Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [439]

The Chief pressed his fingers against his temples, exasperated. “Do you realize Lysandre is now a renowned inventor? If word gets out that you’re investigating him, it’ll cause enormous unrest.”

“I know.”

“Do you already have evidence linking Lysandre and Team Flare?”

“No.”

“You don’t have a shred of evidence, yet you still want to arrest Lysandre?”

“I’m here precisely to get your input on that,” August replied shamelessly.

The Chief: “…”

He had the feeling August wasn’t here to seek advice at all—rather, he was here purely to give him a headache.

Investigating Lysandre might be manageable if evidence surfaced. However, if Lysandre truly was innocent, with his immense influence in Kalos, the repercussions would be catastrophic.

This was precisely why the Chief was so conflicted.

He studied August’s confident expression and decided he had to ask one crucial question first. “How sure are you that Lysandre’s engaged in criminal activity?”

“One hundred percent.”

“How exactly did you become certain Lysandre is suspicious?”

August had never even been to Kalos before—how could he possibly know Lysandre was up to something?

“You remember when I attended the World Championships? During one of the press conferences, a reporter from Lumiose Press interviewed me. Something about him felt off, so I investigated and discovered the Lumiose Press had close ties to Lysandre.”

“That's why I believe Lysandre must be involved.”

The Chief on the other end frowned. How August could link Lysandre to some random reporter seemed absurd.

If it had been anyone else, he’d immediately dismiss it as baseless suspicion. But the person making this claim was August.

August had dismantled countless criminal organizations over the past two years. His reputation as the bane of criminals was fully justified—his instincts were rarely off.

The Chief fell silent, considering carefully.

Seeing the Chief’s hesitation, August casually dropped another revelation. “Oh, I forgot to mention—I've also arrested Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket!”

“What!?” The Chief’s previous caution evaporated instantly, replaced by shocked excitement. “You really captured Giovanni?”

This was Giovanni—Team Rocket’s infamous leader, the International Police’s archenemy for many years. After decades of struggle, only August’s arrival had brought significant breakthroughs against Team Rocket.

Hearing Giovanni had finally been apprehended was historic news for the entire organization.

The Chief briefly lost composure, temporarily forgetting the Lysandre matter altogether. It took a while before he managed to calm down again.

“Where’s Giovanni now?”

August: “Locked securely in the basement at our Kanto branch.”

“Are you certain it’s safe?” The Chief asked cautiously.

August smiled confidently, “There's nowhere on earth safer than our Kanto basement!”

He wasn't boasting idly. With Pryce guarding the inside, Dialga and Palkia protecting the outside, and Cogita—Arceus’s human vessel—watching the premises constantly, he was convinced that even if the world ended, Giovanni would still remain perfectly secure.

Reassured, the Chief gave a satisfied nod, clearly proud of August’s achievement.

“So…about Lysandre,” August prodded again.

After a long pause, the Chief finally sighed, “Fine, proceed with your investigation.”

“However, Lysandre is too influential for a reckless approach. Here’s what I'll do: I'll contact Diantha officially as International Police Chief, and have her cooperate with you.”

“As long as you provide solid evidence, I'll handle any fallout that comes afterward.”

He really had no choice. August was already in Kalos—he couldn’t just send him back empty-handed. It was worth investigating at least; what if August was right?

“Oh, and Sinnoh’s situation has largely settled down. I'll send Looker over to assist you.”

...

August hung up the call, looking smugly at Sabrina and Blue. “See? Now we've got our solution.”

“With Champion Diantha helping us, the resistance from within the Kalos League will be minimal.”

Although Diantha herself had been kept in the dark by Lysandre, her status as champion meant they could navigate Kalos freely with her assistance.

Sabrina and Blue: “…”

They'd both assumed August’s investigation had official authorization. Instead, August had acted on his own, only informing Headquarters after arriving in Kalos—essentially presenting them with a fait accompli.

“What’s with those looks?” August shrugged casually. “Buying your ticket after boarding still counts as paying, doesn't it? Everything’s by the book.”

August believed firmly in procedural justice. Rules were meant to be followed; he’d never operate illegally—at least, that’s what he insisted.

Sabrina suddenly remembered something, casting August a suspicious glance. “…That Lumiose Press reporter you mentioned—it’s not that one you had repeatedly thrown out of the press conferences, is it?”

She distinctly recalled a reporter repeatedly asking about August’s relationship with Cynthia, resulting in him being ejected multiple times.

August’s eyes widened. “Eh? How did you know?”

Sabrina: “…”

You hold grudges forever. That’s just like you.

“But even with Diantha’s help, it’ll still be difficult to collect evidence,” Blue noted cautiously. Champions weren't all-powerful, as Lance’s struggles with Team Rocket had demonstrated.

“Of course,” August agreed cheerfully. “That’s why I have a backup plan.”

He casually passed his hand over his face, instantly transforming into Giovanni’s likeness.

Though Sabrina and Blue weren’t sure what August intended by posing as Giovanni, they both had an uneasy feeling it wouldn't be anything remotely respectable. After all, if it were harmless, August wouldn’t need to conceal his identity.

---

At precisely the same moment August was contacting International Police Headquarters, Malva was speaking with Lysandre via holographic projection.

“Boss, I’ve made contact with August,” Malva reported.

“Any discoveries?” Lysandre asked calmly.

August’s identity as an International Police officer was essentially an open secret. As the head of Lysandre Labs and inventor of holographic systems, Lysandre had gathered extensive intel on August. Team Rocket’s setbacks and Cyrus’s capture at August’s hands had not escaped his notice.

Someone of August’s caliber arriving in Kalos naturally demanded Lysandre’s attention.

“August arrived with two others…” Malva reflected briefly. “Our contact was too brief to discern his intentions clearly.”

So far, August had simply appeared to be a celebrity coming for a media interview and some leisurely tourism—perfectly normal behavior. Yet Malva remained wary.

“We’re at a critical phase of our plan. No mistakes can be allowed. Keep a close eye on him and manage public opinion carefully. Don’t let him sense anything amiss,” Lysandre instructed firmly.

As a prominent news anchor and Team Flare executive, Malva’s role was to control public narratives, masking Team Flare’s activities.

“I’ll do my best…but if August discovers our plans, what should we do?”

Lysandre fell briefly silent. August’s strength, displayed prominently during the World Championships, was well known.

“Use the interview and media coverage to distract him. If he genuinely uncovers our intentions…” Lysandre’s tone hardened. “Inform me. I’ll handle him personally.”

He didn’t elaborate further, and Malva didn’t ask. She assumed Lysandre had his own contingencies…hopefully.

“I’ll start preparing the interview script then,” Malva said decisively.

She already had a plan forming—beginning with August’s rumored romantic ties with numerous female trainers.

Glancing at August’s file, Malva smirked, well aware of what the audience craved.

Still, she needed caution. She couldn’t risk provoking August excessively. If he hadn’t intended to dig deeply before but ended up enraged into action, she’d become Team Flare’s greatest sinner.

It would take precise balance to navigate this interview safely.

---

Unaware Malva was planning something dangerously provocative, August—his face transformed beneath Giovanni’s mask—sat casually on a park bench.

A figure dressed conspicuously in a beige trench coat and wide-brimmed hat took a seat beside him.

August gave the man a helpless look.

“Was dressing like a cliché spy really necessary?”

Looker’s startled voice came from under the trench coat, “It’s really you? I wasn’t sure at first. How did you do it, August?”

August sighed. “Use the code name. Be professional.”

Looker’s lips twitched as he recalled the codename August had provided. “Alright… ‘Giovanni.’”

August nodded approvingly. He currently looked exactly like Giovanni—clothes included.

“Uh…‘Giovanni,’ won’t dressing like that attract more attention?” Looker asked nervously.

That passerby over there was already reaching for his phone, probably calling the police, right?

“Exactly what I want!” August replied breezily.

Confronting Lysandre and Team Flare directly wouldn’t yield evidence easily, even with Diantha’s help. Hence, his decision to try a more unconventional method.

“From now on, you’re Team Rocket’s head of operations in Kalos,” ‘Giovanni’ announced.

Looker was experienced in undercover assignments, but this scenario was completely unprecedented. Still, his orders were clear—cooperate fully with August.

“So, what’s next?” Looker asked, quickly adapting.

“You’ll make contact with Team Flare.”

“I beg your pardon?” Looker’s voice rose incredulously.

Contact Team Flare directly? Weren’t they supposed to be discreet?

‘Giovanni’ stroked the head of a reluctant Mew, forced into Meowth’s form. “You heard correctly. Establish cooperation as a Team Rocket executive.”

“Why exactly?”

“To gather intel, of course. Criminal organizations only openly reveal their secrets when dealing with other criminals,” ‘Giovanni’ explained cryptically.

He glanced meaningfully at ‘Meowth,’ who immediately understood and chirped out a cooperative: “Mew—meow!”

“What exactly should I say? How will Team Flare even believe you're Giovanni?”

“Use your imagination. If I do everything for you, where’s your sense of involvement?”

Looker: “…”

He’s got a point…I hate to admit it.

“Here’s some help—Malva of the Elite Four is a Team Flare member. Use that however you see fit. Good luck!”

Leaving a bewildered Looker behind, ‘Giovanni’ strode away with ‘Meowth.’

...

As Looker finally made contact with Malva, her voice turned ice-cold:

“What exactly does Team Rocket want?”

If he had stood before her, she’d have attacked without hesitation.

Unfortunately, only their voices reached each other now…

---

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!