Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [446]

Diantha was now thoroughly confused.

If the two Team Rocket Executives standing in front of her were August’s people, then Giovanni from earlier...

Seeing Diantha’s stunned expression, August immediately understood what she wanted to ask. "Naturally, Giovanni was also played by one of my people."

Upon hearing this, Diantha was utterly speechless.

So this was the performance August had invited her to watch?

Everyone present was merely an actor—except Lysandre and Team Flare, who were manipulated completely, dancing in August’s palm.

Even as an international superstar, Diantha had never imagined such a show...

But still...

"If you already had Lysandre in custody, why didn't you just arrest him outright? Why release him?" Diantha couldn't understand.

August clearly had Lysandre in his grasp, yet instead of arresting him directly, he’d staged such an elaborate charade.

"Our International Police rely heavily on evidence," August explained. "Currently, the evidence only proves that Lysandre committed kidnapping and attacked public facilities. Given his influence in Kalos, he'd get off far too easily—there's no way he’d remain imprisoned for long."

"If I’m going to arrest Lysandre, I must gather enough evidence to take him down in one decisive blow. Letting him go builds trust, enticing him to reveal his crimes willingly. You could think of it as letting the fish run a little to reel it in later."

Diantha nodded slowly, understanding dawning.

Nearby, Malva overheard August’s words and immediately grasped the sinister depth of his plan.

He deliberately had "Giovanni" rescue Lysandre to win his trust, all so he could extract Team Flare’s innermost secrets...

And worse, she herself had unknowingly facilitated the alliance between "Team Rocket" and Team Flare…

At that moment, Malva realized bitterly that she'd inadvertently played the role of August's spy within Team Flare.

When Lysandre had called her a traitor, he hadn't been wrong.

Feeling Malva’s gaze, August tapped his forehead lightly.

"Ah, I almost forgot about you!"

August snapped his fingers, dispelling the psychic restraints binding Malva.

"August!"

Malva immediately reached for her Pokéball, ready for battle.

But in an instant, her body froze again.

"You know, you're really troublesome like this..."

He had Gardevoir confiscate Malva’s Pokéball, gently helping her acknowledge her prisoner status. Only then did August finally release her again.

This time, Malva didn't rush him.

"When did you find out who I really was?" Malva asked.

August smiled faintly. "From the start, you were my target for infiltrating Team Flare. Why else do you think I agreed to your interview?"

Malva: "..."

So before August even set foot in Kalos, he'd already plotted everything—she’d been prey from the beginning?

At this realization, Malva developed a profound understanding of August’s scheming nature.

"Who was playing Giovanni?" Malva asked at last.

This was the one thing she truly wanted—no, needed—to know. Even if she died, she wanted clarity.

"You’ve met her," August replied.

"Someone I've met?" Malva thought hard before her face paled with shock. "Sabrina!?"

"Only partially correct," August answered casually. "Up until today, Giovanni was actually played by me."

Malva: "..."

So, every move she made had always been under August’s watchful eye?

The thought alone made Malva feel like an utter fool.

---

For Lysandre, today was unquestionably a complete disaster.

Everything had initially been under perfect control, advancing precisely as he'd planned.

Then suddenly, everything fell apart!

Malva betrayed him, forcing him to abandon his subordinates and flee...

When Lysandre finally regained consciousness, August was nowhere in sight.

Looking at the desolate surroundings, Lysandre breathed a sigh of relief. "We made it out?"

"Indeed," came Giovanni’s calm voice.

Hearing Giovanni speak, Lysandre returned to his senses, immediately expressing gratitude: "Thank goodness for you! Earlier, I misunderstood you."

At this, Lysandre looked ashamed.

He’d assumed Giovanni had defected to the International Police. Instead, Giovanni’s betrayal had all been an act—a deception to save him.

Without Giovanni’s timely intervention, he'd surely have fallen into August’s hands. It was Giovanni's help that made their escape effortless.

Giovanni responded coolly, "I just didn't want my partner taken down so easily. But you... don’t you owe me an explanation about Malva? This fiasco cost me two capable subordinates."

Lysandre ignored Giovanni’s coldness, knowing this failure lay entirely at his feet. He’d never imagined Malva would defect to the International Police! His losses were even heavier than Giovanni’s.

Just recalling this betrayal stoked Lysandre’s rage.

"Rest assured, I’ll make it up to you!"

Giovanni scoffed softly, "You’d better... What's your next move?"

Giovanni subtly steered the conversation.

Lysandre didn’t suspect a thing. "Since we’re already exposed, there's no reason to hide anymore. I'm launching my plan!"

"What plan?" Giovanni asked casually.

Lysandre raised his head. "Have you ever heard the legend of the ultimate weapon of Kalos?"

"The ultimate weapon?" Giovanni’s face filled with interest, subtly using psychic powers to activate the recording function on his phone.

Lysandre, oblivious, sank into memory: "It’s a tale about eternal life..."

---

While Sabrina—in Giovanni’s disguise—was busy extracting crucial intel from Lysandre, August and Diantha had already placed Malva and the other captured Team Flare members into temporary custody.

Shortly afterward, Diantha publicly announced that due to the attack on the Kalos Power Plant, Team Flare was officially declared a criminal organization throughout Kalos.

The announcement immediately drew widespread attention.

The editor-in-chief of Lumiose Publishing harshly criticized the decision, stating that labeling Team Flare as criminal over a single incident was irresponsible.

However, the very next day, the same editor-in-chief was investigated by League authorities under suspicion of financial ties to Team Flare.

---

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!