Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [514]

Driftveil City.

Known as the "Gateway to Unova," Driftveil City thrived on its bustling maritime trade. Walking along the busy streets, Gary couldn't help his curiosity about Clay, the city’s Gym Leader.

“So, what kind of person is this Clay anyway?”

From what he'd gathered online, the Gym Leader known as Driftveil’s “underground boss” received mixed reviews. Trainers who’d challenged his Gym were polarized in their opinions.

Those who disliked him called Clay the “Cowboy in Suspenders,” while admirers praised him as an “Old-school, tough Gym Leader.”

Hearing Gary’s question, Elesa and Caitlin each shared their own impressions.

Elesa smiled slightly. “Though stern-looking, he's an incredibly reliable senior.”

“He’s the guardian of Driftveil City's security,” Caitlin added simply.

Such positive assessments only piqued Gary’s curiosity further. After all, truly reliable Gym Leaders were rare nowadays—meeting one would be refreshing.

When they finally arrived at Driftveil Gym, they were immediately greeted by a troubling sight:

Two defeated Trainers lay sprawled near the entrance.

“What’s happened here…?” The group exchanged wary glances and rushed forward.

August knelt to examine the injured. “Signs of Dark-type Pokémon attacks… Mew!”

Mew sniffed the air carefully and nodded firmly. “Mew~!”

“The culprits were Pawniard,” August concluded grimly. “Seems we’ve arrived too late—the Gym’s already been attacked.”

“We should hurry and see if Clay’s alright!” Caitlin urged.

August nodded sharply, leading everyone inside. The sight that met them was an utterly destroyed elevator shaft.

Clay’s nickname as the “Underground Boss” stemmed from the Gym’s subterranean construction. Now, with the elevator in ruins, it was clear the attackers had made it deep inside.

Peering cautiously down the damaged shaft, Bianca paled. “It’s so deep…”

“What’s our next move?” Gary asked nervously.

Not knowing what lay below, he reasoned it might be smarter to guard the exit—waiting to ambush anyone attempting to flee. With August’s strength, even a Legendary Pokémon wouldn’t escape.

Gary nodded approvingly at his own cleverness.

Yet the instant he voiced this strategy, August firmly shook his head.

“No—we can’t risk them taking hostages.”

However, Gary’s idea wasn’t without merit. To prevent anyone slipping out behind them, August left Gary to guard the entrance.

With Mew’s psychic assistance, August and the others descended slowly through the broken shaft into the Gym’s depths.

Along the way, injured trainers littered the floors, the Gym left in complete disarray.

Elesa clenched her fists, eyes flashing angrily. “Did Team Plasma do this?”

Seeing fellow Gym Trainers attacked struck deeply at her heart.

“Most likely them…” August agreed darkly.

Descending further, they finally found Clay on the Gym’s second underground level. Surprisingly, no attackers remained.

Instead, an injured and furious-looking Clay was barking orders to subordinates, desperately attempting repairs.

He froze momentarily at the sight of Elesa and Caitlin.

Clearly, their sudden appearance had caught him off guard.

“Clay-san, what happened here?” Caitlin questioned immediately.

Surveying the area, she spotted numerous wounded trainers receiving treatment. Battle scars were evident everywhere.

Clay’s expression darkened visibly, humiliation etched into his features at being attacked in his own Gym. Nevertheless, he quickly composed himself enough to answer.

“Three white-haired bastards stormed my Gym and stole something important.”

“The Dark Stone?” August interjected abruptly.

Only then did Clay notice August examining the traces of combat nearby.

“The World Champion… August?” Clay recognized him instantly.

Though startled August knew his secret, Clay nodded grimly. “Yes, the Dark Stone. And there's something else…”

“A man claiming to be your subordinate arrived earlier and chased after them as soon as he learned what happened—someone named Black.”

August’s expression hardened immediately.

He wasn't surprised Black had beaten them to Driftveil—but chasing attackers alone…?

Feeling uneasy, August quickly pulled out his phone and dialed Black’s number.

It rang twice before abruptly disconnecting.

August’s brows knitted deeper in worry.

Just as August’s unease grew over Black's situation…

---

Driftveil Outskirts.

Black had indeed caught up with the Shadow Triad—but now he was cornered and desperate.

His heavily injured Pignite stood protectively before him, and atop his head, a newly evolved Musharna tried desperately to clear his mind. But even Musharna couldn’t disguise Black’s exhausted state as he faced down three dangerous enemies.

“Coming alone was courageous, kid,” one masked member mocked coldly.

“Too bad courage is all you've got left,” another sneered.

Pignite, sensing their hostility, bravely stood guard, but was instantly hurled aside by Pawniard’s ruthless Pursuit attack.

“Pignite!” Black cried out, snapped from his focus state.

Regret filled him instantly. I should’ve waited for Nate-senpai and Looker-senpai… If I’d had backup, I wouldn’t have lost so badly.

As despair filled Black, the Shadow Triad closed in mercilessly. “It’s over for you, kid…”

But just before they could finish him off, Black’s communicator rang abruptly at his belt.

Black instinctively reached for it, but Pawniard quickly pinned him down. Another Triad member casually plucked the communicator from his hand.

“Boss?” Reading the caller ID, he glanced mockingly at Black. “So this is your backup?”

Then, deliberately, he ended the call right in front of Black.

Yet, rather than despair, Black suddenly flashed a triumphant grin.

Seeing their confusion, Black taunted confidently, “You hung up on Boss August’s call? You’re screwed now!”

Though he’d served under August less than a week, he'd quickly learned from his seniors exactly what their chief was like—powerful, decisive, and while friendly outwardly, incredibly petty at heart.

And according to Gary-senpai, anyone bold enough to hang up on August was practically begging for punishment.

At the mere mention of August’s name, the Shadow Triad exchanged uneasy glances, alarmed.

As loyal followers of Ghetsis, they knew perfectly well who August was. Ghetsis had repeatedly emphasized caution regarding him.

And now they’d attacked August’s subordinate?

“Retreat!” One Triad member immediately decided.

Not that they were afraid—indeed, they could hold their own even against August himself—but securing the Dark Stone was top priority, not pointless fighting.

Seeing them retreat, Black marveled at how potent August’s name had become—just hearing it scared off the Shadow Triad!

But just as Black sighed in relief, a golden ring suddenly materialized in midair.

From within stepped a familiar figure.

“So…who hung up on my call?”

The Shadow Triad’s hearts stopped cold.

“August!”

Overcoming their momentary shock, they swiftly readied themselves for combat.

August’s eyes landed briefly on the ashamed Black sprawled on the ground. Gently, he pulled him up, using the [Power of Viridian] to lightly heal his wounds.

Then, turning to face the Triad member clutching Black’s communicator, August’s voice grew dangerously calm.

“You’re the ones who hung up on me…and injured my subordinate?”

The murderous intent in his tone made the Triad members tense in sudden fear. Instinctively, they threw out their Poké Balls.

Instantly, three Legendary Pokémon emerged—muscular figures floating on stormy clouds—circling menacingly around August.

August raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

“Tornadus, Thundurus, Landorus…so, they’re your trump cards?”

The Forces of Nature—Legendary Pokémon native to Unova. August recognized them from reports about the Shadow Triad’s earlier kidnapping of Gym Leaders.

This explained why even Clay fell so swiftly. Three-on-one against Legendary Pokémon—the fact Clay was still standing when August arrived spoke volumes about the Triad’s primary goal being only the Dark Stone.

With the Forces of Nature at their disposal, the Triad regained their confidence. Immediately, they ordered an attack.

“Tornadus, [Air Slash]!”

“Thundurus, [Shock Wave]!”

“Landorus, [Sand Tomb]!”

Tornadus whipped its violet tail, sending compressed blades of wind hurtling forward. Thundurus released arcs of electricity from its spiked tail. Simultaneously, Landorus spread its arms, causing swirling sand to form beneath August’s feet, attempting to bury him alive.

Yet August didn’t even flinch.

Instead, two Poké Balls automatically released from his belt, opening in a flash. Beside August appeared Mewtwo, wielding a massive spoon, and Deoxys, already shifting smoothly into Defense Forme.

Defense Forme Deoxys effortlessly absorbed Tornadus’s [Air Slash] and Thundurus’s [Shock Wave]. Meanwhile, Mewtwo telekinetically lifted August and Black safely into the air, simultaneously sweeping forward with its spoon to attack the trio.

Whoosh!

[Psycho Cut] surged toward the Legendary trio.

Scrambling, the Forces of Nature frantically defended themselves.

Then Deoxys’s body blurred, switching seamlessly from Defense Forme to Speed Forme.

In a blink, Deoxys vanished, reappearing instantly behind Landorus, Thundurus, and Tornadus.

“Watch out!” cried the Shadow Triad desperately.

But Deoxys’s speed was overwhelming. In a flash of tentacles and light, Landorus was knocked sprawling.

As Thundurus and Tornadus whirled around to retaliate, Deoxys’s eyes glowed sharply.

[Psychic]

Instantly, both Pokémon froze in place.

Seeing the opportunity, Mewtwo intensified its [Psychic] attack, whipping its spoon and conjuring a tornado of mental force toward the immobilized pair.

At the last second, Landorus recovered, slamming its fists into the ground.

[Earth Power]

Massive stone pillars erupted, intercepting Mewtwo’s psychic whirlwind just in time. After shattering multiple pillars, the attack faded harmlessly.

Finally freed, the Forces of Nature regrouped, regarding August, Mewtwo, and Deoxys warily.

The battle was far from over.

---

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!