Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [492]

Unova’s starter trio: Oshawott, Tepig, and Snivy.

"Did I happen to arrive on Starter Pokémon distribution day?" August remarked.

"August!"

Ash stared at August, surprised and slightly confused.

Hadn't August mentioned staying in Castelia City for a while? Why did he suddenly show up in Nuvema Town...?

Professor Oak was clearly thinking more deeply. He knew August had come to Unova to deal with Team Plasma. Now, with August here… Did Team Plasma appear in Nuvema Town too?
His expression instantly grew serious.

August saw Professor Oak's reaction and quickly waved his hand. "No, no—I'm just meeting someone here in Nuvema. Thought I'd pay a visit to Professor Juniper while I was at it."

He extended a hand to Juniper. "Hello, Professor Juniper. I'm August, from the International Police’s Kanto Division. Nice to meet you."

Juniper shook hands with August, visibly surprised by his introduction. She had recognized him immediately as the Pokémon World Championship winner, but she didn't know much else. Learning he was with the International Police genuinely startled her.

"Isn’t your identity supposed to be kept secret?" she asked carefully. From what she knew, International Police agents generally maintained a low profile.

Is it really okay for him to announce himself openly?

August chuckled lightly. "There’s no need anymore. My identity as an International Police officer has been an open secret for a long time."

Anyone who needed to know already knew. When he did require secrecy, he'd simply use another identity anyway.

Juniper nodded thoughtfully.

Looking back at the three Pokémon, August returned to the previous topic. "So these three are…?"

"Professor Juniper is letting me choose one as a new partner!" Ash said excitedly—more thrilled than when Serena had kissed him, obviously. Clearly, Pokémon were much more appealing to Ash.

August understood that perfectly. When he’d watched the Pokémon anime as a kid—before crossing over—his attention had always been more on the Pokémon themselves than the female protagonists.

"So, have you decided which one you'll pick?" August asked.

Ash immediately looked troubled, scratching his head in uncertainty. "I'm still not sure. August, any suggestions?"

Before August could answer, Gary jumped in eagerly. "I think Tepig suits you perfectly! You two are exactly alike!"

"Gary, you jerk!" Ash snapped, instantly fired up. "Let's battle right now!"

"A third-place finalist challenging the League Champion? You think I'd be scared?" Gary flicked his hair back confidently. Though he didn't dare challenge August, picking on Ash was another matter entirely—and one he greatly enjoyed.

Seeing the two about to start a battle in the lab itself, August intervened calmly: "Go with Oshawott."

The two squabbling trainers immediately turned their heads, intrigued.

"Why Oshawott?"

"Yeah," Gary interjected, "If we’re talking pure strength, even if not Tepig, Snivy looks much stronger."

Nearby, Oshawott, who'd initially puffed up proudly at August’s endorsement, froze into stone at Gary’s comment—then furiously waved its shell in protest. But even more devastatingly, August himself nodded in agreement.

"Purely in terms of strength, Oshawott indeed isn’t as strong as Snivy..." August acknowledged. "But choosing a Pokémon isn't just about power; you also need to consider your team composition."

Gary nodded thoughtfully, but Ash just looked confused. "Team…composition?"

August: "…"

Is this really the same Ash who just placed third in the Silver Conference? Did his brain reset along with Pikachu’s level again when he came to a new region?

Gary sighed dramatically. "Idiot. You already have a strong Grass-type—Bayleef—and Charizard as a powerhouse Fire-type. Your only weak point is a strong Water-type. So logically, you pick a Water-type Pokémon."

"But my Totodile is strong!" Ash protested.

Gary raised an eyebrow skeptically. "You think your Totodile can survive even one [Return] from Bayleef?"

Ash thought for a moment, realizing Totodile probably couldn't even withstand one move.

Convinced, Ash locked eyes with Oshawott decisively. "Oshawott! I choose you!"

Delighted, Oshawott raised its head proudly, gloating openly to the other two. Tepig gave a warm, supportive smile, while Snivy gave Oshawott a look of sheer contempt and disdainfully turned away.

Ash scratched his head again. "You know… Oshawott’s personality kinda reminds me of Gary..."

Gary instantly felt his blood pressure spike, grabbing Ash to drag him outside for a battle right then and there.

Professor Oak laughed warmly at their antics. "Ah, youth!"

He fondly remembered his own youthful days with Agatha and Kurt. Unfortunately, their paths diverged as each pursued their own ambitions.

Professor Juniper smiled at the energetic scene as well. "It wouldn't be fair using your trained Pokémon—how about choosing one of the remaining starters, Gary?"

Since Gary was Professor Oak’s grandson, Juniper wasn't concerned about entrusting a Pokémon to him.

Gary eagerly agreed, rolling up his sleeves. "Alright, I'll make Ash acknowledge me today! I'll even pick Tepig so I don’t have a type advantage."

He grabbed Tepig’s Poké Ball confidently. As for Snivy, Juniper remembered another promising boy she'd recently met…

...

In the research lab courtyard, Gary and Ash stood on opposite sides.

Since it was just a match between starter Pokémon, there was no concern about collateral damage, so the open yard was perfect.

Behind Ash, Pikachu and Delia cheered loudly.

"Ash, you can do it!"
"Pika-Pi!"

Ash tipped his hat confidently. "Don’t worry, leave it to me!"

Behind Gary stood Hoopa, energetically waving a donut in support. "Gary-boss, go, go!"

Apparently, a single bag of donuts was enough to elevate Gary’s status to "boss" in Hoopa’s eyes.

August: "…"

Hoopa, aren't you too easily bribed?

Professor Juniper curiously observed Hoopa, but her attention soon shifted to Mew, who had suddenly appeared atop August’s head.

As a Pokémon Professor specializing in Pokémon origins, Juniper naturally knew Mew was central to those studies. According to legend and research, Mew carried the genetic codes of all Pokémon and could use every known move, considered the ancestor of all Pokémon.

"Mew?"

Sensing Juniper’s gaze, Mew turned around warily. Seeing Juniper staring, she immediately grew suspicious—Does this human want my snacks? Thinking this, Mew quickly hid her potato chips behind her back, shaking a tiny fist at Juniper, silently vowing to defend her snacks at all costs.

Juniper stared blankly at Mew’s actions: "…"

Impossible. Absolutely impossible!
There’s no way Pokémon originated from something like this!

She shook her head to dispel the image of snack-hiding Mew—but the harder she tried, the deeper it imprinted in her memory.

The battle in the courtyard finally began at Professor Oak’s signal.

Oshawott and Tepig dashed forward simultaneously.

"Puu—!"

Oshawott launched a water spray at Tepig.

"Dodge it, Tepig! Use [Ember]!"

Gary commanded Tepig to dodge and retaliate with [Ember]. Overall, the battle wasn't exactly exciting—rather, it was like two inexperienced beginners awkwardly flailing at each other.

August quickly lost interest, took out his phone, and messaged Looker his location. Turning around, he saw Caitlin and Zinnia chatting happily.

Strange. How could Caitlin get along so well with Zinnia? Hadn’t Caitlin noticed Zinnia was basically an idiot?

After an arduous battle, Tepig finally defeated Oshawott with a fierce [Tackle], securing Gary's victory.

"Gary wins!" Professor Oak announced.

"Gary-boss is victorious!" Hoopa cheered, tossing out celebratory streamers.

Ash cradled a disappointed Oshawott, while Gary smirked proudly—only to freeze when August's calm voice reached him.

"So proud of winning with starter Pokémon?"

Gary instantly wiped the smugness from his face, solemnly replying, "Of course not. I was just excited thinking about finally confronting Team Plasma."

Gary’s adaptability had reached its peak after training under August.

Ash quickly cheered himself up. "It's just one match—I'll surpass you eventually!"

Gary nearly laughed aloud but restrained himself under August’s watchful eye.

Just then, Professor Juniper approached, intending to strike up a conversation to observe Mew more closely. However, an assistant suddenly appeared, guiding in a weary-looking man in a trench coat—Looker had arrived.

"Looker, what happened to you?" August asked in surprise.

The usually stylish detective now looked exhausted, hair disheveled.

"It’s a long story..." Looker sighed heavily.

August quickly got to the point. "I read the report—it was vague. What's the actual situation?"

Looker’s face darkened. "We were ambushed. They took most of our agents’ Pokémon with Snag Balls."

August: "…"

Just how incompetent is the Unova branch?

"What about your branch chief?"

"He was recalled and dismissed. Headquarters appointed someone new who's on his way. I'm temporarily in charge."

"Are you sure it was Team Plasma?"

"They didn't identify themselves, but I’m certain it's them," Looker confirmed firmly.

August pondered carefully. The complex internal situation of Plasma immediately came to mind—N, the Seven Sages, and Ghetsis. It was by far the messiest group he’d faced.

He’d need a detailed plan, but first he had to know who the new chief was.

"Who’s the new chief?"

"You’ve heard of him—a genius second only to you in the International Police," Looker answered seriously. "The agent known as Black No. 2."

---

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!