Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [510]

At the thought of this, even Alder—who’d grown accustomed to dumping all his work onto the Elite Four and wandering freely—began feeling restless.

This was a failure on his part as Champion.

It further solidified his determination to step down from his role. But then, who could become the next Champion?

Suddenly, Alder’s eyes brightened as a brilliant idea struck him, and he quickly turned to August.

August, meanwhile, was busy soothing Mew, who was impatiently tugging at his clothes, eager to board the Ferris wheel. He glanced up just in time to see Alder staring intently at him, and a strange sense of unease washed over him.

Then Alder suddenly asked, “August…would you be interested in becoming the Unova Champion?”

Instantly, Gary, Zinnia, and Caitlin turned toward August simultaneously, exclaiming in shock, “Unova Champion?!”

It wasn't an overreaction—it was genuinely too unexpected.

August himself stared blankly at Alder, wondering whether the man had completely lost his mind. We’ve just met for the first time, and you’re already asking me to be Champion?

But Alder had obviously given this careful thought.

He’d been searching for a successor for ages, yet no suitable candidate had emerged within the League.

August’s arrival was clearly providence:

In terms of power, he’d beaten Leon, the Pokémon World Champion.
In terms of capability, he was an accomplished International Police agent who’d captured multiple criminal leaders.
In terms of dedication, he’d traveled all the way to Unova for this mission…

The more Alder thought about it, the more August seemed like a perfect choice.

Feeling Alder’s hopeful stare, August sighed heavily. “Alder-san, let’s not joke about something like this.”

He had absolutely zero interest in becoming Unova’s Champion.

As head of the Kanto branch of the International Police, he could travel whenever he wanted, lounge on the sofa cuddling Eevee and Mew, or catch criminals when bored…

Champion? Could the Champion ever be as carefree as him?

Only someone with too much time on their hands would willingly clean up Unova’s mess…

Alder was surprised by August’s decisive rejection. “You won’t even consider it?”

“Yeah, August, why don’t you reconsider?” Gary echoed eagerly.

If August became Unova’s Champion, wouldn’t that automatically make Gary head of the Kanto branch?

Just as Gary grew lost in happy fantasies, he suddenly felt an all-too-familiar gaze settle coldly on him. Looking over, he saw August’s amused yet threatening expression, freezing him in place.

Crap. I got carried away…

Thankfully, August spared his dignity in front of everyone and quickly moved on. “There’s no need to reconsider. Alder-san, you’re still the most suitable choice.”

If nothing unexpected happened, Iris would be next in line anyway. Even ignoring that, August had no intention of stealing Iris’s spot.

Seeing August’s unwavering decision, Alder sighed regretfully.

How perfect it would have been if August had agreed. Such a shame…

Shaking off these chaotic thoughts, Alder turned back to Caitlin, serious now. “I’ll investigate Team Plasma myself. You organize the League’s manpower to carry out simultaneous investigations. The Elite Four can handle other matters as usual.”

Although Caitlin was still unhappy with Alder for shirking his duties, it was definitely an improvement.

She nodded reluctantly.

“Well then, I’ll be off!”

Just as Alder turned to leave, August spoke up, “If you’re investigating Team Plasma, I suggest heading to Opelucid City. Our International Police team is conducting an investigation there.”

Alder waved to acknowledge he understood.

Watching Alder depart, Gary pretended nothing had happened. “With Alder investigating personally, Team Plasma shouldn’t be a problem anymore, right?”

“If it were that easy, do you think I'd have bothered coming to Unova?” August remarked dryly.

“Team Plasma’s that dangerous?” Gary gasped.

He hadn’t expected Plasma—a group masquerading as eco-friendly activists—to be that threatening, rivaling even Team Galactic…

As Gary was still marveling, August casually spoke up, smiling gently, “Alright, time to discuss what you said earlier.”

Seeing August’s malicious grin, Gary stiffened. He'd hoped that embarrassing matter had passed…

Zinnia giggled gleefully at Gary’s misfortune.

...

“Mew!” Mew pressed her face against the window, captivated by the magnificent view of Nimbasa City below.

Though capable of flight as a Psychic-type Pokémon, flying freely and riding a Ferris wheel were entirely different experiences.

Unlike Mew, Eevee remained curled snugly in August’s arms, timidly peeking outside from safety.

August playfully pretended to toss Eevee out the window.

“Buii!” Eevee yelped, frantically clinging tighter to August’s clothes. Recovering from her shock, Eevee furiously shook her head, using her fluffy ears to slap August’s face repeatedly in protest.

“Alright, alright, I was just teasing…”

After finally calming Eevee down, August relaxed with a relieved sigh.

At that moment, a quiet giggle came from nearby.

August turned, raising an eyebrow at Gardevoir. “Was that you laughing just now?”

Gardevoir solemnly crossed her arms, quickly making an “X” sign to deny the accusation.

“Stop pretending. I know your voice.”

He’d lived with Gardevoir for years—of course he recognized her laughter. She was definitely mocking him.

But Gardevoir stubbornly shook her head, maintaining an innocent and ladylike façade.

Their playful bickering was interrupted by Mew.

“Mew!” she called, pointing excitedly at a brightly lit building in northern Nimbasa. The neon-lit Musical Theater captivated her completely.

“Mew!” she tugged insistently on August’s sleeve, begging to visit.

August reprimanded Mew sternly for losing interest halfway through the Ferris wheel ride. Mew obediently apologized, promising she’d learned her lesson…and would absolutely do it again!

August shook his head fondly. He’d planned to visit the Musical Theater anyway, so why not humor her?

Still, outwardly, he maintained a reluctant expression before finally agreeing “grudgingly.”

“Mew!” Overjoyed, Mew leaped into August’s arms, rocking the cabin with the impact. Eevee, already nervous, shrieked in fright and burrowed deeper into August’s embrace.

August stared speechlessly.

What exactly are you afraid of!?

With Eevee’s power, falling from here would harm the ground far more than Eevee herself.

Perhaps it was instinctive fear of heights from a Pokémon who couldn’t fly?

Finding Eevee’s panic oddly amusing, August mischievously poked her again. Eevee trembled, hiding so only her fluffy tail peeked out anxiously.

Gardevoir stared silently at August, quietly reevaluating her trainer’s declining moral standards.

Rather than feeling shame, August proudly hugged Eevee tighter and gazed out over Nimbasa again.

Suddenly, he thought he saw a flash of green among the crowd below.

“N?”

Though only visible briefly, the green figure seemed oddly familiar. Yet even when he activated Aura, he couldn’t pinpoint anyone resembling N.

Was it just my imagination?

Lost in thought, August hardly noticed as the Ferris wheel completed its cycle, returning them to the ground.

As they disembarked, Zinnia sighed dreamily, “The view was gorgeous from up there!”

Caitlin nodded gently.

Only Gary wore a dark expression.

Anyone know how awkward riding the Ferris wheel with a random hiking dude was?

He knew!

...

As the city’s landmark entertainment venue, the Musical Theater hosted most of Nimbasa’s major events—including the famous Pokémon Musical.

When August’s group arrived, they learned the last show had just ended.

Discovering the next performance was three days away, Zinnia groaned dramatically, grabbing her head, “Why did we just miss it!”

Gary remained completely unfazed. “It’s just a musical. What's the big deal?”

He, Gary Oak, was fully revived once again!

Despite constantly teasing Gary, August secretly admired this unwavering determination, something even many veteran trainers lacked.

(Yes, Alder, we’re looking at you.)

As they turned away regretfully, a glamorous figure emerged from backstage.

“Oh…Caitlin-san?”

Surprised, the newcomer smiled warmly. “Caitlin-san, did you also come for the musical?”

Dressed in a fluffy yellow jacket resembling Mareep wool and wearing red-and-blue headphones with antenna-like accessories…

“Elesa!”

Gary blurted out, revealing himself as a secret fan.

Hearing Gary’s exclamation, Elesa noticed the others beside Caitlin:

An unfamiliar boy with spiky brown hair;

A girl nervously clutching a Poké Ball as though someone might snatch it any second, clearly a bit scatterbrained;

And…

“A shiny Gardevoir…you’re August, aren’t you!?” Elesa recognized him instantly.

August was used to being recognized at this point, but something in Elesa’s tone felt…off.

Besides surprise, her voice carried some complicated emotions.

Zinnia perked up immediately, remembering the mission Blue and Sabrina had given her, ears practically twitching in anticipation.

Ignoring Zinnia, August addressed Elesa calmly, “Have we met before?”

Elesa shook her head slowly.

“Then why…”

Elesa sighed quietly, explaining, “Thanks to your collaboration with Iono, my follower count got surpassed…”

August blinked. Seriously? That’s your reason? Isn’t that petty…?

Sensing August’s skepticism, Elesa clarified indignantly, “Iono and I are both in the Electric-type Gym Leader group chat. Ever since she passed me, she's constantly been teasing me!”

Ah… Iono had never mentioned that side of herself. August thought briefly before concluding Iono sounded adorable.

Elesa changed the subject quickly. “Why did you come here?”

Caitlin replied regretfully, “We wanted to see the musical, but we just missed it.”

Elesa brightened immediately. “The musical’s over, but backstage is still open. Want a tour?”

“Really!?” Zinnia’s eyes sparkled.

Elesa nodded, sneaking a quick glance at August again.

August: If Iono surpassed you, shouldn’t you complain to her, not me…?

...

Entering backstage, Mew’s eyes widened in wonder at the dazzling costumes surrounding them. Eevee and Gardevoir also stared, intrigued.

Elesa introduced proudly, “We have the world’s largest costume collection. Want to try this hat?”

Mew eagerly snatched the magician’s top hat, shoving it onto her tiny head—only to vanish completely inside, like a magician’s rabbit.

Now a floating, tail-wagging hat hovered unsteadily midair, drunkenly wobbling around.

“Mew~!”

---

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!