Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [200]

August definitely noticed Mewtwo’s expression.

But he assumed it was just surprised by the change in his aura and didn’t think much of it.

Activating his [Aura] to examine himself, he tried to sense what had changed after receiving [Celebi’s Blessing].

The result?

Absolutely nothing.

Aside from the faint, natural energy surrounding him, he didn’t feel like he had gained any new abilities.

No time travel.

No stopping time.

Nothing.

He couldn’t help but feel like he’d been scammed.

But when he pulled out the [GS Ball], something unexpected happened.

A faint glow pulsed across its surface.

August raised an eyebrow.

The [GS Ball]’s reaction likely meant it was sensing the presence of a time-related power nearby.

Which at least proved that [Celebi’s Blessing] did contain time-related energy.

But how to use it—how to develop it—he had no clue.

Maybe he’d have to meet Celebi in person to figure it out.

Since there was nothing more to gain for now, August put the [GS Ball] back into his bag.

His gaze shifted to Gardevoir, who was still subtly pressing against him.

He smiled.

Even if [Celebi’s Blessing] didn’t have any immediate effects… maybe it was already worth it.

Sensing his gaze, Gardevoir kept her expression calm—

But the faint blush on the tips of her ears betrayed her.

August chuckled, about to tease her—

When his phone chimed.

It was a message from Blaine.

[Studying a meteorite with unknown DNA? That’s definitely in my area of expertise… But I can’t guarantee any results. This type of research is highly unpredictable.]

August wasn’t too concerned.

He hadn’t expected much in the first place.

[No worries. I left the meteorite at home. Stop by whenever you’re free to pick it up.]

After replying, he turned back to Gardevoir—

Only to find that at some point, she had subtly shifted away.

She was now holding a book, pretending as if nothing had happened.

August sighed.

Disappointed, he turned to Eevee instead, scooping it up and squishing its face.

“Eevee~?!”

Eevee blinked in confusion.

...

August didn’t receive Steven’s reply until early the next day.

According to Steven, things in Hoenn were getting hectic.

The conflict between Team Magma and Team Aqua was escalating rapidly, and he had been busy handling the chaos.

As for the Mossdeep Space Center’s research on the meteorite, he didn’t have the details yet—

But he could check in a few days.

August sent back a quick “thanks,” then grabbed the drooling Eevee from his chest, tossing it into its little nest.

By the time he finished washing up and stepped out of his room, he ran into a very anxious Blue.

“What’s up? Why are you in such a rush?” August asked, confused.

Why was she so worked up this early in the morning?

Blue took a deep breath.

“August, we just got bad news from the League—Giovanni led Team Rocket in an attack on Mahogany Gym last night!”

She looked at August expectantly, assuming he’d be furious at this blatant act of aggression against the League.

But instead of anger or shock, August’s expression was…

Odd.

“…Giovanni attacked Mahogany Gym?” he repeated, as if trying to confirm.

Blue frowned. “That’s what the League reported. Here—look at the photos.”

She pulled up her tablet, showing him images from the scene.

The destruction was immense.

Half the Gym had been completely leveled.

The remaining half was frozen solid.

The ground was riddled with deep fissures—evidence of a fierce battle.

August let out a low whistle.

“Damn. That’s intense. So? What happened to Giovanni?”

Blue blinked.

“Wait—you’re asking about Giovanni?”

She paused for a second, confused.

Why wasn’t he asking about Pryce?

They were with the League, not Team Rocket.

Shouldn’t he be worried about their side?

“…You’re serious?” she asked hesitantly.

August nodded.

Blue sighed and relented.

“According to the report, Pryce fought as hard as he could, and after Giovanni destroyed most of the Gym, he retreated with Team Rocket.”

“Pryce was severely injured. Based on his own account, he was completely outmatched.”

“Which means Giovanni probably walked away without a scratch.”

Given what Blue had seen of Giovanni’s strength during the New Island battle, this outcome made perfect sense.

However—

August snorted.

“Yeah, right.”

Pryce losing to an injured Giovanni?

Pryce getting critically wounded by Giovanni?

That was the funniest thing August had heard all year.

Right after the time he found out Shelgon couldn’t eat properly after evolving.

Pryce’s own account?

Yeah, like hell he’d believe that.

Blue still didn’t understand why August was so convinced something was off.

But she still tried to piece things together.

“Do you think Team Rocket attacked because they found out about our plan to rally Johto’s Gym Leaders against them?”

That was the most logical explanation she had come up with.

Otherwise, there was no reason for Giovanni himself to launch such a high-profile attack.

August, however, shook his head.

“Blue, have you considered another possibility?”

She tilted her head.

“What if Pryce is actually the leader of the Masked Corp?”

“Giovanni figured it out, so he attacked first.”

“After all, both Pryce and the Masked Man are ice-type specialists.”

Blue froze.

“…No way.”

She had researched Pryce.

Everything about him described him as a gentle, humble old man—well-respected in the League.

The attack on Mahogany Gym had shaken all of Johto, and countless Trainers were demanding the League launch a full-scale offensive against Team Rocket.

August raised an eyebrow.

“‘What you think he's really just a gentle old man’?”

He sounded amused.

---

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!