Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [554]

Though he hardly lacked money, August still thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of “snagging a bargain.”

Mew hugged the cracked teapot, opened the lid, and tried to peek inside—

And ended up shoving her whole head in.

Spinning around in midair like a headless fly, she was only saved when August caught her tail in time, sparing him from losing the five million he had just acquired.

Under the vendor’s bitter expression, the group left the secondhand market.

Instead of going directly to Stow-on-Side Stadium, they went first to the mural on the town’s west side.

As Stow-on-Side’s iconic ruin, the wall was crowded with tourists snapping photos.

“A sword and a shield?” Zinnia stared, baffled.

Blue, holding up notes she’d pulled from the net, explained: “It’s a Galar legend. They say two heroes with a sword and a shield once saved the region from an evil Pokémon.”

“Sounds amazing,” Zinnia said.

But the moment the words left her mouth, two voices rose behind her.

“Correct!”

“Those were our ancestors!”

Zinnia turned in confusion—only to see two gaudily dressed men, standing proudly.

One wore a blue suit, his hair gelled upward into the shape of a sword. The other, in red, had his hair gelled into the shape of a shield.

“And you are…?”

“Who are we? An excellent question,” Sordward declared.

Shielbert: “We are the descendants of Galar’s royal family—the heirs of the legendary heroes themselves!”

Zinnia blinked in dawning recognition.

As the two prepared to bask in her worshipful gaze—

“Never heard of you.”

Her single line nearly made them sprain their backs.

It took them a while to recover, glaring furiously at her.

If you’ve never heard of us, fine—but why that face!?

Still, they brushed themselves off, adjusted their suits, and sneered haughtily. “Clearly, you’re nothing but ignorant country folk. No matter. Just remember this—we are the royal line of Galar, descended from the heroes who once saved this land.”

And then—

They realized Zinnia wasn’t even looking at them anymore.

“I’m hungry, August. Let’s get something to eat!” She clung to his arm.

Completely oblivious, Zinnia ignored the stares from Blue and Sabrina.

“At least let us finish our lines!”

So much for their cultivated composure—their defense was broken.

But they hadn’t forgotten their actual goal.

“You must be August,” they said, turning to him.

August: “?”

He hadn’t expected himself to be part of this farce.

From the moment they appeared, he had recognized them. But he had no interest in chatting with idiots, so he’d ignored them.

Yet here they were, approaching him first. Clearly not by accident. Clearly here for him.

“That’s right. I’m August.”

At his confirmation, their eyes lit up. They straightened into their pompous airs.

“We wish to cooperate with you.”

“Yes! A grand collaboration!”

“Collaboration?” August echoed.

They nodded firmly, supremely confident no one could refuse.

But under their expectant stares, August didn’t even bother to ask what it was. He just shook his head. “Not interested.”

Then turned away to Blue and Sabrina: “What do you think about Galar curry for lunch?”

“We’ve had so much curry made by Farfetch’d back at the Kanto branch. Now that we’re here, I want to try authentic Galar curry, see how it compares.”

“Yay, curry!” Zinnia raised both hands.

Blue and Sabrina had no objections.

Consensus reached.

A cold wind blew. The ignored pair felt like clowns on a stage.

“August!” they roared.

But the moment the name left their lips, invisible force froze them solid. They couldn’t even twitch a finger.

August turned back, raised a finger to his lips.

“I’ll repeat myself: I have no interest in your so-called plan. This is just a warning. Next time won’t be so simple.”

He snapped his fingers.

Mew’s psychic power flashed—and the two vanished, teleported straight into the Stow-on-Side café the group had visited earlier.

Seated at a table, they realized they’d just been whisked across town in an instant. Cold sweat poured down their faces.

“Damn you, August! How dare you treat us this way—treat the royal family this way!”

All they could do was rage in powerless fear.

...

Blue frowned. “Those two… they weren’t actually the Galar royal line, were they? That level of idiocy can’t be faked.”

“They were royalty,” August confirmed.

Sabrina tilted her head. “Then why not hear what they wanted to propose?”

“No need. Relics who should’ve been buried in history’s trash heap long ago. This is the League’s era now.”

In Galar, authority might rest with Rose, or Macro Cosmos, or the League itself. But one thing was certain: it would never be with the royal family.

“There’s no partnership worth discussing.”

“What does interest me,” August added, “is how they found us so quickly, the moment we set foot in Galar. Whoever’s pulling their strings—that’s who matters.”

“You mean…” Sabrina and Blue exchanged thoughtful looks.

Bea only half understood. Zinnia, meanwhile, was utterly lost. “What are you all talking about?”

August glanced at her innocent face, patted her head. “You don’t need to know. Lunch is more important.”

At the word lunch, Zinnia instantly dropped every thought, cheering in unison with Mew:

“Yay! Lunch!”

As it turned out, the Farfetch’d chefs at the Kanto branch were truly professional.

The Galar curry they’d made back home was nearly identical to what August tasted here. If anything, in some dishes, the Kanto branch had done it better.

...

After eating their fill, August finally joined Bea at Stow-on-Side Stadium.

The sight of the massive arena, big as any sports stadium, made Zinnia’s eyes bulge. “It’s huge!”

Blue and Sabrina, too, couldn’t help but stare.

“So this is a Gigantamax field?”

Even knowing about Galar’s Gyms online, seeing the size of the battlefield with their own eyes was staggering.

Back in her home turf, Bea turned to August with burning eyes.

“August-shishou, I want to battle you!”

“I figured as much.”

She was never one to hide what she wanted. Her request came as no surprise.

At his agreement, her face lit up.

“Please give me a moment to prepare.” She dashed to the locker room, soon returning barefoot in her tight competitive uniform, muscles lean and defined.

“Look at her. Then look at yourself,” August told Mew sternly.

A legendary Pokémon, and you can’t even compare to a human? Aren’t you ashamed?

“Mew~”

Mew tilted her head, letting his words slide in one ear and out the other.

“A trainer should lead by example,” Sabrina murmured dryly.

Blue snorted laughter.

August: “……”

Big talker.

Taking his place on the opposite side of the field, he and Bea both readied themselves.

“How about 3v3 rules?” August suggested.

A single battle would be too fast, without enough to teach. But a full six-on-six would drag on.

Three on three was just right.

Bea nodded firmly.

With no referee, the match began.

August moved first.

He snapped his fingers. His shadow warped—and Gengar rose from it, floating into the air, cackling as it drifted forward.

“Gengar~!”

The ghost pulled a face at Bea.

“First is Gengar, huh?” Bea’s eyes sharpened.

Her specialty, Fighting-types, were useless against Ghosts. Was this shishou’s test—how she handled a type disadvantage?

After a moment’s thought, she tossed her Poké Ball.

In a flash, a towering Pangoro appeared, bamboo stalk clamped in its jaws, fists slamming together with a booming thud to intimidate its foe.

But Gengar had seen it all.

Unimpressed, it simply turned and wiggled its stubby tail at Pangoro.

Provoked, Pangoro lunged with a snarl.

[Night Slash]!

It swung down viciously—but Gengar swayed aside, drifting lightly backward, dodging by a hair.

Off balance, Pangoro charged again—only to find ghostly claws rising from its own shadow, seizing its legs.

Thrown forward, it crashed to the ground with a thud.

“Pangoro!”

August raised a finger toward Bea. “No matter what, always stay calm. Never let emotion control you.”

At his words, Gengar raised its hand, a [Shadow Ball] forming instantly, hurtling into the prone Pangoro.

Boom!

The impact exploded, swallowing Pangoro in smoke.

“Pangoro!” Bea cried.

“Don’t tell me it’s already over,” Blue muttered.

Sabrina shook her head. “No. Pangoro has the type advantage, and under Bea’s training it won’t be weak.”

Sure enough, a dark blur burst from the smoke, striking straight at Gengar.

[Payback]!

Struck by [Shadow Ball], Pangoro countered furiously.

But Gengar melted into its shadow, vanishing. The blow slammed into the floor instead, gouging out a crater.

And behind Pangoro—Gengar emerged silently, ghostly claws reaching for its waist.

Not deliberate.

That was just where its height reached.

Pangoro felt the chill behind it and rolled instinctively, dodging by instinct alone.

“Good battle instincts,” August praised.

That kind of reflex was only built through years of harsh training. Clearly Bea had worked hard.

Her face brightened at his praise.

“But instinct isn’t enough.”

August swept his hand. “[Mean Look].”

Gengar’s eyes glowed unnaturally, locking onto Pangoro’s.

The move meant to prevent escape now froze its body for an instant.

And in that heartbeat, Gengar raised one finger.

Irritating, dazzling light flared.

[Confuse Ray]!

The brilliance filled Pangoro’s vision, leaving it dizzy and reeling.

“Now—[Poison Jab]!”

---

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!