

[Icicle Spear]!

Shards of ice whistled through the air toward Giovanni.

At the critical moment, Aggron threw itself between its trainer and the incoming spikes.

The damage wasn’t serious—Aggron’s Rock/Steel typing easily tanked the hit.

But without Aggron’s [Rock Blast] to interfere, Delibird suddenly dove, speeding toward the battlefield.

At that moment, Aggron was locked in with Swinub.

The only Pokémon still able to move were Dugtrio and Mega Beedrill.

“Dugtrio, [Protect]!”

A shimmering barrier enveloped Dugtrio, Beedrill, and Giovanni.

Delibird looked like it was about to slam headfirst into the shield—then, at the last second, pulled up hard in midair and blasted it with [Icy Wind].

Crack—crack—

The barrier froze solid.

A thick sheet of ice sealed Giovanni, Dugtrio, and Beedrill inside like a crystalline prison.

Delibird pivoted and joined Swinub, both bearing down on Aggron together.

Beautiful! August thought, awed. Classic Pryce.

The moment Giovanni used [Protect] to shield himself, Pryce flipped the entire tactic on its head—turning that defense into a trap.

By locking Dugtrio and Beedrill in with their trainer, he created a temporary three-on-one.

It wasn’t even fair. But it wasn’t Giovanni’s fault, either. August had to admit, if it had been him in Giovanni’s place, he wouldn’t have had a clean answer for this setup either.

Pryce’s Swinub and Delibird should honestly be banned.

Arceus, are you seeing this? A little divine intervention maybe?

While August was still complaining to himself, Aggron was being overwhelmed—attacked from both sides by Delibird and Swinub.

With no other choice, it activated [Iron Defense], boosting its resistance and digging in to withstand the assault. Then it barreled straight toward Swinub.

Just as it neared, Aggron leapt, arms crossed, a silver aura spiraling around its body.

It dove down like a comet.

[Heavy Slam]!

The power of the move scaled with weight—and with Aggron’s sheer mass, if it landed...

August did the math and grimaced. If Aggron slams into Swinub head-on, even Pryce’s Swinub might be toast.

No matter how tanky Swinub was, it still had limits.

Pryce knew it too. His expression finally tightened. His cane tapped rapidly against the ground, and Swinub responded instantly.

A shadowy double split from its form and dashed toward the attack.

[Substitute]!

Aggron slammed into the decoy. The weight-based impact obliterated the clone instantly.

And yet Aggron kept charging—momentum carrying it forward, now aimed at the real Swinub.

But the [Substitute] had served its purpose. Without the full effect of [Heavy Slam]—which had already triggered on the clone—Swinub was able to throw up an ice wall just in time.

First charge, full power. Second one, not so much. Third… gone.

The momentum died.

Aggron’s unstoppable force faltered—and that was all Delibird needed.

It closed in and fired off an [Ice Beam], targeting Aggron’s joints.

Then, in tandem, Delibird kept applying pressure with freezing attacks while Swinub stomped and unleashed a devastating [Earthquake].

Caught between them, Aggron let out a defiant roar—

—and collapsed.

Its HP hit zero. It was out.

What a shame... August thought.

To be fair, Giovanni’s Aggron really wasn’t weak. This was the same Pokémon that, in canon, once broke through Deoxys’s barrier defense.

But sadly, this time its opponents were Pryce’s Swinub and Delibird.

Just then, August’s communicator buzzed. He glanced down, read the message, and smiled.

Sabrina, noticing, tilted her head. “Good news?”

【GardevoirSupremacy】: The remaining Team Rocket and Masked Corps trainers at the perimeter have all been captured!

To prepare for this operation, August had brought in more than just Gym Leaders—he’d also mobilized League trainers from nearby cities, requested support from Johto's regional division, and even borrowed an inspection force from Lance.

And now, it was all paying off.

August looked back down at the field, thought for a moment, and typed:

【GardevoirSupremacy】: Blue, notify Elite Four member Bruno and the Johto Gym Leaders to advance. Everyone else, begin evacuating the captured grunts.

The fight between Giovanni and Pryce was nearly over.

And soon—it would be their turn to step in.

While August was coordinating with Blue, on the field—

After defeating Aggron, the Pryce-controlled “Masked Man” stepped forward, catching Swinub in his arms and soothing the still-shaking Pokémon.

Then, he turned his gaze to Giovanni.

At that moment, Giovanni finally shattered the thick ice barrier Delibird had created.

Not because he was slow—but because Delibird was completely unhinged. That ice layer had been two meters thick.

Giovanni looked at the fallen Aggron, his face dark with anger.

Aggron had been a cornerstone of his strategy—his biggest reason for daring to go head-to-head with Pryce.

Now, it too was down...

“It’s over,” Pryce said calmly. “One last time: hand over the scroll and the GS Ball. Leave with your subordinates. That’s the only path forward.”

With Celebi’s arrival drawing closer, he couldn’t afford to waste more time.

Giovanni didn’t answer right away.

Silence fell.

Then, under Pryce’s watchful eye, Giovanni slowly pulled a scroll and a GS Ball from his coat pocket...

Slash!

In a flash, Mega Beedrill—still standing silently at Giovanni’s side—darted forward and sliced the scroll into fluttering scraps.

The wind and snow swept them away like ashes.

“Giovanni!!”

Pryce’s fury exploded. His eyes burned as he stared at Giovanni, seething. He wanted nothing more than to freeze the man solid.

But he didn’t dare move.

Because with the scroll destroyed, Giovanni was now holding the only completed GS Ball.

It was also his only hope of capturing Celebi.

Giovanni gripped the GS Ball in his hand, Beedrill’s stinger hovering dangerously close to it. His expression remained utterly unmoved in the face of Pryce’s fury.

“Where is Silver?”

The same question, again.

Hearing it, Pryce felt like he was about to snap. “Who told you Silver was with me!?”

“He escaped over a year ago! How many times do I have to tell you!?”

Pryce was on the verge of a breakdown.

He’d done plenty of questionable things over the years, sure—but this? On this point, he truly hadn’t lied!

Giovanni stared at Pryce’s near-hysterical reaction. For the first time, doubt began to creep into his mind.

Could Pryce… be telling the truth?

That fleeting thought from before returned—only this time, Giovanni caught it clearly.

Who had first told him that Silver was in Pryce’s hands?

August.

Who had been feeding him information these past few days, nudging him toward the Oak Forest and a clash with Pryce?

Also August.

And in this grudge match between him and Pryce… who stood to gain the most?

Still August—and the League behind him.

The obsession clouding Giovanni’s reason finally began to lift.

If August had known his goal all along—had known he would come here to confront Pryce—then what would he have done?

Realizing this, Giovanni turned away from Pryce without another word and barked to Archer:

“Archer, report—what’s the status of our forces?”

From what Giovanni knew of August’s methods, the first step in any operation would be taking out the outer ring—the rank-and-file troops.

And sure enough, the battles between officers on both sides had already halted once Pryce and Giovanni stopped.

Archer, confused by the sudden command, didn’t hesitate. Orders from the boss were absolute.

With his one good arm, he pulled out his communicator and began dialing his team out in the woods.

But—

“Boss Giovanni, no one’s picking up!”

One number after another—no response.

Archer’s face darkened. He, too, began to sense something was seriously wrong.

There was no way every grunt had been wiped out by the Masked Corps.

Will tried reaching his own side as well. Nothing.

Everyone shared tense glances, a creeping chill rising in their chests—far colder than the ice around them.

It was a trap.

Even Pryce’s brows began to furrow.

No wonder everything had felt off from the beginning.

Giovanni was the first to act. He raised his voice and shouted into the trees around them:

“Come out, August. I know you’re there.”

If this was August’s trap, then knowing him—he had to be close by, watching everything.

Giovanni’s voice faded into the wind. No reply.

Only the eerie hush of Ilex Forest, broken only by the howling breeze.

Just when everyone started to question their suspicions—

A voice rang out: “Ah, sorry! Wind was too loud just now. Giovanni, what did you say? I didn’t catch that…”

As the words fell, both Giovanni and Pryce saw a familiar figure stroll casually from the woods—trailing behind him was a group of trainers.

Giovanni spotted former allies turned traitors: Sabrina, Mewtwo—Team Rocket’s ace, now poached by August…

And Pryce saw a few familiar faces himself—former Gym Leader colleagues, and Blue…?

Every one of them had their Pokémon at the ready, marked with the wear and tear of fresh battle.

There was no need to ask what had happened to the grunts who’d retreated earlier—this said it all.

And as for Blue...

Pryce barely cared anymore about that former subordinate.

August’s arrival made Pryce’s expression appear grim, but deep down, he didn’t feel nearly as threatened.

Because August’s presence only proved one thing:

Silver really wasn’t in his hands.

Now do you believe me, Giovanni? Are you ready to hand over the GS Ball?

Giovanni also came to that realization.

August had manipulated his desperation to find his son and orchestrated this entire confrontation.

Pryce looked to Giovanni. “A truce?”

Honestly, Giovanni wasn’t a pushover. Pryce had the upper hand, sure—but Swinub and Delibird had taken damage. They weren’t at peak condition.

And he still needed strength in reserve to capture Celebi.

Teaming up with Giovanni, then, was the most logical option.

Giovanni hesitated, then August cut in with a sharp, mocking tone:

“Think carefully, Giovanni. Pryce is the one who kidnapped your son—do you really want to team up with him?”

Giovanni looked up, eyes narrowing as he stared at August.

August had a point—but compared to joining forces with an enemy… Giovanni definitely didn’t want to be played by him.

Without a word, Giovanni tossed the incomplete GS Ball to Pryce.

The two who’d been at each other’s throats moments ago—now allies.

“.....”

August let out a sigh as he watched Giovanni's decisiveness. “I knew it. You evil organizations really are two sides of the same coin.”

“Well, good thing I came prepared!”

With that, August yanked someone beside him into view.

He pulled off the person’s mask, revealing a stunned young face.

“Giovanni, your son is with me now,” August called out with a devilish grin. “You wouldn’t want anything to happen to him, would you? Heh heh…”

Silver: “.....”

Giovanni: “?”

Pryce: “?”

The Team Rocket and Masked Corps officers: “??”

Even Bruno and the League Gym Leaders exchanged glances, confirming they were, indeed, still the good guys… right?

Including Sabrina and Blue—everyone was stunned by August’s move.

Weren’t you the one fighting for justice!? Why do you look even more like a villain than the villains!?

Still—while August’s antics felt villainous, the effect was undeniable.

Giovanni stared at Silver in disbelief. For a moment, he faltered—then looked closer.

Before this operation, August had made Silver dye his hair back to black. Now, staring at his face—still carrying traces of his childhood features—a wave of instinctive recognition swept over Giovanni.

No doubt about it. This was his son.

I should’ve known...

How did August know so many details about Silver? How did he know Silver had once been kidnapped by Pryce?

Everything made sense now.

Except—one lingering question:

Why is my son with August!?

Was he captured...?

That thought crossed Giovanni’s mind—and his eyes turned sharp.

“I’ll get you out of there, Silver!” he shouted.

Silver’s brow furrowed.

Realizing Giovanni had mistaken him for a captive, his expression went cold.

He looked Giovanni squarely in the eyes. “I’m with the International Police now. I came here to bring you to justice, Giovanni!”

Giovanni froze.

...International Police?

My son... is an agent of the International Police!?

---

T/N: LMAOOOOOOOOOO anyway my god this was a 6k chapter, last chapter a 4k one thats 10k ur welcome huehuehue (chinese characters not words, it most likely shrunk but yknow)

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!