Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [472]

Staring at Mewtwo, whom Mew had summoned, Hoopa panicked.

Unable to find Meray, Hoopa promptly dove headfirst back into the popcorn bucket, leaving only its trembling tail poking out.

But Mew saw Hoopa's frantic action as pure provocation!

“Mew!” she cried indignantly at Mewtwo.

Watching the scene unfold, Gary whispered uneasily, “August, aren’t you going to stop this?”

“Stop what?” August glanced at him curiously.

“Mew bullying Hoopa!”

“Oh, that.” Realization dawned on August’s face, and he smiled nonchalantly. “It's fine. I bully Hoopa all the time too.”

Gary: “…”

How can he say that so shamelessly!?

No wonder Mew’s personality was getting worse every day—August himself was the root cause!

Wait a second… shouldn’t he have realized that long ago?

At that moment, Gary stared sympathetically at Hoopa, feeling a sudden solidarity with its plight.

In the end, however, Mew didn't actually hurt Hoopa.

Partly because Mewtwo hadn't fully picked up August’s habit of bullying the weak yet, and partly because Hoopa was extremely quick and thorough in its apologies.

The moment Mewtwo grabbed its tail and hauled Hoopa out of the popcorn bucket, Hoopa immediately poured forth a mountain of snacks through its ring portals as tribute.

Seeing the pile of treats, Mew’s eyes instantly widened, forgetting all about her earlier jealousy.

Now that Mew was wholly preoccupied with the snacks—

Saved!

Hoopa sighed in relief.

The pressure, unfortunately, shifted to Gengar.

Looking at Mew, who was eyeing the snacks, and the huge pile itself, Gengar already knew what was coming: inevitably, it would become Mew’s backpack again.

The realization plunged Gengar into deep despair…

As Gengar began stuffing snacks into its four-dimensional stomach, Mew floated back to August’s head, wobbling unsteadily under an armful of treats.

August felt his head suddenly weighed down and promptly lifted Mew down. “If you’re eating snacks, don’t sit on my head. I still haven’t forgiven you for covering me in potato-chip crumbs last time.”

“Mew~” Mew whined pitifully.

She looked nothing like the bossy tyrant who’d just terrorized Hoopa moments earlier.

“No means no!” August insisted.

He then turned toward Hoopa, took out his wallet, and pulled out a few bills. “And you, Hoopa—next time you grab something, remember to pay for it.”

“Hoopa…pay?” Hoopa tilted its head in confusion.

After thinking it over, it opened another portal—

Clink, clink, clink.

Coins flooded out of the ring, clattering onto the floor.

Gary stared in utter shock.

He’d always prided himself on never lacking money, yet apparently, even Hoopa had more cash than him.

And he’d just felt sorry for it…?

Turned out he was the clown here.

Gold, however, sipped the coffee Meowstic had handed him with a carefree smile.

He and Hoopa had become good buddies over the past few days.

Hoopa’s money was his money!

...

After their antics subsided, everyone’s attention returned to the battle.

While Mew had been bullying Hoopa, several matches had already passed.

Pearl had completely regained his confidence, whereas his opponent had become increasingly flustered. Though barely managing to defeat Infernape through sheer determination, the moment Pearl brought out Luxray, victory was assured.

Finally, after Luxray unleashed a powerful [Wild Charge], Miltank was sent flying, landing flat on its back, defeated.

“Miltank is unable to battle! The winner is Pearl! Congratulations to Pearl for reaching the semifinals!” announced the referee.

Pearl waved happily at the cheering crowd.

Inside the private booth—

Gary said, “With Pearl moving into the top four, it’s now up to Diamond and Ash!”

No one hoped more strongly for the Kanto Branch team’s success than Gary, their self-proclaimed Silver Conference coach.

“They shouldn’t have any issues,” August remarked.

As soon as he finished speaking, August’s phone suddenly rang.

“Hmm?”

Seeing Koga’s name on the caller ID, August raised an eyebrow.

Could Koga have already found Team Rocket’s trail?

He picked up the call, intrigued. “Koga.”

Surprisingly, the voice on the other end wasn’t Koga’s, but a somewhat familiar yet unexpected voice: “August?”

August narrowed his eyes slightly. “Who’s this? Where’s Koga?”

“Heh…” The voice on the other end chuckled bitterly, mocking himself, “As expected, someone as great as you wouldn’t remember a small fry like me. It’s Archer, one of the Four Generals of Team Rocket!”

Realization struck August instantly.

No wonder the voice was somewhat familiar—wasn't this Archer, whose identity he’d briefly assumed back in Kalos?

“What do you want? If it’s nothing important, I’m hanging up. I'm watching the matches,” August said flatly.

Archer was momentarily speechless, choking on the words he’d prepared.

“Aren’t you curious why I'm calling you from Koga’s phone?” Archer growled.

August pondered briefly. “Did Koga betray the League and rejoin Team Rocket?”

Archer nearly exploded at August’s absurd reasoning. How was August’s thought process always so bizarre?

“He’s been captured! We’ve captured Koga!” Archer shouted, frustration boiling over.

August calmly held the phone away from his ear until Archer’s shouting stopped. “Captured? Okay, he's captured. No need to yell.”

Archer was speechless again.

Koga had been caught—was August really not worried at all?

Although Koga had betrayed Team Rocket and sided with the League, he was still a League Elite Four member, wasn’t he?

Archer took a deep breath and said coldly, “If you want Koga back, bring Boss Giovanni tomorrow night. I’ll send you the location later!”

Hearing Archer demand Giovanni for Koga, August instantly replied, “Koga? Who’s that? I hardly know him.”

“Tonight, then! I must see Boss Giovanni tonight, or else—” Archer hung up abruptly, his threat clear enough.

August stared at the disconnected phone, sighing. “Of all things, threatening me? Doesn't he know that's what scares me least?”

Still, Archer was remarkably loyal.

With Giovanni captured, Archer was still tirelessly trying to rescue him. If there was an award for Johto’s most touching figure this year, August would surely vote for him.

At this moment, Gary asked tentatively, “Another mission?”

Gold perked up as well.

He’d heard Archer yelling loud and clear—Koga had been captured!

If news got out, the entire Johto League would be in an uproar.

“Something like that…” August shook his head ruefully. “Koga, seriously? This is embarrassing.”

Though he understood it wasn’t entirely Koga’s fault. As a former Team Rocket Executive, his weaknesses were all too known to Archer and Petrel, who’d exploited them mercilessly.

Yet still—you’re a ninja, Koga! Aren’t you supposed to be an expert at evading traps? How’d you get caught in one?

Sighing, August called Lance. “Lance, did you hear the news?”

Lance’s voice was grim. “I just received word…”

“Team Rocket contacted me too… They want Giovanni in exchange for Koga.”

“We absolutely cannot let Giovanni go…”

No one knew Giovanni’s danger better than Lance. August had barely managed to capture Giovanni after much effort. Letting him go now would be releasing an Incineroar back into the wild, a severe threat to both Kanto and Johto.

Hearing Lance’s earnestness, August nodded vigorously.

“I agree completely. So, let’s just leave Koga to his fate.”

Lance: “…?”

Something wasn’t right.

August coughed lightly. “I’m kidding, just lightening the mood. Leave Team Rocket to me. It’s time to settle my score with them once and for all.”

Ever since his initial raid on Team Rocket’s Celadon Game Corner, his clashes with them had dragged on far too long. Time to finish the job.

Lance sighed in relief. He’d already prepared himself to abandon the Silver Conference and handle this personally, but with August stepping up, his worries vanished.

“I’m counting on you, August!”

August smiled faintly. “This is literally my job.”

Wasn’t the International Police formed precisely to handle these never-ending criminal groups?

After ending the call, Gary asked, “Do we need to head back to headquarters to get Giovanni?”

If they needed Giovanni tonight, they had to move quickly. The journey from Silver Town to Saffron City wasn’t short.

“No need,” August replied casually.

“But if Giovanni doesn’t appear, won’t Team Rocket bail?”

August smirked. “It's just Giovanni. I’ll simply impersonate him.”

Before Gary’s astonished eyes, August passed his hand over his face, instantly transforming into Giovanni.

Tapping Mew’s head, Mew unwillingly shimmered and transformed into Persian.

“How’s this? Convincing enough?” ‘Giovanni’ asked smoothly, stroking Persian’s head.

Gary gave him a thumbs-up immediately. “Exactly like him! You’re even more Giovanni than Giovanni himself!”

August narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

Why do I feel like he’s subtly insulting me?

---

In a hidden Team Rocket base, Archer hung up the call, frustration simmering.

In August’s eyes, was an Elite Four like Koga really worthless?

Archer glared at Koga.

Though Koga was also speechless at August’s reaction, seeing Archer’s frustration delighted him.

“August isn’t someone easily intimidated, Archer. Your strategy was flawed from the start.”

“Shut it, traitor!” Archer snapped.

Yet deep down, Archer felt desperate. He knew better than anyone how suicidal it was to threaten August. But he had no choice.

Team Rocket was falling apart. Giovanni was imprisoned, Matori and Ariana—keepers of their secret accounts—were captured, and their finances crippled. He’d even halted payrolls. This was his final desperate gamble.

Though Koga couldn’t read minds, Archer’s grim expression made it clear Team Rocket was on the brink of collapse.

And seeing Archer’s misery made him very happy indeed!

Initially, Koga had come to Goldenrod Radio Tower expecting an easy investigation. Yet Archer and Petrel had anticipated him, disguised themselves as League officials, and ambushed him. Before he knew it, he was hit by a barrage of [Metal Bursts], with nowhere to escape.

He sighed deeply, hoping August’s harsh words had been mere bravado.

Come quick and save me…

Aloud, however, he casually requested, “Do you have spare clothes? Mine got shredded in your explosions.”

A grunt quickly brought a set of clothes—Team Rocket’s uniform.

Koga’s face twitched.

“Actually, maybe I’ll stick with these rags…”

But fate disagreed; his tattered clothes suddenly fell apart completely.

Archer smirked. “Heh…”

Koga: “…”

If he didn’t want to be naked, he had no choice but to wear the uniform. August surely wouldn’t misunderstand… right?

But Koga’s heart sank at the thought.

---

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!