Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [593]

Looking at the chaotic barrage of comments, Iono felt dizzy.

Don’t these people realize how petty August can be!?

They might be safely hidden behind their screens, saying whatever they wanted, but she couldn't run away!

So Iono quickly grabbed Malva and redirected the conversation.

“Today’s first match commentary will feature Koga-san, Johto’s Elite Four member, versus Lysandre. Malva, do you have any thoughts on this match?”

The tactic worked instantly. August’s sudden appearance had just been an accident anyway—this segment was the real program Iono had advertised from the beginning.

And since Malva was formerly the League’s undercover agent in Team Flare (officially, at least), her appearance immediately drew everyone’s attention.

Malva flashed a brilliant smile. “I believe Lysandre will win.”

Hearing this, Iono whispered conspiratorially, “Malva-san, you sound very confident! Do you perhaps have some insider information you'd like to share?”

As a famous news anchor, Malva certainly knew how to capture the audience’s attention. She merely offered a mysterious smile, neither confirming nor denying, piquing everyone’s curiosity further. Then she turned toward August. “August, what about you?”

At that very moment, August was handing a bucket of popcorn to Mew.

The camera swung around just in time for millions of viewers worldwide to witness Mew devouring half the bucket of popcorn in a single gulp.

—[Mew’s appetite is insane!]

—[Are all Legendary Pokémon such big eaters?]

—[Is this really a Mew, or is it just a shiny Lechonk in disguise?]

Mew’s massive appetite stunned the audience. It was hard to imagine how such a tiny Pokémon could swallow popcorn bigger than her entire body in one bite.

Seeing the barrage of comments, August lightly knocked Mew on the head. “They’re talking about you!”

“Mew~” Interrupted mid-snack, Mew looked up with watery eyes, full of grievance.

At the sight of Mew’s adorable face, the chat immediately changed direction again.

—[Aww, my heart!]

—[So what if she’s eating popcorn? She’s a Legendary Pokémon!]

—[Let her eat! Let her eat!]

August: “......”

These netizens really flip opinions faster than turning pages…

“Malva asked me to comment on Koga versus Lysandre’s match. Honestly, I think...”

Hearing August speak, viewers eagerly leaned in, expecting some profound analysis, when suddenly he shifted gears. “The match has already begun.”

The chat immediately filled with boos.

August spread his hands helplessly. The match really has started already, though!

Iono quickly swung the camera back onto the battlefield just as Koga sent out his first Pokémon—Weezing.

Weezing’s two heads wore gloomy, deflated expressions. In stark contrast, the toxic gas swirling around its body was terrifyingly potent—even the smallest inhalation would instantly incapacitate a person!

Ever since his meeting with August yesterday, Koga hadn’t slept well. He’d resolved absolutely not to embarrass himself in front of August today.

Lysandre’s first Pokémon was his signature Pyroar.

The lion’s vivid mane burned bright red and gold, emanating blistering heat that distorted the surrounding air. From the moment Pyroar appeared, its threatening aura forced Weezing into involuntary tension.

Koga and Lysandre.
Weezing and Pyroar.

Both sides stared each other down briefly, until Koga decisively issued his command.

“[Toxic Spikes]!”

This was no time for modesty—especially since he was already at a disadvantage in terms of strength!

Weezing swiftly rose into the air, rapidly spinning as it scattered countless Toxic Spikes across the entire battlefield.

As a ninja, Koga knew well how to exploit terrain to his advantage.

Since there was no favorable terrain here, he would create his own!

With a massive spread of Toxic Spikes, the entire battlefield became a minefield of hidden threats.

But what surprised Koga was that Lysandre merely watched Weezing’s entire setup calmly, making no move to interrupt.

Confidence? Or arrogance? Koga couldn’t quite grasp Lysandre’s intention at the moment.

But now that the Toxic Spikes were set, all he needed was to defeat Pyroar, force Lysandre to switch Pokémon, and poison Lysandre’s entire team...

Just as this plan flashed through Koga’s mind, Lysandre suddenly spoke: “Are you done?”

Koga narrowed his eyes, watching Lysandre cautiously.

“My turn,” Lysandre announced, meeting Koga’s gaze and slightly raising a hand.

The next instant, Pyroar opened its mouth and released a burst of twisting flames. The flames rapidly expanded, forming a fiery tornado that distorted the air itself, roaring straight toward Weezing.

Seeing this, Koga wasn’t overly worried.

It was just a Fire Spin—an ordinary move he’d seen countless times. He just needed to stay careful...

But just as the Fire Spin drew closer and Koga was about to give his command, a figure suddenly burst through the flames, lunging directly at Weezing!

“What!?”

Seeing Pyroar abruptly emerge from within the flames, Koga instinctively glanced toward the Pyroar still standing in its original spot.

A Substitute!?

When did that happen!?

Koga’s heart jumped in shock. But as a ninja, though surprised, he didn’t panic and quickly ordered, “[Protect]!”

Although he felt somewhat reluctant to use his strongest defensive move this early, survival was the priority!

The Pyroar charging from within the flames unleashed a Flamethrower directly at Weezing.

A stream of searing flames crashed against the protective barrier formed by Protect, scattering outward in all directions.

Koga relaxed a little, not bothered by having to use Protect early. On the contrary, his mood greatly improved.

Compared to his own Protect, Pyroar had expended far more energy using Substitute at the very start, only to fail its surprise attack!

“Lysandre, you’re too arrogant…” Koga stated confidently.

At the same moment, Weezing, having blocked Flamethrower, immediately fired a Sludge Bomb at the Pyroar in front of it. The toxic sludge shot toward Pyroar; though not yet hit, the poisonous fumes alone were enough to make Pyroar choke.

“Grrr—!”

Pyroar let out a furious roar, its body erupting in flames as it charged headlong toward the incoming Sludge Bomb.

[Flame Charge]!

Koga froze for a moment at the sight. Has he lost his mind?

Could Lysandre really be attempting to incinerate Weezing’s Sludge Bomb with Pyroar’s scorching Flame Charge?

The thought had barely crossed his mind when Pyroar collided directly into the Sludge Bomb.

Boom!

The Sludge Bomb burst open, spewing toxic sludge that rapidly dried out under the blistering heat and… evaporated instantly, forming clouds of poisonous vapor enveloping Pyroar.

Pyroar’s face visibly darkened, turning purple.

Poisoned!

But just as a joyful expression began to spread across Koga’s face, Pyroar’s body blurred, then vanished with a faint poof.

Koga’s smile froze instantly.

Another Substitute?!

But if this one was a substitute, then the real Pyroar—

Instinctively, Koga glanced toward what he previously thought was the "substitute," only to realize that the supposed substitute had already stealthily followed a safe path carved out by the Fire Spin. Now it stood dangerously close to Weezing, flames gathering fiercely within its open mouth.

The very moment Koga’s gaze fell on Pyroar, the lion let out a mighty roar, releasing a torrent of fire that spread out in mid-air, forming a blazing kanji: 大.

[Fire Blast]!

The roaring flames gave Koga no chance to react, slamming into Weezing almost instantly.

Boom—!

A violent explosion of flames consumed Weezing completely.

Though Weezing's special defense was weaker than its physical defense, it was still tough enough to withstand the direct Fire Blast. Even so, the sheer impact sent Weezing spinning wildly through the air, tumbling toward the ground.

“Weezing!” Koga shouted anxiously.

Hearing its trainer’s call, Weezing strained desperately, trying to steady itself and hover once more.

But before the sluggish Pokémon could regain its balance, a shadow lunged forward.

Pyroar, paw blazing with fire, fiercely swatted Weezing downward, slamming it heavily into the ground. Immediately afterward, Pyroar opened its mouth again, launching another Fire Blast at point-blank range.

Weezing, already gravely wounded, took another devastating hit.

When the flames dispersed, Weezing lay motionless in a smoking crater, having lost consciousness.

"Weezing is unable to battle! Pyroar wins!" the referee announced.

“So fast!” Iono blurted out in surprise.

Though she’d anticipated Koga might lose, she hadn’t imagined his Weezing would go down so quickly.

Malva smiled faintly, saying nothing.

This was Lysandre’s usual level of power.

“It’s only natural… Pyroar’s level is simply too high,” August commented plainly.

Though Lysandre had seemed weak enough in front of August, that was only because August himself was ridiculously strong. Lysandre was still very much a trainer of Champion-level strength.

Once the opponent became Koga, Lysandre immediately demonstrated his overwhelming dominance.

“Fakes within fakes—exactly as you’d expect from Lysandre, the hologram inventor himself,” August praised without reserve.

After all, August had personally arrested Lysandre, so praising Lysandre indirectly praised himself.

Nearby, Giovanni saw through August’s blatant self-flattery immediately, snorting coldly without comment.

Meanwhile, the live chat exploded in heated discussion at August’s words:

—[The competition for Champion just got even fiercer!]

—[Pryce, Giovanni, Lysandre—they all look like strong contenders now!]

—[And Archie?]

—[Forget Archie, please.]

Even online, Archie occupied the bottom of the popularity chain.

Back on the battlefield, Koga steadied his emotions and sent out his second Pokémon.

“Crobat!” Having adjusted his choice after observing Pyroar’s tactics, Koga selected Crobat, a speedy Flying-type Pokémon, better suited for this situation.

More importantly, he’d been thoroughly tricked by Lysandre’s substitute tactics earlier—Crobat’s Supersonic could help identify Pyroar’s true location.

But unexpectedly, the moment Crobat appeared, Lysandre switched Pokémon.

Just as Koga wondered if Lysandre had forgotten the Toxic Spikes scattered across the ground, a ferocious roar echoed through the stadium, and an intimidating Gyarados appeared on the field.

Ah, a Flying-type unaffected by Toxic Spikes—so Lysandre hadn’t forgotten after all.

However, faced with Gyarados instead of Pyroar, Koga’s headache returned instantly. He’d specifically chosen Crobat to counter Pyroar, not Gyarados…

Should I switch Pokémon?

But Koga’s team didn’t contain any Pokémon truly capable of countering Gyarados anyway; continuing with Crobat was probably his best bet.

Looking at the fierce Gyarados glaring at him, Koga gritted his teeth and commanded Crobat to attack.

“[Supersonic]!”

Ultrasonic waves, inaudible to human ears, shot from Crobat toward Gyarados.

Facing the incoming Supersonic, Lysandre didn’t even blink. “[Dragon Dance]!”

Though he’d previously lost to August, Lysandre’s confidence in his Gyarados remained absolute.

Gyarados twisted its body gracefully, performing a mystic dance mid-air.

Seeing this, Koga’s expression immediately shifted.

He was already struggling enough against Lysandre’s Pokémon—if he allowed Gyarados to successfully complete a Dragon Dance…

“[Air Slash], interrupt it!” Koga quickly changed his command.

Crobat immediately abandoned Supersonic, flapping its wings rapidly to release several sharp blades of compressed air toward Gyarados.

Facing the incoming Air Slash, Lysandre calmly ordered Gyarados to ignore it.

Against a fellow Flying-type Pokémon armored with thick scales, Air Slash wasn’t exactly harmless, but it was nowhere near threatening—especially given the significant level gap.

As Gyarados completed Dragon Dance, its presence suddenly surged with violent intent, fixing Crobat and Koga with an intimidating glare.

Koga: “......”

Now he was starting to panic.

Observing Koga’s unease, Lysandre allowed himself a rare smile since his arrest by August.

A former Team Rocket executive doesn’t seem all that impressive after all.

“Gyarados, [Ice Fang]!”

Lysandre intended to end Crobat in a single strike.

Gyarados roared fiercely, baring its icy, razor-sharp fangs dripping with frozen mist as it lunged straight toward Crobat.

With Crobat’s fragile defense, being struck by a Dragon-Danced Gyarados was certain defeat!

Crobat seemed frozen in fear, unmoving in place.

[Crunch]!

Gyarados’ massive jaws snapped shut around Crobat.

But something felt strange—as though—

“Crobat, [Toxic]!” Koga shouted suddenly.

At Koga’s command, the captured Crobat dissolved into nothingness. Instantly, from the crater left by Weezing and Pyroar’s earlier clash, the real Crobat shot forth, landing deftly on Gyarados’ back and biting down fiercely.

Its sharp teeth pierced Gyarados precisely through a small gap previously opened by Air Slash, injecting potent toxins directly into Gyarados’ body.

Gyarados instantly roared in agony, violently shaking Crobat off its body.

Yet Koga wasn’t disappointed at all; instead, he smiled faintly.

Crobat had already completed its mission.

Gyarados’ face visibly darkened, tinged with purple.

Badly poisoned!

“You’re not the only one who can use Substitute, Lysandre. Substitution is an ancient ninja art, after all…” Koga declared proudly.

The last round had merely been an accident. Now he was truly showing his skills.

Lysandre looked at his suffering Gyarados, then glanced back up at the hovering Crobat, loosening his collar slightly. “I admit, I was somewhat surprised…”

Koga’s smugness deepened.

“But you’re celebrating too early. Gyarados is only poisoned—it hasn’t lost yet…”

As soon as Lysandre finished speaking, a brilliant flash of light erupted from his ring, resonating with the glow surrounding Gyarados.

Gyarados’ body instantly transformed—

Gyarados → Mega Gyarados!

“Mega Evolution!?” Koga froze momentarily. You realize your Pokémon is poisoned, right!?

Before Koga could react further, powerful jets of water shot from Mega Gyarados’ sides, propelling it skyward at supersonic speed.

[Waterfall]!

Crobat tried desperately to evade, but due to their immense level gap and Dragon Dance’s speed boost, Crobat had no hope of dodging. Without suspense, Crobat was struck head-on by Waterfall.

Crobat’s slender body was enveloped by the raging current and launched upward, then smashed brutally into the ground.

BOOM!

When Mega Gyarados landed heavily, Crobat lay crushed on the ground, eyes swirling.

“Crobat is unable to battle! Lysandre wins!” declared the referee.

Koga: “......”

It wasn’t that he hadn’t tried his best—the level gap was simply too enormous!

How am I supposed to fight this!?

But at least Gyarados was badly poisoned now—perhaps he could drag things out until Gyarados succumbed?

Taking a deep breath, Koga drew out his third Poké Ball.

“Please, Muk! Use [Minimize]!”

At this stage, he could no longer afford pride. Muk immediately shrank itself drastically, minimizing its body to avoid hits.

Lysandre merely glanced over.

“Gyarados, [Surf]!”

If single-target attacks would miss, a field-wide move would suffice. Huge waves of water surged forth, slamming into Muk relentlessly.

“Muk, [Protect]!”

Surf was blocked once, but Lysandre calmly repeated, “Gyarados, [Surf] again!”

This time Muk couldn’t hold, washed violently to the ground.

Muk wasn’t afraid of water, and Mega Gyarados was now weakening from poison. Just hold on a bit longer… Koga kept praying in his mind.

But Lysandre, sensing Gyarados’ fading stamina, coldly ordered:

“Let’s end this—Gyarados, [Earthquake]!”

Mega Gyarados repeatedly slammed into the ground, unleashing brutal shockwaves that crushed Muk instantly.

Muk fainted.

All Koga’s Pokémon were defeated. Lysandre wins!

---

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!