Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [508]

When August returned to the hotel, the first thing he saw was Zinnia gently cradling Rayquaza's Poké Ball, meticulously polishing it with a cloth.

The Master Ball shone brightly under her care, reflecting her devoted expression.

Watching Zinnia, Gary shook his head helplessly.

He couldn’t fathom Zinnia’s obsession with Rayquaza, especially when it allowed August to wrap her around his little finger so effortlessly. As far as he was concerned, Rayquaza was nothing special.

It’s not even worth one hair from Victini! Gary harshly judged.

Although he'd never actually seen Victini, that didn’t stop him from idealizing it as his new ultimate dream Pokémon.

What? Suicune, you say?

Sorry, never heard of it.

Observing the pair beside him—one obsessively mumbling to Rayquaza’s Poké Ball and the other lost in a blissful daydream, grinning foolishly—

August felt a grim sense that the Kanto Branch was doomed.

Thankfully, at least there was one sane person among them. August turned to Caitlin.

Caitlin met his gaze thoughtfully. “I heard from Officer Jenny. Unova owes you a lot, August…”

With Alder absent, August had become the only one able to curb Team Plasma’s rising arrogance.

But speaking of Alder…

Caitlin’s headache intensified again.

...

August’s group stepped onto the island after riding the ferry from Castelia City.

Located southeast of Castelia, Liberty Garden was a small tourist island.

“According to legend,” Zinnia read aloud from a webpage, “two centuries ago, a wealthy nobleman bought Liberty Garden specifically to protect Victini, ending humanity’s battles over it.”

“So Victini’s definitely hiding somewhere here?” Gary immediately brightened, looking eagerly around for any sign of the Pokémon.

He resembled a Bug Catcher kid from Viridian Forest desperately hunting for Caterpie.

At that moment, Caitlin’s expression abruptly changed. “I sense abnormal psychic fluctuations on the island…”

“Hm?” August was about to ask further when Caitlin’s hair suddenly rose up, levitating gently behind her.

“It’s over there!” Caitlin pointed decisively toward the lighthouse.

Before August could react, Gary rushed off like a bolt of lightning.

“Victini, here I come!”

Watching Gary dash off recklessly, August shook his head in resignation. If Victini saw Gary like this, August wouldn’t be surprised at all if the legendary Pokémon skipped straight to greeting him with a [V-Create] to the face.

---

Just as August landed on the island, Team Plasma—currently pursuing Victini near the island’s center—noticed something amiss.

“Captain, intruders have landed!”

“Didn’t we already shut down the ferry service? Why are there still people arriving? How troublesome…” The fat captain complained irritably but kept his eyes fixed firmly on Gothitelle, who was tracking Victini. “Send someone to take care of those nuisances! We absolutely can’t let anyone disturb us protecting Victini!”

“Yes, Captain!” His subordinates immediately nodded.

As several Plasma grunts turned to deal with the intruders at the docks, they barely made it a few steps before—

“Hey, Team Plasma losers, your great master is here!”

Gary’s voice arrived before he did.

A moment later, Gary thundered into view, riding Nidoking, sending up clouds of dust as they barreled through everything in their path.

“Who is that?” the captain asked his subordinates blankly.

Clearly, none of them recognized Gary.

But in the blink of an eye, the boy atop Nidoking arrived. He dramatically leaped off Nidoking, striking what he imagined to be a heroic pose.

Before Gary could deliver his cool entrance line—

“You’re the one who dared invade our island and interfere with Team Plasma’s noble efforts to protect Victini?” the Plasma captain shouted aggressively, striking first.

“Don’t let him stop us! Victini will only thrive under our protection—take him down!”

Team Plasma attacked immediately.

Gary was momentarily stunned. He never imagined there existed someone even more shameless than August.

But he reacted quickly, ordering Nidoking decisively, “Nidoking, [Earthquake]!”

Most Plasma grunts used Pokémon like Krookodile or Garbodor, both highly susceptible to [Earthquake].

Nidoking’s eyes flashed fiercely as it stomped hard on the ground.

Crack!

The earth split open, sending powerful shockwaves in every direction.

Caught completely off guard, Plasma’s grunts and Pokémon scattered in chaos.

Gary’s eyes lit up victoriously. “Great job! Let’s keep this momentum going!”

Team Plasma was as pathetic as he’d expected. He’d defeat them quickly, save Victini, earn its recognition, defeat August, and finally rise to glory!

Gary couldn’t help but grin broadly at that thought.

But his smile vanished as Nidoking’s powerful fist was abruptly blocked by an Amoonguss, its Poké Ball-like arms extended firmly.

[Protect]

Thud!

Nidoking’s Mega Punch was blocked cleanly by Amoonguss’s [Protect].

Gary stared dumbfounded, barely recovering before hearing the command shouted:

“Amoonguss, [Spore]!”

“No—Nidoking!”

Gary panicked, desperately commanding Nidoking to retreat, but it was too late.

Amoonguss swiftly released a cloud of green spores.

They engulfed Nidoking, who swayed unsteadily, eyelids growing heavy, and—

Boom!

Nidoking crashed to the ground.

Spores quickly sprouted mushrooms all over Nidoking’s body. Gary shivered, repulsed by the unsettling sight, and recalled Nidoking hastily.

When Gary looked up, he finally noticed who had arrived—a wizened old man dressed in priestly robes identical to the Sage they’d captured earlier in Accumula Town.

“Lord Rood!” Plasma members bowed respectfully.

Rood nodded at them calmly, then addressed Gary directly, “Young man, don’t be too reckless…”

Gary instantly recalled a phrase August often said, and sneered, “If youth isn’t reckless, is it even youth!?”

With that, he hurled a Poké Ball.

In a flash of light, Suicune emerged!

“Suicune, it’s our time to shine! He’s one of Team Plasma’s Seven Sages!”

Rood was clearly caught off guard by Gary’s decisiveness—and even more shocked to see a legendary Pokémon like Suicune appear. Sweating nervously, he hastily said, “Wait—!”

But Suicune, under Gary’s eager command, had already unleashed an [Ice Beam].

For Amoonguss—a Grass-type—Ice Beam from a legendary Pokémon was devastatingly effective.

Instantly, Amoonguss was frozen solid, a thick layer of ice rapidly spreading over the ground.

Gary was about to press his advantage when Rood cried out again urgently, “Wait!”

“What? Want to surrender? Fine—drop your Poké Balls, hands behind your head, and squat down!” Gary gleefully copied August’s favorite line. He'd always wanted to say it himself!

Plasma grunts bristled furiously but were restrained by Rood. “Young man, we should talk this out!”

“What’s there to discuss? Your only option now is surrender!”

“You misunderstand us. Team Plasma only came here with good intentions—to protect Victini!”

“Protect?” Gary scoffed openly.

You expect me to buy that? If I believed you were protecting Victini, I might as well believe August isn’t petty!

Ignoring the old man’s nonsense, Gary prepared to attack again, determined not to waste any more time.

Rood swiftly assessed the hopeless situation and decisively ordered, “The way is lost; kindness remains. Young man, we will meet again!”

He tried retreating under cover from his men.

“You think you can escape?” Gary waved dramatically. “Suicune, [Blizzard]!”

Instantly, Suicune—the embodiment of the north wind—unleashed a biting gale. A blizzard engulfed Team Plasma, freezing weaker grunts solid and leaving the others desperately struggling.

Gary smirked triumphantly—

But as the storm cleared, he stared blankly.

“Wait, where’s Rood!?” Gary frantically searched everywhere, even digging through snowdrifts.

Just when he was convinced he'd lost the Sage—

“Looking for him?” August’s voice calmly sounded from behind.

Gary whipped around. August approached leisurely with Zinnia and Caitlin, casually holding the priestly old man—Rood—in one hand.

Gary: “How did you catch him!?”

“Caitlin sensed someone using [Teleport]. I had Hoopa casually grab him mid-teleport. He’ll need a while to recover…” August shook Rood lightly, prompting the old man to dry-heave miserably.

Gary stared blankly.

He’d worked so hard only for Hoopa to casually grab the Sage. Infuriating!

He quickly refocused. Rood didn’t matter now. The priority was Victini!

“Where’s Victini?” Gary searched desperately. “We drove Team Plasma off, Victini should be here now!”

August coughed meaningfully. “Hey, you still haven’t noticed anything?”

“Huh?” Gary blinked, confused.

Observing August closely, he saw Gardevoir holding August’s arm, and his flattened hair indicated an invisible Mew atop his head. But finally—he noticed two little yellow hands on August’s shoulders.

August smiled warmly and tapped the hands gently.

“Come out, say hi. This is Gary!”

Slowly, a small yellow Pokémon with distinctive V-shaped ears peeked out shyly from behind August.

“Tini?”

Victini greeted Gary cheerfully, even flashing a friendly "V" sign.

Gary’s heart dropped instantly.

As he dreaded, August casually explained, “I ran into Victini hiding in the grass earlier. It jumped right into my arms...”

Gary felt a sharp knife stab his heart.

“Why!?” Gary wailed tragically. “I defeated Team Plasma and their Sage, so why’s Victini with you!?”

August pondered thoughtfully. “Maybe because I radiate victory energy, while you’re overflowing with loser energy?”

Gary paled visibly.

Does losing make me unworthy!? His world turned gray.

Victini watched helplessly. Its attempts at comforting only deepened Gary’s despair.

“So fragile,” Zinnia scoffed. “I'm way stronger than that loser.”

“Oh?” August raised an eyebrow teasingly. “Then give Rayquaza back tomorrow.”

Zinnia froze, then wailed pitifully, “Nooooo! August, please don’t!”

---

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!