Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [502]

Mew lay sprawled atop August’s head, idly swishing her tail in boredom.

“So this is the Dreamyard?” Gary curiously surveyed the ruins before him.

Although the buildings were now dilapidated, their sheer scale hinted that the facility had once been expansive.

“Yes, this was the lab that once studied dreams,” Caitlin replied.

Zinnia tilted her head doubtfully. “Didn’t they say it was destroyed because of Musharna's dream-induced incident? Can we really find Munna and Musharna in a place like this?”

“We definitely can!” Fennel asserted confidently. “Musharna must still be here.”

After careful consideration—and after consulting her friend, Professor Juniper—Fennel had ultimately decided to join the Kanto branch of the International Police.

Firstly, because the prospect of researching Darkrai, a Pokémon deeply connected to dreams, was irresistible to her; and secondly, because Juniper had mentioned offhandedly that Professor Oak himself had expressed envy at the Kanto branch’s research funding.

Professor Oak had said that!

The legendary Professor Oak, an authoritative figure in Pokémon academia, funded generously by the League, actually envied the Kanto branch’s budget.

If even Professor Oak was impressed, one could imagine how abundant their resources truly were.

“After the incident, the League evacuated all personnel and intact equipment,” Caitlin explained, flipping through the Unova League’s internal incident report. “Just as Fennel said, Musharna should still reside here. However, due to the destructive aftermath, the League placed a ban forbidding anyone from contacting Musharna until recently.”

“If August hadn’t vouched for this operation, that ban would still be in effect.”

Hearing Caitlin’s words, Fennel felt as though she'd returned to that dark day when disaster struck—a day she'd never forget.

Musharna, I’m here for you now, Fennel murmured softly.

“Let’s go,” August said, gazing at the Dream Lab’s gate ahead.

As soon as August spoke, intangible purple smoke rose from every corner of the ruins, quickly catching everyone’s attention.

“What’s this...?” Gary exclaimed, startled. He instinctively took a step back, shielding August behind him.

August: “…”

Noticing August’s gaze, Gary realized his action had been a bit strange and smiled awkwardly.

Yet his feet seemed rooted in place, refusing to budge from August’s front.

“This is Musharna’s dream mist!” Fennel explained excitedly. “It really is still here! Everyone, be careful not to touch it, or else—”

“Or else what?” Zinnia asked innocently, turning around with a handful of mist already in her grasp.

Fennel hesitated. “...or else you'll fall into a dream state.”

As if on cue, Zinnia promptly collapsed to the ground.

“Ah, youth is great. Instantly asleep,” August remarked thoughtfully.

Seeing August still joking at a time like this, Gary panicked. “Zinnia just passed out! What should we do now, August?”

“Do nothing!” August knocked gently on Mew’s head, signaling her to lift Zinnia with [Psychic]. “We keep moving forward!”

Gary gulped nervously. “Can we really keep moving forward?”

They were already surrounded by purple smoke!

Hoopa, tightly gripping Gary’s arm, nodded in frantic agreement.

Without hesitation, August tossed a Poké Ball. In a flash, Darkrai appeared before him.

Apart from Cresselia, no Pokémon could rival Darkrai in terms of mastery over dreams.

When August pushed open the door, a surge of purple mist immediately rushed toward them, but Darkrai released a shroud of black aura, effortlessly repelling it all.

“Let’s go!”

...

Inside the Dreamyard, through the dreamy purple mist, they saw a surreal scene filled with contradictions:

Where the mist was absent, the ruins were charred and shattered; yet wherever the mist touched, the lab appeared brand new, as if no incident had ever occurred.

“Is this the world inside Musharna’s dream?” Caitlin asked softly.

Within Musharna’s dreams, the lab still stood untouched by tragedy.

Fennel felt her eyes sting. “Musharna has always missed those peaceful days…”

Right now, all she wanted was to hold Musharna tightly again.

At that moment, perhaps sensing intruders, the surrounding purple mist darkened ominously, turning toward black…

“Everyone, watch out! The black mist symbolizes nightmares, back then it was exactly—”

Before Fennel could finish, Darkrai’s blue eyes flashed sharply, and with a single gesture, all the black mist was swiftly absorbed into his body.

August turned calmly. “What were you saying just now?”

“Ah…nothing important,” Fennel swallowed her words.

Darkrai is too powerful!

But despite Darkrai absorbing part of the nightmare, their presence had thoroughly agitated Musharna, triggering an automatic defense within the dreamscape.

In an instant, the tranquil lab burst into roaring flames, scorched rubble filling the landscape with a sense of imminent dread.

Musharna’s nightmare vividly recreated the tragic day the lab was destroyed.

Fennel clenched her fists tightly.

Mew, sensing her distress, softly stroked Fennel’s head with her tail to comfort her.

Any ordinary trainer would immediately flee, because a single mistake could trap them indefinitely within Musharna’s nightmares.

But that was merely the case for ordinary trainers…

Darkrai folded his arms protectively before August, easily deflecting all nightmares without breaking a sweat.

August observed the nightmare briefly but soon lost interest.

It was merely a replay of past events—and past events were better left behind.

“The nightmare ends here. It’s time to wake Musharna up.”

At August’s command, Darkrai lifted his arms, creating a powerful gravitational black hole that swiftly drew in all surrounding nightmares like birds returning to their nest.

Within about a minute, the dark mist enveloping the entire Dreamyard vanished completely.

“That’s it?” Gary asked, astonished.

“What else were you expecting?” August replied dryly.

Only now did Gary sheepishly emerge from behind August, smiling awkwardly. “I was just worried about becoming like Zinnia.”

“Honestly, even without Darkrai, your Suicune’s purifying abilities could’ve handled it,” August explained. “Let’s go—Musharna should be awake now!”

Caitlin and Fennel quickly followed August forward.

Only Gary remained frozen in place. “Huh?”

...

Just as August predicted, when they found Musharna in the center of the ruins, it had already woken up.

But because its dreams had been forcibly absorbed by Darkrai, Musharna looked positively furious.

Fennel hastily explained, worried August might form a negative impression. “Musharna tends to be…grumpy when woken up.”

August waved casually, unfazed. Did he really look that petty?

Just then, Musharna noticed the newcomers—more precisely, it noticed Fennel.

“Mu!” Musharna’s eyes widened joyfully, instantly curving into crescents. It was about to eagerly leap toward Fennel when—

—it suddenly caught sight of Darkrai.

Immediately frightened, Musharna froze. Now knowing exactly who was responsible for devouring its dreams, it panicked, abandoning even Fennel and attempting to flee.

Before it could escape, however, Mew giggled mischievously, catching Musharna’s nose with [Psychic].

“Mu-mu!”

Floating helplessly mid-air, Musharna flailed its stubby limbs uselessly.

After a futile struggle, Musharna slumped despondently, utterly resigned to its fate.

Bored now that Musharna had stopped resisting, Mew playfully poked it with [Psychic], causing it to sway pitifully.

Musharna trembled miserably.

“Mew!” August tapped Mew lightly on the head.

Mew stuck out her tongue playfully before releasing Musharna.

Finally freed, Musharna didn’t dare move until—

“Musharna!” Fennel rushed over, pulling Musharna into a tight embrace.

“Mu?” Within Fennel’s warm embrace, Musharna felt safer than ever before. Tears filled its eyes as it clung tightly to Fennel.

“What a harmonious, touching reunion,” August remarked sincerely.

Gary silently retorted, “Wasn’t it because you scared it half to death?”

Of course, he would never dare say that aloud.

Meanwhile, Zinnia finally stirred awake, thoroughly confused. “What…just happened?”

She only remembered grabbing some mist and falling into a vivid dream…

Thinking back on it, she shuddered.

Nothing was worse than a dream beginning sweetly but turning horribly nightmarish halfway through!

August curiously asked, noticing Zinnia’s strange expression. “What exactly did you dream about?”

Zinnia reflexively shook her head, clutching Rayquaza’s Poké Ball nervously.

“Let me guess… Rayquaza abandoned you?” August teased.

Zinnia’s eyes widened in shock. “H-how did you—?!”

August stared blankly. “It really was that?! Your obsession with Rayquaza is seriously…”

Zinnia lowered her head quietly, hiding her embarrassment.

The actual dream was even more mortifying—like a cringy romantic drama starring herself, Rayquaza, and…August.

The plot alone made her want to bury herself alive.

Inwardly, she was screaming at the top of her lungs:

AAAH! Why did I have such a ridiculous dream?!

...

Ultimately, besides Zinnia, everyone felt genuinely joyful over Fennel and Musharna’s reunion.

As Fennel left for Kanto through Hoopa’s portal, Gary turned to August.

“So, where to next?”

Before August could reply, his phone vibrated suddenly:

【Munna_Jinchuuriki]: Boss, we’ve spotted Team Plasma!

It was a message from Black.

---

T/N: HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH?

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!