Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [202]

Lance remained skeptical of August’s claim.

After all, whether it was Koga, Surge, or even Giovanni, it seemed like August always acted first, then got the evidence afterward.

That said, every time, the results had proven him right.

As for Pryce... after thinking it over, Lance concluded that leaving it in August’s hands was probably the most reliable option.

Because, frankly, even if he were in August’s position, he wouldn’t know what to do either.

“If you need my help, just say the word.”

The moment Lance said that, August’s eyes lit up—this was exactly what he’d called for.

“There are a couple of things I will need your help with this time…”

Lance: “...”

He knew this call wasn’t just about passing along information.

“What is it?” Lance asked.

“First, I need you to help smooth things over with the League. Pryce has considerable influence in Johto, and I don’t want his network interfering with my investigation.”

“No problem!” Lance agreed without hesitation.

He couldn’t convince the League Council to believe that Pryce was the leader of the Masked Corps... but once August made his move, Lance could make sure they didn’t get in his way.

“And second—I need more manpower. I can’t rely on just a handful of people to go up against Pryce. Even if Johto’s Gym Leaders help out, we still need to be ready in case Team Rocket strikes from the outside...”

Lance had already considered that.

“I’ll put all my prosecutors stationed in Johto on standby. They’ll await your orders.”

“With you backing me, I’ve got no worries.”

The two chatted briefly about the battle between Giovanni and Pryce, but since the fight had taken place at night, there wasn’t much in the way of visual evidence.

Originally, Lance had thought Pryce had been seriously injured by Giovanni. But now, knowing what he might really be... even that conclusion was starting to feel shaky.

All he could do was remind August to be cautious.

By the time the call ended, night had already fallen.

August glanced at the clock—it was already dinnertime.

Another day gone, just like that.

“Sigh… I really am working myself to death for the League.”

August sighed deeply, feeling more and more like he was drifting away from his original dream of slacking off—and sliding straight into the role of a model overachiever.

Hearing this...

For once, Sabrina didn’t chime in with a sarcastic comment.

No matter how much she teased August on a daily basis, his track record spoke for itself—when it came to commitment, August was easily one of the most dedicated in the Kanto League.

After all, who else had inflicted so much damage on Team Rocket in just a few short months?

But her admiration didn’t last long—because August turned to her and said:

“Sabrina... aren’t you forgetting something?”

Her body stiffened. Whatever praise she’d had in her heart vanished instantly, replaced by sheer irritation.

She clenched her fists, silently swearing to teach him a lesson.

...

The next morning.

August emerged from his room holding his lower back.

It was all Sabrina’s fault. What was supposed to be a simple back massage somehow escalated—she ended up using psychic power partway through, and now his back and waist ached like hell.

And Gardevoir—she used to sneak out in the middle of the night to heal him with [Life Dew]. Lately, though, she seemed to have dropped the habit for some reason.

Life is suffering.

When he made it to the living room, Silver, Blue, and Sabrina were already there.

Seeing him walk out with a hand on his back, Sabrina lifted her chin smugly. “So? Still want me to give you back massages?”

August snorted at her triumphant expression.

Enjoy your little win while it lasts. Once I deal with the Masked Corps, we’ll see who gets the last laugh.

That was when Blue spoke up. “August… when are we heading out?”

Now that they knew Pryce was almost certainly the Masked Man, she couldn’t wait to take revenge.

“No rush...”

August spoke around a sandwich Indeedee had just handed him and began thinking through which Pokémon he should bring to Johto.

Since the opponent was Pryce, strength was more important than quantity. Bringing Pokémon that weren’t strong enough would only put them in danger.

After mulling it over, August stepped outside and released all his Pokémon.

“Gardevoir, Eevee, Mewtwo, Salamence, Dragonair, Lugia Jr., Marshtomp, and Gengar—you’re coming with me to Johto. The rest, stay home and guard the place.”

That was his strongest lineup at the moment.

As for why Marshtomp and Gengar made the cut, even if they seemed a little out of place...

Marshtomp had recently been showing signs of evolution. August planned to bring him along to take out some grunts—maybe help trigger the final push into becoming a Mega Swampert.

And Gengar... well, Gengar could hide in his shadow and use that belly like a four-dimensional backpack. Even if he didn’t fight, he’d still be handy as mobile storage.

The Pokémon he named were all thrilled. Those not chosen looked noticeably deflated.

Especially Gyarados—though it had originally been “coerced” into August’s team, by now it was practically molded into his image.

It didn’t think its strength was lacking, either.

So hearing that August was about to embark on something big and not taking it along? Of course it felt disappointed.

August went around reassuring each of them.

Now that he had so many Pokémon, it was impossible to bring them all along every time. There just had to be some trade-offs.

Though among those who weren’t picked, there was one exception—

Slowpoke let out a long sigh of relief, its face practically glowing with joy.

No battle. No boss. Gengar, the terrifying drill sergeant, is going with the boss too. Does this mean I finally get to relax? Eat, sleep, nap, repeat?

Just as Slowpoke was happily daydreaming about a lazy, blissful life...

August’s voice rang out.

“Oh, right. Slowpoke—I’ve written up a new training plan for you. Make sure you follow it. Indeedee and the others will be monitoring your progress~”

The poor Slowpoke instantly turned to stone.

By the time it snapped out of its shock and tried to give August the saddest, most pitiful look it could manage in hopes of changing his mind—he was already back inside.

Leaving only a miserable Slowpoke behind... being stared down by two very serious Indeedee.

Wait a sec... Slowpoke doesn’t even have fur!

...

Johto Region – New Bark Town

This was August’s second time in Johto.

Last time, he’d come to have a custom GS Ball forged and ended up running into Pryce by chance.

This time, though, he had come with one clear goal—

To finish off the Masked Corps once and for all.

---

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!