Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [477]

"Uuugh—!"

Struck by [Swift’s] barrage of star-shaped energy, Ampharos whimpered in pain.

From its strained expression, it was clear Ampharos was suffering.

But any trainer who made it to the semifinals wouldn't be defeated so easily.

The opposing trainer swung his hand decisively: "Ampharos, [Dragon Pulse]!"

Though Ampharos wasn’t Dragon-type, it was called an "Electric Dragon" for good reason—it could still use certain Dragon-type moves.

Ampharos puffed out its chest, drew in a deep breath, and unleashed a powerful energy beam toward Luxray.

BOOM!

A massive explosion enveloped Luxray's position.

"Did it land?"

Both Ampharos's trainer and the audience stared anxiously at the battlefield.

A gust of wind suddenly dispersed the smoke.

With minor scratches on its body, Luxray emerged swiftly, charging toward Ampharos.

As Luxray closed the distance, it shot Ampharos a menacing glare—remembering Luxray had already taken down Wailord, Ampharos faltered, its movements becoming sluggish and hesitant.

[Scary Face]

At that critical moment...

"Luxray, [Crunch]!"

"Ampharos, dodge quickly!"

Two commands overlapped, but Luxray, now significantly faster due to [Scary Face's] effect, struck first.

Its sharp fangs bit fiercely into Ampharos's arm.

"Aaagh—!"

Ampharos winced in agony, desperately shaking its arm to dislodge Luxray.

But Luxray’s grip was shockingly powerful, refusing to let go.

"Keep attacking—[Play Rough]!"

Luxray unleashed a flurry of claw strikes, sending the battlefield into chaos. Amid the confusion, Luxray forcefully pinned Ampharos to the ground.

"Yes! He's got this!" Gary clenched his fist in excitement.

By now, the outcome was all but certain.

August smiled faintly, glancing down at his phone. A message had arrived from Looker.

[Looker]: ...

Just three dots—but August perfectly understood his friend's current mood.

Going from vacation to an unexpected business trip was already bad enough, but having to pull overtime on top of it...

Still, there was nothing to be done. He was simply unlucky this time.

If smugglers had appeared in literally any other region, Looker wouldn’t have needed to get involved personally.

[GardevoirSupremacy]: How's Unova treating you?

[Looker]: Everyone here is pretty friendly.

[GardevoirSupremacy]: You’re hilarious. Since when is Team Plasma friendly…?

[Looker]: I meant my colleagues…

[GardevoirSupremacy]: …

[Looker]: …

Realizing he’d misunderstood, August quietly closed the chat, pretending nothing had happened.

Turning his head, he noticed Gary staring curiously at him.

"What, thinking about going to Unova yourself?" August asked casually.

Gary blinked, baffled. "Unova?"

He'd only glanced briefly; how did August interpret that as wanting to visit Unova?

Though, considering Unova's reputation as a bustling, vibrant region, Gary had to admit it might be worth visiting someday.

...

Pearl easily secured victory in the first semifinal match.

Though his opponent wasn’t weak, his main strength—Wailord—had been swiftly crippled by Luxray at the outset, forcing him off-balance for the rest of the battle.

With Wailord sidelined, the result had been inevitable.

Next was the match Serena was most eagerly anticipating—Ash versus Diamond!

After triumphing against fate itself last round by defeating Harrison’s Blaziken with his Bayleef's [Return], Ash was positively brimming with confidence.

Diamond, standing opposite him, appeared equally determined.

"Ash-senpai, this match carries all my dreams—I won’t lose!" Diamond declared, sincerity and resolve shining brightly in his eyes.

Everyone turned their gazes to Ash, eager for his response.

Ash thought for a moment before replying firmly, "Same here!"

The spectators fell silent at the simple declaration.

Yet to Serena, Ash was as cool as ever.

"You've got this, Ash!" Serena shouted, leaning out of the window and waving excitedly.

As if hearing her clearly through the noisy arena, Ash glanced back and waved warmly at Serena.

Realizing Ash had noticed her cheering despite the noisy surroundings, Serena glowed with happiness.

Ash really does have me in his heart!

What Serena didn’t realize was that August had just quietly signaled Mew to relay her voice to Ash telepathically.

Ash, this is all I can do for you, August silently mused.

By now, the match had officially begun.

At the referee’s signal, Ash and Diamond simultaneously released their Pokémon.

Ash opened with Quilava.

Following August’s previous training advice, Ash’s Cyndaquil had evolved far sooner than it originally would have.

Now, Quilava stood confidently, flames blazing from its back, its tiny front paws hanging adorably in front of its chest.

Quilava stared across the field at Diamond's Pokémon.

Thump!

A heavy impact shook the arena.

Diamond had released Torterra.

With four sturdy legs and a shell lushly covered with flourishing greenery, Torterra resembled a walking garden.

Though smaller than the previous Wailord, Torterra’s Ground-type nature meant it was similarly imposing in weight.

"We have the type advantage! Let's go, Quilava!" Ash encouraged his Pokémon enthusiastically.

"Ash actually knows about type matchups now?" August turned incredulously to Gary. "What did I miss while I was away?"

Gary looked equally confused. He had no clue either!

Ash had been competing as usual. Gary had watched every match and offered advice, but even he didn’t know when Ash suddenly learned about type advantages.

Especially since Ash had literally won against the odds in his last match.

"But well, it's good news, isn't it?" Gary shrugged. "Ash is improving!"

August shook his head subtly.

For anyone else, learning type matchups marked a crucial step toward becoming a proper trainer.

But for Ash…

August couldn’t decide if this improvement was a blessing or a curse.

On the battlefield, Ash didn’t just know type matchups—he had learned to take the initiative!

Ash swept his arm dramatically: "Quilava, [Flamethrower]!"

The flames on Quilava’s back flared brilliantly as a roaring jet of fire erupted toward Torterra.

Even before the flames struck, the heat began to wither and curl Torterra’s lush foliage.

If hit, Torterra’s beautiful, carefully cultivated garden shell would undoubtedly burn to ash.

Torterra clearly had the same thought.

Normally sluggish, Torterra instantly stomped heavily into the ground.

[Earthquake]

The ground shook violently as jagged cracks spread rapidly toward Quilava, threatening to swallow it up.

But the real intent behind Torterra's move was obvious—to force Quilava to abort its [Flamethrower].

And Ash wasn’t the type of trainer who'd make his Pokémon endure such a fierce attack just to land his own.

"Quilava, dodge it quickly!"

Hearing Ash's vague command, August felt strangely relieved.

He's back—this is the Ash I know!

Ash’s brief burst of strategic clarity had been just an illusion after all.

Quilava, apparently accustomed to Ash’s notoriously vague instructions, automatically adjusted its strategy.

Leaping high to dodge the worst of the [Earthquake], Quilava spun in midair, forming itself into a blazing wheel of fire, crashing down directly onto Torterra.

BOOM!

The [Flame Wheel] struck, forcing a pained grimace from Torterra.

"Torterra!" Diamond shouted anxiously.

With a low, reassuring grunt, Torterra indicated it was fine, comforting its trainer.

Diamond visibly relaxed.

The commentator briefly struggled to find words.

It was his first time seeing a semifinal where trainers seemed to only shout encouragement, leaving the Pokémon themselves to handle the battle entirely.

Yet undeniably, both Pokémon displayed remarkable strength.

After reassuring Diamond, Torterra turned its angry gaze to Quilava, firing off a single blade-like leaf accelerated to blinding speed.

By focusing [Razor Leaf] on a single projectile, Torterra drastically increased its velocity.

In an instant, a green blur flashed across the field—

—and Quilava, about to strike again, was suddenly blasted backward, hitting the ground heavily.

"What just happened?"

The audience murmured in shock.

Quickly seizing his opportunity, the commentator called up a slow-motion replay.

"Astounding! Torterra’s [Razor Leaf] is so fast it can only be clearly captured on high-speed cameras! Evading this in battle would be nearly impossible!"

Diamond scratched his head bashfully upon hearing his Torterra praised so effusively.

Quilava, despite being struck down, refused to yield, flames intensifying fiercely.

It suddenly unleashed a thick [Smokescreen], shrouding the entire field in dense smoke.

Unable to pinpoint its target, Torterra hesitated.

Suddenly, ghostly wisps of purple flame drifted through the smoke, settling onto Torterra’s shell, sticking persistently and painfully.

Burned!

The commentator abruptly fell silent.

Pressing the advantage, Ash commanded: "Quilava, [Flame Wheel] again!"

Still reeling from its burn and blinded by smoke, Torterra was helpless.

Spinning out of the smoke like a flaming comet, Quilava smashed directly into Torterra.

Torterra staggered and fell heavily.

It tried to fire another [Razor Leaf], but Quilava offered no chance.

Another [Flamethrower] erupted forth.

Scorched by the flames, Torterra finally fainted.

Ash had claimed victory in round one!

Ash pumped his fist triumphantly amidst roaring applause.

Recalling his Pokémon, Diamond praised earnestly: "Ash-senpai, you really are amazing!"

Ash scratched his head sheepishly. "It was nothing special…"

"But I won’t give up yet!"

"Bring it on!" Ash shouted eagerly alongside Quilava.

Diamond responded by calling out his next Pokémon:

"Licki!"

A huge pink Lickitung appeared, its enormous tongue swinging ominously, giving Quilava a distinct feeling of imminent licking.

Seeing it, Quilava instinctively shuddered. It absolutely didn't want to get licked…

But as a Pokémon, sometimes you didn't get a choice.

The moment the battle restarted, Quilava prepared another [Flamethrower].

But before it could attack, Lickitung suddenly extended its absurdly long tongue.

To everyone’s astonishment, the massive pink tongue crossed over twenty meters, instantly licking Quilava and flinging it away!

"Wait—let's check the replay!" The commentator exclaimed.

---

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!