Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [499]

"Are you really sure you want to do this?"

"Absolutely!"

"I don’t think it’ll be a pleasant experience..."

"I understand—please, just begin!"

In the chair, Fennel nodded decisively, signaling that she was fully prepared.

August stared helplessly at Fennel, who sat eagerly awaiting Darkrai’s nightmare. Her thought processes remained utterly incomprehensible.

"Oh well…"

August sighed, shaking his head. If she insisted this strongly, letting her experience it might actually be best. Some lessons had to be learned firsthand.

Under Fennel’s excited gaze, August waved his hand slightly.

Darkrai raised one slender hand, and…

Fennel’s head tilted abruptly as she slumped into unconsciousness.

"Ah! Sis fainted again!" Amanita cried out worriedly.

Moments later, everyone watched Fennel’s face rapidly transition from serene, to tense, to genuinely frightened.

Once Fennel’s expression shifted to outright terror, August finally signaled Darkrai to stop.

Gasp!

Fennel jolted awake, breathing heavily.

"How was it? Darkrai’s nightmare—"

August expected Fennel to say something about fear or anxiety, but…

"Amazing!"

"Huh?"

"It was incredible!" Fennel stared at August, her face glowing with enthusiasm. "I've never experienced such a vivid nightmare before! This proves beyond a doubt that dreams hold genuine power!"

Her excitement continued to grow until she began waving her arms frantically, looking as if she'd eaten some questionable mushrooms. Her gaze toward August and Darkrai turned nearly fanatical.

August: "…"

He was beginning to regret coming here. There was definitely something wrong with this woman.

...

Eventually, Fennel managed to calm herself down—she had to. If she carried on much longer, August and Darkrai would surely flee.

"I’m sorry; it’s just that having my research direction validated made me too excited," Fennel apologized sheepishly.

"I understand," August nodded sympathetically.

He’d interacted with many researchers before; this sort of enthusiasm was familiar.

"But you mentioned your research direction was validated—?"

"Exactly!" Fennel eagerly began explaining her work.

Initially, her goal was harnessing dream energy as a revolutionary new power source. But, as everyone knew, her original Dream Research Lab at the Dreamyard had exploded spectacularly, burning down entirely.

The League subsequently banned her from continuing that line of research.

After reconsidering carefully, she changed directions—her current aim was proving the existence of the dream world, then exploring and developing it further!

However, lacking actual dream-related Pokémon had left her research purely theoretical, trapped on paper.

Darkrai’s appearance gave her the most vivid nightmare experience imaginable, offering crystal-clear proof of the dream world’s tangible existence.

"Aren’t you scared at all?" August asked curiously.

Previously in Sinnoh, he'd asked Platinum about it. According to her, the nightmare world was absolutely terrifying. Yet Fennel seemed completely unfazed, prompting August to wonder if Platinum was simply timid or if Fennel was just recklessly brave.

August glanced thoughtfully at Darkrai, a sudden thought crossing his mind.

Should I try experiencing it myself?

He hesitated, recalling a fable about a Ponyta crossing a river—but quickly dismissed the unlucky analogy.

Eventually, he abandoned the idea—not from fear, but because he had Uxie's blessing, and doubted if Darkrai’s nightmares would even affect him.

Steering the conversation back, August suddenly asked, "By the way, Fennel, would you be interested in joining the International Police?"

"Eh?" Fennel blinked, confused. She'd been closely examining Darkrai.

"That’s right. Allow me to reintroduce myself—I’m August, head of the Kanto branch of the International Police."

"If you join us, you won't have to worry about League restrictions anymore," August added with a smile. "Besides, Darkrai could even become your research assistant."

Fennel’s eyes grew brighter with each word.

But one concern lingered. "Why would you invite me?"

As a researcher, she viewed herself as a complete failure. Not many researchers had managed to blow up their own labs, after all.

Recognizing her insecurity, August reassured gently, "It’s because I see immense potential in your research."

The development prospects of a dream world spoke for themselves—a sort of virtual reality that could even connect online. In the games, trainers could catch Pokémon and plant berries within dreams.

Hearing August’s praise, Fennel blushed slightly.

Still, joining the International Police was a major decision—one she felt obligated to consider carefully, despite leaning strongly towards acceptance.

"No rush—take your time," August said gently, handing her his contact info. "I’ll be in Unova for a while. Let me know once you’ve decided."

Fennel nodded vigorously.

...

Back at the hotel’s training area, Zinnia enthusiastically coached White in battle practice.

Though Zinnia usually appeared carefree and scatterbrained, she was surprisingly skilled as a trainer. In the short time August had been gone, White—initially clueless—had started showing noticeable improvement under Zinnia’s guidance.

Zinnia clearly relished the role of mentor. However, upon noticing August’s return, she quickly wiped the proud smile from her face.

"How’d it go, August? Did you find any trace of Team Plasma?"

August rolled his eyes. "Do you think Team Plasma are Pidove flocking everywhere you look?"

Besides, isn’t that supposed to be Gary’s responsibility?

Suddenly, August’s phone rang.

Gary?

Just as August thought of him, Gary called—had he actually found Team Plasma?

He answered immediately. "Gary, you found Team Plasma?"

"Nope!" Gary answered brightly.

August paused in disbelief. "…Then why are you calling?"

"I ran into someone who wants to see you."

"Hmm?" August’s eyebrows rose. Who in Unova would specifically look for him? "Are you sure?"

"Yep, a kid with black hair. Says he has something urgent to tell you," Gary replied, eyeing the nervous boy nearby. "Wanna see him? He doesn’t seem like some crazed fan."

"I’m at the hotel. Bring him over."

Ending the call, August pondered. A black-haired boy specifically looking for me in Striaton?

An idea flashed in his mind—It must be Looker!

As a fellow International Police colleague, he'd heard plenty about Looker. Having his help against Team Plasma would certainly lighten the workload.

...

But when Gary returned with the visitor, August was stunned.

The newcomer wasn’t Looker at all, but instead…

"Mr. August, my name is Black!" The black-haired boy, accompanied by a Munna and looking rather ragged, sighed with relief. "I’ve finally found you!"

August: "…"

Encountering both protagonists from Pokémon Black & White in a single day—what were the odds?

Still, he wondered why Black specifically sought him out.

August couldn’t recall ever meeting Black before, so why now?

Sensing August’s confusion, Black quickly explained, "Mr. August, Team Plasma is plotting against you!"

"They’re plotting against me?" August paused, then chuckled.

It wasn't surprising at all—he’d arrested one of the Seven Sages, after all. He’d actually be disappointed in Team Plasma if they quietly accepted such humiliation.

"Don't worry," August smiled. "If they dare show themselves, I’ll gladly handle whoever they send."

Honestly, he'd welcome their direct approach; it would save him trouble.

Black shook his head urgently. "It’s not that—they’re planning a public smear campaign against you!"

"Huh?" August raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Explain further."

Black immediately recounted everything he’d overheard from Ghetsis and his subordinates. "…It’s been a while since I overheard them, so Team Plasma might start acting any time now."

August tilted his head thoughtfully.

"Smear campaign? Ghetsis really said that?"

Seeing Black nod earnestly, August shook his head, sighing in disappointment. "Seems that’s the limit of Ghetsis’s ambitions."

He’d expected a real battle—but Ghetsis resorting to petty schemes behind his back was even more cowardly than Archie and Maxie. At least those two fought openly until their capture.

Black anxiously frowned, seeing August’s indifference.

Gary, too, was concerned. "Letting Ghetsis openly slander you isn’t good. It damages your image—especially representing our branch."

Ghetsis was essentially slapping the entire Kanto branch in the face!

"He needs to be taught a lesson!" Gary declared fiercely.

"Then what would you do?" August asked.

"I’d search all of Unova, find Ghetsis, beat him senseless, and lock him up—"

"And the charges?" August interrupted. "We’re legitimate law enforcement, remember?"

Gary scowled. "Then should we just let Team Plasma tarnish our reputation?"

"Of course not, but your methods are crude," August replied calmly.

Gary bristled slightly—did August have a better solution?

"Not necessarily better, just more refined," August said, turning to Caitlin. "Unova’s holographic communications are widespread now, right?"

Caitlin nodded, puzzled by his intentions.

August dialed a number, and Malva’s hologram appeared casually dressed at home.

"August? I thought you’d forgotten me~" Malva teased dramatically.

August sighed. "Enough acting—someone’s planning a smear campaign against me."

Malva feigned surprise. "You still need to be smeared?"

August shot her a warning glance.

Immediately serious, Malva offered, "What do you need? I have plenty of contacts in media."

"Use your connections in Unova. For the next two months, no negative news about me. Also, ask Diantha to block related negative keywords online."

One tactic controlled the source, the other the channels—effectively neutralizing any slanderous attempts.

"No problem; that’s my specialty," Malva smiled, stretching lazily. "Two months is enough?"

"More than enough," August assured confidently.

If two months couldn’t handle Team Plasma, he’d gladly retire.

Malva chuckled softly. "I do admire your confidence. I'll get to work~"

Ending the call, August glanced up to see everyone staring at him.

"What?"

"Nothing," Gary sighed, giving him a thumbs-up. "Your method is definitely better."

August suspected there was hidden meaning in Gary’s praise.

---

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!