Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [512]

Nimbasa City.

August had no idea N and Team Rocket’s trio were planning to cause trouble for Professor Oak.

Not that he’d worry even if he knew—given the strength of Oak’s Dragonite, N wouldn’t stand a chance without Zekrom.

At the moment, August’s group was touring Nimbasa Gym under Elesa’s guidance.

“Wow...this Gym’s so...flashy!” Gary struggled for a moment to find the right word to describe the place in front of him.

He’d thought himself quite experienced, having briefly served as Viridian City’s acting Gym Leader and tagging along with August on numerous missions. Yet turning a Gym into an indoor roller coaster was a first even for him.

Judging by Elesa’s expression, she clearly enjoyed Gary’s astonishment—but what she cared most about was August’s opinion.

“Is my Gym better-looking than Iono’s?” Elesa asked.

“...?”

August was stumped.

What’s with this random competitiveness between women...?

Someone more tactful would’ve given an ambiguous reply. But August’s strength (and sometimes flaw) had always been his honesty:

“Well, your Gym definitely leaves a stronger impression…”

Elesa’s face immediately lit up.

“But...”

Elesa’s smile faltered instantly. Nothing good ever followed a "but."

August continued calmly, “Iono’s Gym is more practical. Her apartment’s right above the Gym—she can just take an elevator down to work. Personally, I prefer that kind of setup.”

Surprisingly, Elesa wasn't upset hearing that August preferred Iono’s Gym. Instead, she focused on a completely different detail.

“You’ve been to Iono’s place?”

“Yeah. During the Pokémon World Championship preliminaries in Paldea, we had a match nearby, so I stayed over at Iono’s for a night,” August explained casually. “By the way, her omelets were awful...”

Zinnia, listening nearby, perked up her ears. She subtly jotted down this juicy tidbit in her mental notebook.

Behind them, Gary sharply inhaled.

If Elesa hadn’t brought it up, Gary never would've guessed that August was close enough with Iono to spend the night at her apartment—and she even cooked him breakfast!

You’re hiding too many secrets, August! Gary silently gave his friend a thumbs-up.

Elesa, however, was utterly stunned, her mind racing. She'd invited August here with the goal of one-upping Iono, but now…

If she wanted to outdo Iono, would she have to invite August to spend the night at her place, too?

Seeing Elesa’s conflicted expression, August tilted his head, puzzled.

All I said was that I prefer Iono’s Gym. Does it really call for that look? How exactly did Iono provoke you to this extent...?

Just as Elesa wrestled internally, the Gym doors suddenly swung open.

“Excuse me, is Gym Leader Elesa here?”

A nervous-looking girl wearing a green beret, an orange jacket, half-rimmed glasses, and sporting hair shaped like a Chansey’s egg stepped timidly inside.

As everyone turned to look at her, she gulped nervously.

“I-I’m Bianca, a rookie Trainer here to challenge the Nimbasa Gym. The Gym was closed earlier, but I saw it was open now... Can I have a battle?”

Elesa snapped out of her daze at Bianca’s words. “Of course!”

The Gym’s mechanisms activated. Neon lights flickered, and Elesa’s face appeared dramatically on the large screen. Just as Bianca eagerly prepared herself, the Gym doors opened again.

A man strode inside.

“Bianca!”

Bianca froze upon hearing his voice. “D-Dad...”

August raised an eyebrow at this unexpected development, intrigued.

---

Castelia City.

After August’s recent "cleanup," Team Plasma had been completely driven out. Without their interference, the city returned to its bustling, prosperous rhythm.

Amid this backdrop, an academic conference on the history of ancient Pokémon in Unova officially began.

With local authority Professor Juniper and Kanto’s esteemed Professor Oak attending, the conference immediately attracted massive attention.

“Professor Oak, what are your thoughts on the recent online debate between the Aether Foundation and Team Plasma?” asked a reporter.

Seeing Oak’s confusion, the reporter quickly summarized Lusamine’s recent condemnation of Team Plasma’s "Pokémon liberation" agenda online.

How did Oak feel?

Never mind that he'd heard plenty from Gary about the complicated relationship between August and Lusamine, or that August’s entire purpose for coming to Unova was to confront Team Plasma.

Oak himself deeply disapproved of Team Plasma’s behavior.

After thoughtful consideration, Oak spoke firmly: “I agree with Lusamine-san. Based on my observations here in Unova, Team Plasma’s actions have far exceeded ordinary environmental advocacy. Their so-called liberation disregards the bonds between humans and Pokémon, forcibly separating them from their Trainers and releasing them into the wild. Such extreme measures are nothing short of malicious.”

Click! Click! Click!

Camera flashes erupted rapidly.

The reporters were ecstatic. A prominent academic figure like Professor Oak openly denouncing Team Plasma would surely dominate tomorrow’s headlines.

They were already crafting their titles in their minds:

“Professor Oak Slams Team Plasma, Exposing Their True Evil Face!”

Even though the League had yet to officially declare Team Plasma an illegal organization…

Even though many of these reporters had previously received "PR funds" from Team Plasma, none hesitated to take the side of righteousness!

After all, on one side was the utterly discredited Team Plasma; on the other were the fearsome yet respected August and the significantly more generous Aether Foundation.

Choosing sides couldn’t have been easier.

But just as everyone assumed the interview had concluded, a voice suddenly rang out from the back:

“Nonsense!”

The bustling crowd instantly fell silent.

Who dared openly oppose August?

The reporters turned curiously, wondering which reckless soul had spoken.

From amidst the crowd emerged a young man in a white jacket and cap, his emerald-green hair framing eyes both melancholy and deep.

Not a reporter, huh, the journalists quickly realized.

Ignoring their probing stares, N faced Oak directly: “Everything you’ve said is nonsense. Pokémon Professors and Trainers satisfy their curiosity and competitive desires by forcibly capturing Pokémon and compelling them to fight. The very existence of the Pokémon League is an embodiment of Pokémon oppression!”

“And you are…?” Oak asked calmly.

“N,” he replied simply.

At this name, knowledgeable whispers spread among the journalists.

“That’s the so-called 'King' of Team Plasma?”

“A ‘King’ in this day and age?”

“Well, he might actually have a point...”

Professor Oak studied N and the Servine beside him, realization dawning in his eyes. “Ah, you're the N Juniper-san mentioned. This Servine—it's the Snivy you took from her lab, isn't it?”

Oak showed no anger at N’s challenge, instead regarding him as he might a misguided child.

“You’ve severely misunderstood the intentions of Trainers and researchers. Studying Pokémon allows us to better understand them, deepening the bonds between humans and Pokémon.”

“Regarding forced battles... such unfortunate incidents do exist, but if you observe more carefully, you’ll realize that most relationships between Trainers and Pokémon are rooted in friendship and mutual affection.”

Oak gestured to the side.

Following Oak’s gesture, N saw Ash trapped in his chair by a jubilant Bayleef happily pressing her head against his chest, with Ash awkwardly squirming beneath her affectionate weight.

Feeling everyone’s eyes on him, Ash tried to stand but was swiftly shoved back down by Bayleef every time, forced to wave sheepishly from his seat.

The legendary Trainer Ash, completely helpless against his overly affectionate Pokémon…

Had Gary been present, he'd definitely mock Ash’s typical cluelessness.

Yet N paid no mind to Ash’s embarrassment. Witnessing Bayleef’s boundless affection for her Trainer even made him hesitate, briefly questioning the philosophy Ghetsis had instilled in him.

But his hesitation quickly faded.

Compared to this isolated example, N trusted his own experiences across Unova far more.

Servine sensed N’s resolve and braced itself for battle. Journalists, recognizing trouble brewing, eagerly positioned themselves to record the imminent confrontation.

Yet, N never attacked.

“I still disagree with you. But...I sincerely hope your words hold true.”

Casting one last deep glance at Oak, N quietly turned away with Servine, leaving behind a profoundly disappointed group of reporters.

Still, reporters were nothing if not resourceful. Soon enough, a new headline hit the Unovan social media:

“Professor Oak Silences Team Plasma’s Leader in Heated Debate! N Left Speechless!”

---

When Ghetsis, anxiously awaiting news from the Shadow Triad, received this unwelcome update instead, he nearly spat blood in frustration.

“Who allowed N anywhere near Professor Oak?!” he fumed.

Brainwashing N from childhood had taken immense effort, yet now he’d carelessly debated an experienced professor renowned as a poetic master—no surprise he’d lost!

More worrying than the debate itself was the risk of N escaping his control completely.

He sighed heavily, reluctantly ordering damage control: “Tell N to stop wandering around and head immediately to Driftveil. As soon as the Shadow Triad secures the Dark Stone, he must awaken Zekrom at Dragonspiral Tower!”

“Yes, sir!”

---

Elsewhere, N stood thoughtfully, receiving Ghetsis’s message.

“Let’s go. Father’s summoning us to Driftveil,” N told the Team Rocket trio, unaware they’d deliberately avoided his recent confrontation with Oak.

The trio shared a knowing glance.

“Here, N—try this Casteliacone!” James offered cheerfully.

“Yeah! It’s delicious, meow!” Meowth agreed, Jessie nodding enthusiastically.

Hesitantly, N accepted the ice cream, tasting it carefully.

“It’s...good.”

Growing up isolated, he'd never tried Castelia’s famous treat before. Spotting Servine staring eagerly, he asked gently, “Want some?”

Servine eagerly took a bite—and shivered violently.

Super effective!

“Grass-types shouldn’t eat ice cream, meow!” Meowth laughed as Servine clutched its freezing head.

Watching, N found himself laughing softly, yet quickly sank back into deep contemplation.

---

T/N: these guys are gonna convince N :sob:L

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!