Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [212]

Seeing August again—haunting him like a ghost—Pryce, hidden inside the ice-armored form of the “new Masked Man,” scowled deeply.

It was August who had disrupted his plans last time, forcing him to abandon the capture of Ho-Oh and retreat with nothing more than a handful of feathers.

And now... August had come again!

Fortunately, Pryce had been more cautious this time. He came in person—and he didn’t come with just Delibird.

As he directed Delibird to dodge Lugia’s [Air Slash], Pryce swung the Masked Man’s arm. A flash of white light burst forth, and a Swinub appeared on the Masked Man’s shoulder.

The moment August saw Swinub, he continued to close in quickly on Salamence—at the same time, he covertly turned on his portable body camera. On cue, his expression shifted to one of “shock.”

“Swinub...? Don’t tell me—you’re Pryce?!”

Even August had to admire his own acting.

Flawless performance.

As he spoke, August used [Aura] to carry his voice through the downpour, sending it clearly into Pryce’s ears despite the storm.

Pryce, just about to command Swinub and Delibird into a coordinated attack against Lugia, paused slightly at August’s words.

There are so many Swinub in the world, and you’re telling me you figured out my identity just from this one?

Team Rocket I could understand—but you International Police don’t even need evidence anymore?

Still, Pryce’s inner frustration didn’t slow his command. Delibird and Swinub acted in perfect sync.

A pale blue glow lit up Swinub’s body—[Blizzard]. Delibird, taking a deep breath, unleashed a wide-range [Icy Wind] straight at Lugia.

Then—

Whoosh.

A frigid current burst outward from the two Pokémon, rapidly spreading in all directions.

The temperature dropped sharply. Wherever the freezing wind passed, the rain falling from the sky instantly crystallized into sharp, conical hailstones that bombarded Lugia from above.

At the same time, the [Blizzard] that Swinub unleashed distorted the storm winds originally summoned by Lugia, twisting the sky into a howling white squall.

Today, the Whirl Islands became a blizzard of snow and hail.

“Wooooh!”

The hailstones pelted Lugia relentlessly, its cry strained with pain.

As a Psychic/Flying-type, Lugia was already vulnerable to Ice-type moves. Now, with the battlefield itself turned against it and Pryce going all-in, Lugia found itself on the defensive.

It tried to counterattack, wings churning to generate slicing wind cyclones.

But each time Lugia launched a gust toward Pryce, Delibird, with its smaller, nimble frame, easily dodged the attack.

Sometimes, being small has its advantages!

One missed cyclone slammed into the sea, creating a massive whirlpool.

Pryce was preparing to press his advantage—he wanted to defeat Lugia before August could fully interfere. Only then would he deal with August directly.

But just then, a deep, shadowy [Shadow Ball] came flying silently toward him.

Of course August had no intention of sitting by and watching Pryce capture Lugia.

The moment he’d finished his earlier declaration, he’d already released Mewtwo and Gardevoir.

This [Shadow Ball] was courtesy of Mewtwo—an explosive one, much like the kind it had used back on New Island, aimed directly at disrupting Pryce’s assault.

Though Pryce was focused primarily on Lugia, he hadn’t taken his eyes off August’s movements.

The moment he sensed the powerful, unstable energy signature from the [Shadow Ball], he instantly understood—August wanted to force him to give up on Lugia.

Now Pryce had two choices:

One, evade the Shadow Ball—at the cost of missing a once-in-a-lifetime chance to take down Lugia.

Two, take the hit and hope the assault on Lugia would succeed first.

After a flash of calculation, Pryce chose the latter.

“Delibird, Swinub—attack!”

Without hesitation, he went all-in, ordering his two Pokémon to continue their assault on Lugia. At the same time, he leapt from Delibird’s back, controlling the Masked Man’s icy armor as he reached toward the oncoming [Shadow Ball] with his arm.

His identity was already exposed—both to the League and to Team Rocket.
He needed Lugia’s power to survive what was coming: a joint assault from both sides.

Delibird carried Swinub through the storm, diving straight toward Lugia.

In mid-air, Delibird’s fist glowed with chilling energy—[Ice Punch]. Swinub, already charged, fired a piercing [Ice Beam].

Boom.

The [Ice Beam] and [Ice Punch] struck Lugia squarely, freezing one of its wings in the process.

And at the same time, the [Shadow Ball] collided with the Masked Man’s icy body—engulfing Pryce in a thunderous blast.

Lugia and Pryce both fell from the sky at nearly the same moment, crashing down toward the sea below.

SPLASH.

Lugia’s massive form—nearly the size of Ho-Oh—hit the water with a tremendous crash, sending waves surging outward in every direction.

Just before Pryce could hit the ocean, Delibird dove again, catching him mid-fall with Swinub still riding on its back. It softened the impact and then used Icy Wind to freeze part of the sea, forming a glacier where it gently laid Pryce down.

Pryce now looked utterly wrecked.

The ice-armor of the Masked Man had been blown apart by the Shadow Ball explosion—half of it completely destroyed. One leg was gone.

His mask had cracked open, revealing the real Pryce beneath.

“Kh—khh...” Pryce coughed, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.

Even with the Masked Man’s “external armor” taking the brunt of the blast, the shockwave still injured him severely.

But it was worth it.

Pryce glanced toward the glacier edge, where Lugia had also landed—weakened, struggling to rise.

If I can capture Lugia... then all of this will have been worth it.

He fumbled inside his coat and pulled out a Master Ball, hurling it toward Lugia.

But just as the ball was about to strike—

FWOOSH.

A flash of blue light flared through the air.

The Master Ball froze mid-flight, suspended as if time had stopped.

August had finally landed—descending onto the ice atop Salamence, with Mewtwo and Gardevoir at his sides. His voice carried a note of exaggerated awe:

“I honestly didn’t expect it... The infamous leader of the Masked Corps—the ‘Masked Man’ himself—turns out to be you, Pryce... I was actually just bluffing back there.”

Pryce: “.....”

Was that really just a guess?

But with his identity already exposed, there was no point in dwelling on it anymore.

August had stopped him from capturing Lugia. Pryce's half-lidded eyes were now sharp and frigid, like blades of ice.

“Looks like I’ll have to deal with you first,” Pryce said coldly. “Without Lugia’s help, you really think you can stop me?”

As he spoke, the ice-crafted Masked Man armor surrounding him began drawing moisture from the air, slowly repairing the damage from the earlier explosion.

Swinub and Delibird stepped forward into battle stances.

Snow and hail pelted down from the sky. Mewtwo and Gardevoir were forced to erect psychic barriers to block the weather, while Swinub and Delibird moved through it effortlessly, as if it were their natural element.

But August’s reaction caught Pryce off guard.

He actually nodded.

“You’re right. Without Lugia’s help, I might not be a match for you...”

“...But who said Lugia can’t still fight?”

As he spoke, August placed his hand on Lugia, who lay weakened on the ground.

A gentle green glow spread from his palm. The frost that had encased half of Lugia’s body began to melt, and its aura surged visibly—its strength returning rapidly.

This is what the [Viridian Power] is for!

“Woooo~!”

Lugia let out a low cry, glancing at August with grateful eyes.

Watching this unfold, Pryce’s face turned an ominous shade of dark.

He never expected August had one more trick up his sleeve.

And the bad news didn’t stop there.

August released his Eevee and Dragonair as well—adding them to a team that already included Salamence, Mewtwo, Gardevoir, and now a revived Lugia.

The balance of power flipped in an instant.

Faced with August going all-out, Pryce no longer held back either.

He tossed out the rest of his Poké Balls.

Dewgong. Ariados. Houndour...

Compared to the champion-level strength of Delibird and Swinub—capable of clashing with a legendary Pokémon—these other Pokémon were clearly of lower caliber.

By now, thanks to August’s healing, Lugia had regained its mobility. One of its wings was still injured, grounding it for now, but it could fight.

August and Pryce locked eyes.

At the same time, they both launched into the offensive.

Delibird whipped up a gust of [Icy Wind], aiming directly at August.

Gardevoir, clutching the [Mind Plate], exchanged a glance with August. A flash of rainbow light enveloped her as she [Mega Evolved] into Mega Gardevoir, stepping in front of August and casting a shimmering [Light Screen] to block the incoming cold.

Meanwhile, Mewtwo raised an arm—and its psychic spoon extended dozens of meters in length, cleaving down toward Pryce.

Even from nearly a hundred meters away, the blade of psychic energy stung the skin on Pryce’s face.

He had already experienced Mewtwo’s power in the fight with Ho-Oh, so he wasn’t careless. He rapped his cane.

Swinub responded immediately, launching an [Ice Beam] from its mouth.

The beam struck Mewtwo’s spoon mid-swing, freezing it instantly and spreading rapidly toward Mewtwo’s arm.

Mewtwo’s eyes narrowed.

It surged psychic energy into the spoon. Cracks spiderwebbed across the ice as it shattered under the force of Mewtwo’s power.

Elsewhere on the battlefield, the other Pokémon weren’t idle either.

Eevee fired [Swift] stars at Dewgong. Dragonair and Salamence combined their strength, unleashing twin [Dragon Pulses] at Ariados and Houndour—neither of whom had resistance to Dragon-type attacks.

But the tide of the battle was about to turn with one decisive move—

Lugia.

Now behind the main line, finally recovered, Lugia gathered power in its mouth—eyes locked on Pryce.

“Woooo~!”

The look it gave Pryce was filled with hatred. It summoned a glowing sphere of light, charging its attack.

Pryce’s face twisted the moment he saw the forming light.

[Hyper Beam]

Forget August for now—Pryce turned and shouted, “Delibird!”

Hearing the order, Delibird immediately disengaged from Mega Gardevoir and flew back toward its Trainer.

Gardevoir chased, pressing the advantage.

Then Delibird suddenly let out a gale of wind and, with a swing of its arm, summoned a towering ice wall—over ten meters high and several meters thick—shielding Pryce and his Pokémon.

Just as the ice wall completed, Lugia’s [Hyper Beam] was fully charged.

“WOOOO—!”

The furious blast fired forth, blazing with energy.

BOOM!

The explosion rocked the battlefield. Shards of ice blasted outward—only to melt instantly from the heat of the blast.

Lugia’s [Hyper Beam] lasted for more than ten full seconds.

Only once most of the ice wall had melted away did the beam finally fade.

Behind Gardevoir’s [Light Screen], August watched steam rise around them as evaporated water hung in the air. All that remained of the ice wall was a half-melted ruin.

Even after everything he’d seen on New Island, nothing compared to witnessing Lugia’s [Hyper Beam] from this close.

But he didn’t have time to be in awe.

Where’s Pryce...?

On instinct, August extended his [Aura]—searching.

Then—

His expression changed. “Mewtwo, dodge!”

Mewtwo didn’t quite understand, but trusted August completely. It shifted instinctively to the side.

CRACK!

Delibird erupted upward from beneath the ice, a razor-sharp [Ice Shard] forming on its arm.

The spike just barely missed Mewtwo’s throat. Even so, it raised every hair on its body.

Mewtwo immediately backed off, surrounding itself with a protective psychic barrier. It reached for its neck—a shallow scratch marked the near miss.

That was close...

“So close...” Pryce said, stepping out from behind the remnants of the ice wall, disappointment on his face.

If that strike had landed, the entire battle might’ve flipped.

But it hadn’t.

He turned to see Gastly drifting up from the shadows, a silver feather in its mouth.

Thanks to the earlier clash with Lugia, it hadn’t been hard to find one of its feathers in the nearby sea.

Pryce pocketed the [Silver Feather].

Then, with a wave of his hand, Swinub and Delibird summoned a field of massive ice spikes—jutting from the glacier beneath August’s feet, aiming to skewer him.

As August dodged the incoming spikes—

Pryce took one last look at him.

Then he picked up Swinub, hopped onto Delibird’s tail, and flew off into the distance.

He’d gauged August’s strength.

Capturing Lugia now was no longer realistic. Better to focus on preparing for the battle to capture Celebi.

By the time August shattered the last of the rising ice spikes, Pryce’s silhouette was already retreating across the sky.

Mewtwo glared after him, hurling a [Shadow Ball], hoping to strike him down like he had with Giovanni.

But Pryce wasn’t so easy to take down.

Swinub fired off another [Ice Beam], intercepting the [Shadow Ball] mid-air and detonating it safely away.

All August and Mewtwo could do was watch him vanish into the clouds.

Mewtwo clenched its fists.

August placed a hand on Mewtwo’s shoulder. “Don’t let it get to you. You saw how even Lugia fell to him earlier. You’ll get your chance next time.”

Lugia, who had just approached to thank August: “...”

If you can’t say anything nice, maybe don’t speak at all.

Still, August’s words did help. Mewtwo gave a slight nod, looking more at ease.

August scooped up a shivering Eevee into his arms and released Gardevoir from her [Mega Evolution].

Then he turned to Lugia. “Now that Pryce has retreated, I doubt he’ll show up again anytime soon.”

Lugia nodded.

But more than Pryce, something else was on its mind.

"I sensed a familiar presence on you", Lugia said, eyes narrowing as it looked at August.

August knew immediately what it was referring to. He pulled out a Master Ball.

“You mean this one?”

Inside was baby Lugia.

Earlier, August hadn’t dared release it—worried Pryce would fail to capture the adult Lugia and go after the child instead.

But now, with Pryce gone, that worry had passed.

August opened the ball, releasing baby Lugia.

Lugia froze the moment it saw it.

This is...

“I found it in some ruins in Kanto,” August explained. “It was still an egg then—damaged, even. Do you recognize it?”

"If you’re talking about the sealed, damaged egg from back then... I do", Lugia replied slowly.

It studied the younger Lugia closely, a flicker of confusion in its eyes.

"But a properly hatched Lugia shouldn’t have this... strange scent."

Clearly, this Lugia had tact.

If it were less emotionally intelligent, it might’ve demanded to know what August had done—why the baby smelled like five-spice seasoning.

August cleared his throat awkwardly, choosing not to mention that he had, in fact, once soaked the egg in herbal marinade to preserve it.

Changing the subject quickly, he said, “Anyway, now that Pryce is gone, could you please calm the weather? On the way here, I already ran into several ships caught in the storm...”

“And not just ships. The wild Pokémon in the area probably can’t take much more of this, either.”

Sure enough, Lugia was successfully distracted. Though it had summoned the storm out of necessity, now that Pryce had retreated, it no longer wanted to trouble others.

Lugia raised its head and let out a long, echoing cry. Slowly, the swirling winds and crashing waves began to subside under its power.

The storm faded.

Sunlight broke through the clouds, casting golden light across the sea. Watching the waves return to stillness, August felt his mood lift.

Until—

"But I still want to know why this child smells so weird."

Lugia stared intently at August.

August: “.....”

Is there really any point in clinging to that?!

---

This is a fan translation of 人在实教，一之濑你会后悔的 by 作者：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!