Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [490]

Zinnia completely missed August's exasperation, convinced she'd just performed some great service. Her face practically radiated pride.

August seriously considered cracking her skull open to check what exactly filled that empty head of hers—but after some thought, he decided against it.

No point getting angry at an idiot.

“Let’s go.” August rose, holding Mew, who had her head buried happily in a bag of candies, and headed into the café on the corner to await Caitlin’s arrival.

Meanwhile, as August waited for Caitlin…

Gary and Hoopa were busy shopping at a bakery nearby, buying donuts.

“Hoopa wants this one!” Hoopa pointed eagerly to yet another donut behind the counter.

Gary replied mechanically, “Pack that one up too.”

This was already the seventh type of donut Hoopa had chosen. Gary couldn’t comprehend how someone could take so long selecting donuts—or why donuts even needed to come in chocolate, strawberry, sugar-glazed, and dozens of other variations in the first place.

Thankfully, Hoopa finally seemed satisfied.

Seeing Hoopa’s happy grin, Gary sighed in relief. “Check, please.”

“Certainly, sir. That will be 37,000 Pokédollars.”

“How much?” Gary blurted, convinced he’d misheard.

It was just donuts! This had to be daylight robbery!

The cashier smiled politely. “All pastries in our shop are personally handmade by the renowned pastry chef, Master Slurpuff, who was awarded this year’s Castelia City Dessert Master title. Only the highest-quality ingredients are used.”

Gary stared speechlessly at Hoopa, who gazed pitifully back at him. “Gary~”

He sighed in resignation. “Fine. Charge it…”

Why did he have to be so softhearted?

Painfully paying the hefty sum, Gary couldn’t recall the last time he’d spent so lavishly since he'd started earning his own paycheck.

I’m definitely making August reimburse me!

Clinging desperately to that comforting thought, Gary took the matcha donut Hoopa offered him and took a bite.

At that instant, he felt as if an army of matcha-flavored Alcremie were joyfully dancing on his tastebuds.

Well, expensive things do have their reasons…

Just as Gary prepared to take another bite, he suddenly felt as though someone was watching him.

But when he quickly looked around, nothing seemed amiss.

Hoopa glanced up curiously, munching happily. “What’s wrong, Gary?”

After Gary bought donuts for it, Hoopa had decided he was officially a good person!

“It's nothing…” Gary shook his head. Perhaps spending too much time around August had just made him paranoid.

“Come on,” Gary said. “August said we'd regroup tonight, so let's explore Castelia in the meantime.”

“Mmm-hmm!” Hoopa nodded eagerly.

---

Inside the café at the corner street.

August, Zinnia, Mew, and Meowstic took their seats.

August turned to Meowstic, smiling faintly. “Using your professional expertise, what do you think of their coffee?”

Hearing this, Meowstic telekinetically lifted the cup, elegantly taking a sip. Its ears twitched subtly and relaxed—a clear sign of contentment August had come to recognize.

“Meow~” Meowstic responded approvingly.

August and Mew nodded in understanding.

Only Zinnia sat utterly bewildered. “August, what did Meowstic just say?”

“It says the coffee beans here are excellent,” August explained calmly.

“Oh?” Curiosity lit Zinnia’s face. Before anyone could react, she swiftly snatched Meowstic’s cup and took a large gulp—

“HOT!” Zinnia stuck out her tongue, eyes watering, expression instantly twisted into a mask of agony.

August: “…”

Sometimes, I genuinely wonder how she survived this long.

Watching Zinnia frantically sticking her tongue out like an electrified Yamper, August sighed deeply and signaled Mew, who was preparing to add a sixth spoonful of sugar into her own coffee.

Seeing Zinnia’s pained expression, Mew instantly understood August’s intent.

“Mew!” Raising her tiny hand, she used Psychic to grasp Zinnia’s tongue gently. Before Zinnia could react in horror, Mew conjured a soft stream of [Life Dew].

Zinnia’s eyes widened as her tongue quickly soothed.

“Mew, you're amazing!” she cried, embracing Mew tightly.

“M-Mew!” Mew struggled helplessly against Zinnia’s Draconid People-strength grip but couldn’t break free.

Fortunately, someone arrived to save her.

“August?”

A familiar voice called softly from behind.

Turning, August saw Caitlin approaching gracefully. She wore her usual elegant pink shawl, long golden hair cascading effortlessly behind her under gentle psychic manipulation.

“It’s been a while, Caitlin,” August greeted warmly.

They hadn't seen each other since the last World Championship.

Upon seeing August, Caitlin's cheeks immediately flushed shyly.

Zinnia instantly perked up. She knew her suspicions were right—there definitely was something between August and Caitlin!

August: “…”

Why are you blushing like a Jigglypuff kettle? There’s nothing between us! Stop creating misunderstandings!

He briefly considered explaining himself, but quickly decided against it. Trying to reason with a fool was pointless.

“Take a seat,” August gestured, “Want anything to drink?”

Sitting down gracefully, Caitlin smiled softly. “A latte, please.”

At this point, Meowstic curiously observed Caitlin, sensing unusually powerful psychic energy radiating from her. Such potent psychic abilities were rare among humans.

Spotting Meowstic, Caitlin’s eyes sparkled. “What an adorable cat!”

She instinctively reached to pet Meowstic’s head, but Meowstic effortlessly evaded.

August shook his head gently. “Meowstic doesn't like being petted.”

Otherwise, it wouldn't have posted a “Do not pet the manager” sign back at the café.

After a brief catch-up, August steered the conversation back. “Alright, let's talk business…”

Caitlin’s expression quickly turned serious. “I've heard about what happened at the airport. Usually, Team Plasma’s activities are limited to towns and rural areas. It’s highly unusual for them to target Castelia City, let alone seize control of an airport runway.”

August nodded thoughtfully. He'd prepared extensively before coming to Unova, intending to seek local League support from Caitlin.

“So,” August deduced, “this probably wasn't just a coincidence?”

Caitlin nodded firmly. Anyone remotely cautious would place August on their highest-priority watch list. To her, the airport incident clearly suggested Team Plasma planned a targeted attack against August.

Zinnia belatedly reacted in shock, clenching her fists indignantly. “So, we were their targets earlier? Team Plasma’s terrible!”

“It was me, not you,” August corrected mercilessly. “You're nowhere near important enough for their radar.”

Ignoring Zinnia’s wounded expression, August turned back to Caitlin. “You should've received the intelligence regarding Snag Ball smuggling already. How's the Unova League responding?”

Taking on Team Plasma alone was unrealistic. Not everyone was as cooperative as Lysandre, and Unova’s International Police branch had recently suffered heavy losses. He absolutely needed League assistance.

Hearing this, Caitlin hesitated awkwardly.

August noticed immediately. “Something going on with the League?”

“Unfortunately,” Caitlin admitted reluctantly, “there's disagreement within the League regarding Team Plasma.”

“How so?”

“Some members believe Team Plasma’s philosophy—peaceful coexistence and Pokémon liberation—has merit, despite some questionable methods. They insist we should persuade rather than oppose them directly.”

August stared blankly, stunned speechless.

Are these people serious? Were members of the Unova League actually buying into Team Plasma’s propaganda? Were these people undercover Plasma agents?

With Lysandre and Giovanni’s infiltration still fresh in mind, August’s first instinct was suspicion. Yet, considering humanity's remarkable ability for sheer stupidity, he reluctantly dropped that idea for now.

“Then what's the League’s final decision? As Unova’s official authority, they must take some clear stance.”

As an Elite Four member, Caitlin certainly knew their stance.

Yet…

“Sorry, but currently, we can’t reach any decision…” Caitlin sighed helplessly. “We haven't been able to contact Champion Alder for quite a long time.”

August felt his head throb painfully.

He'd heard of Alder’s carefree reputation, even noticing his absence during the World Championship. But witnessing this dysfunction first-hand was truly astounding.

If there were awards for “Most Responsible” and “Least Responsible” Champions…

The most responsible might be a contest between Lance and Cynthia, but the least responsible champion was undoubtedly Alder!

Never before had a champion disappeared for extended periods, utterly unreachable.

August exchanged a speechless glance with Caitlin.

He sighed deeply. “Forget it. Let’s talk about something else…”

Counting on Unova’s League to tackle Team Plasma proactively now seemed hopeless.

This is even tougher than facing Team Flare, August thought wryly. At least then, Malva provided a clear breakthrough. Now, facing Plasma, he desperately needed a similar opportunity.

Just as he contemplated seeking out N as a potential breakthrough, his phone suddenly buzzed.

It was from Gary.

Tapping open the message:

[Call_Me+Young_Master_Gary]: August, Hoopa and I are being followed!!!

Gary’s triple exclamation points either signaled excitement at encountering a stalker or genuine fear. August strongly suspected excitement—the list of things that actually frightened Gary was exceedingly short, and a mere stalker definitely wasn’t one of them.

---

Just as August expected, Gary wasn’t afraid at all. Instead, he was practically vibrating with excitement.

Finally, it’s my turn to make a major contribution!

From their observations, this person had shadowed Gary and Hoopa through six entire streets. Clearly, this was no random tail—it was calculated and intentional.

Who in Unova would deliberately track an International Police officer?

Obviously, it was Team Plasma—their main objective!

And this stalker represented Gary Oak’s first step toward glory and recognition within the International Police!

Thinking of this, Gary’s lips curled into a sinister grin.

Hidden nearby, the stalker shivered involuntarily.

Is there something wrong with this guy’s head? Why’s he suddenly grinning like a psycho? Maybe I should back off.

But before he could retreat, someone tapped his shoulder.

He turned swiftly, startled—only to see a wooden stick hurtling toward his face.

Thud!

The stalker collapsed unconscious.

Hoopa stood proudly over him, stick in one hand, flashing a victorious "V" sign with the other, grinning triumphantly.

---

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!